Rick who? Calipari suggests UK players might not even notice Pitino’s absence.

From both the blue and red perspective, Rick Pitino has been a riveting presence at past Kentucky-Louisville games. The dramatic late entrance onto the stage. His frenetic sideline demeanor. Even his apparent farewell to the series in Rupp Arena two years ago included did-he-just-do-that panache: as he exited he flipped off a taunting fan.

Yet UK Coach John Calipari suggested that Pitino’s absence in Friday’s game may go unnoticed by UK players.

“For us, it’ll be you’re playing a game after a loss,” Calipari said. “And you’re playing a game after Christmas. Let’s see how we perform. . . . Knowing my guys, I don’t think they even know. They may go in the game (thinking), ‘Where is he?’

“If I didn’t show, they probably wouldn’t even know I wasn’t there.”

When it was suggested that being unaware might be a good thing, Calipari said, “After the UCLA game, I’d say no. But prior to that, (with) young guys, sometimes that’s a good thing.”

Cal salutes Padgett

Even without a Hall of Fame coach like Pitino, Louisville has won 10 of its first 12 games. Calipari saluted interim coach David Padgett.

“The tape I’m watching, I think Dave’s doing a great job with this team,” Calipari said. “(He’s) putting them in great positions and situations.”

On his radio show this week, Calipari made similar comments.

“David’s doing a hell of a job,” he said. “I’ve seen them win making 14 threes (14 of 26 against Memphis). But I’ve also seen them win making four threes (four of 16 against Omaha; four of 19 against Grand Canyon).”

UK-U of L

Padgett’s first UK-U of L game as a head coach led to a question about Calipari’s memories of his first UK-U of L game. He was reminded he won 71-62 in a game in which, as he saw it, U of L tried and failed to bully a UK freshman named Eric Bledsoe.

“One thing you found out in that game, you’re not intimidated,” Calipari said. “You’re not going to intimidate us, and we’re not going to intimidate you. It’s not how I coach, but that wasn’t working.

“It became two teams fighting like crazy. Every game has been a great game. Two scrappy teams that are playing. It’s always a good game.”

More zone?

With reluctance in his voice, Calipari said Kentucky might have to play more zone defense.

“But you can’t look at zone as a way of backing up,” he said. “You’re looking at zone as disrupting, of changing the pace.”

Calipari stressed the need to contest three-point shooters. Or as he put it, “You’ve got to get up in him and occupy his eyes.”

Although defensive rebounding has become a problem, Calipari downplayed the notion that a zone might make rebounding more difficult.

“You should be fine because you’re rebounding in areas,” he said.

Calipari cited guards not rebounding as a problem in the loss to UCLA.

Shoot or drive?

Hamidou Diallo on how a player can know whether to take an open jump shot or refuse to “settle” and drive to the rim:

“I’d just say it’s a feel for the game. I wouldn’t say we don’t want to drive. (It’s) just a feel of the game. People feel like that shot is open, so they take it as a confident basketball player.”

Perhaps an emphasis on driving early in games will create opportunities for open jump shots, Diallo said.

Merry Christmas

When asked what he got for Christmas, Calipari mentioned Steelers’ pajamas, slippers, a watch and, surely tongue-in-cheek, coal.

“It’s not all bad when you get coal when you’re from Kentucky,” he said.

Etc.

▪ Pitino coached in 26 UK-U of L games. He had a 6-2 record as UK coach (1989-90 through 1996-97) and a 6-12 record as U of L coach (2001-02 through 2016-17).

▪ Spero Dedes and Bill Raftery will call the game for CBS.

This story was originally published December 28, 2017 at 5:19 PM with the headline "Rick who? Calipari suggests UK players might not even notice Pitino’s absence.."