John Calipari got a victory bath after the win vs. Tennessee

As you might expect, the visitor’s locker room at Thompson-Boling Arena was a happy one following Kentucky’s 63-56 victory over No. 5 Tennessee. Watch below as the Wildcats douse John Calipari with water to celebrate the team’s first true road win of the season.

🗣️ Road Kill pic.twitter.com/cfFWEUnNZA

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) January 14, 2023

Winning is fun.

Especially when you beat Tennessee in Knoxville.#bbn #weareuk #gobigblue #kentucky #sec pic.twitter.com/v9Zopglekz

— chet white (@chetwhite7) January 14, 2023

It must have been an especially sweet moment for John Calipari, who has faced a ton of criticism following back-to-back losses to Alabama and South Carolina. There’s still a long way to go this season, but today’s win is a big step in the right direction.

“These players did that for themselves and the fans that have stood by them,” John Calipari said in his postgame press conference. “They did it for them. I’m saying, I’m happy for Dr. Capilouto, Mitch [Barnhart], Dr. Todd, the guys that brought me here. I’m happy for them. This has been, you know, it’s no easy road, but I’m like — look, I haven’t lost any faith in these guys. I’ve done this a long time. All you that are shooting arrows and bullets, I’ve got bazooka holes in my body; they go right through. They don’t even hit skin. It is what it is. You can be mad, happy, sad. I’ve got a good team.”

“He deserves it, man,” Jacob Toppin said of Cal’s victory bath. “All the punches he’s been getting, all the negative feedback that he’s been getting. Nationwide, talking about he’s this, he’s that. He’s a great coach. Look at his resume. He’s a great coach. We love him. He sticks up for his players. He’s never going to back down from anybody and I appreciate him for that. Our team appreciates him for that. He’s a great coach and he’s going to continue to be a great coach and look after us.”

It was a feel-good moment for the entire team following a rough month that has included embarrassing losses, mental health problems, and waves of criticism.

“A lot of love,” Toppin said of the mood in the locker room. “Like I said, we’ve been through a lot together and it helps. It helps having a win like this. We got in, gave each other a big hug, gave Coach a big hug. Now, we’ve got to move forward and keep each other going.”

“It’s big time,” Toppin said of the win. “Not just for the coaching staff, but these players. What we’ve been through, not a lot of people have been through. It’s big time. To get a win here, Tennessee [is a] top-five team in the nation, it’s big time.”

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