Bruiser Flint says Kentucky's morale is fine: "We ain't been losing to no bums"

It’s been a rough week for the Kentucky Basketball team, which just lost back-to-back games in Rupp Arena for only the sixth time in program history. Add in the 17-point loss at South Carolina on Jan. 23 and things definitely feel like they’re headed in the wrong direction with only ten games left in the season.

Thankfully, the Wildcats seem to be in the right frame of mind even if fans are struggling to get off the mat. This morning, Associate to the Head Coach Bruiser Flint told reporters that while the players are disappointed in the losses, their confidence has not been shaken.

“I think our morale’s been good. We ain’t been losing to no bums. We’ve been playing against some tough teams… from a morale standpoint, the guys are down. We’ve lost two tough games but I think the guys, their spirits are good. I think that’s the key.”

Flint said the staff has been encouraging the team to focus on consistency and the small details of the game plan so they can avoid digging themselves into a hole early on against more veteran squads.

“I’ve been doing this for a long time and you have those situations with young players,” Flint said of Kentucky’s defensive lapses. “You have those games where, you know what, your attention to detail has got to be better because other guys, they’re playing with a lot of older players and they actually pay attention to detail.”

“Those guys come out with a little more intensity because they get it. They’ve been in 100 basketball games and you haven’t. Those are the lessons you don’t want to learn through losses but those are the lessons that we’ve learned sometimes.”

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“We’re not 6-15, we’re 15-6”

Count Bruiser among those who think Kentucky’s issues are fixable. With better communication and attention to detail, he thinks the defense will improve.

“I think we are 15-6, right?” Flint said. “Your spirits should be up because honestly, you’re playing good basketball. We lost some tough games but we’re still playing good. We’re a good team. We know that. Okay, let’s just focus on what we need to do to be even better. We’ve won enough good games to know we’ve got a chance.”

Keeping morale high is paramount as Kentucky enters a crucial stretch of the season. Tomorrow, the Cats play Vanderbilt, the worst team in the SEC, before coming home to host a struggling Gonzaga squad. The opportunity to build momentum is there; Kentucky just has to take it.

“We’re not 6-15, we’re 15-6; we have to remember that sometimes,” Flint said. “And the teams that we’ve played, we’ve both had the same record and we’ve lost a couple to them. This league is tough. Like I said, there are no nights off in the SEC.

“We’ve got to focus on what we can do to get better and if we do that, we’ll be fine. We’re talented enough to beat anybody. We’ve seen that. We’ve shown that. We’re not down because we’re a bad team; we’re down because we lost and we want to get better. That type of stuff, I feel good about in terms of us moving forward.”