John Calipari: Kentucky is ‘Not a Good Basketball Team’ Right Now

 

by Bill DiFilippo / @bflip33

John Calipari had some choice words about his 19th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats after the team lost to North Carolina on Saturday and fell to 8-3 on the season.

Despite starting the year as the preseason No. 1 team in America, Kentucky has lost to Michigan State, Baylor and UNC this season, making the Wildcats one of two teams in the AP Top 25 with three losses this year.

Emotions boiled over in Calipari’s postgame press conference after his team’s loss to the Tar Heels, when the often outspoken coach ripped into the quality of his team.

From Yahoo Sports:

“What we are right now is we’re not a good basketball team and we’re not a good team because our emotion is all based on our individual play, instead of our team play like, ‘We just got a great stop. Let’s all five chest each other and let’s go nuts,'” Calipari said. “We’re not close to that right now. Our stuff is all based on, ‘Did I miss a free throw? Did I get beat on the dribble? Did I miss a shot?’ I mean, it’s just we got to get through this.”

Calipari was asked how he goes about changing the selfish mentality to get his collection of former star recruits to do for others what they want done for them on the court.

“You want to keep losing? Keep acting that way,” he said. “We’re not a good team and players aren’t looking real good.”

The Wildcats will try to get back on track on Saturday when they host Belmont.