Kentucky big man reviews every game with his family. Here’s why he makes them wait.

His family has noticed that Nick Richards is a changed man on the basketball court. He said he reviews each performance with his mother and an aunt. But keep in mind: this review of Kentucky’s game against Indiana University of Pennsylvania on Friday night will happen no sooner than Saturday.

“Right now, one of my rules is after a game, we don’t talk about it the same night,” Richards said Thursday. “We can talk about it the next day.”

Richards enforces this rule regardless of how well or poorly he plays.

“Even if it’s a good game (or) a bad game,” he said.

When asked why he wants to push the pause button before re-examining his play, Richards cited basketball fatigue.

“When you focus on basketball the whole entire day since you’ve been up, I don’t want to talk about it anymore,” he said. “We can talk about it the whole day the next day.”

This rehash with his mother and aunt can include a review of game tape. “I have to explain it to them,” he said. “But we will do that the next day. We just can’t do it the same night.”

Richards said his family sees a new Richards: more focused, more relaxed. He declined to proclaim he’s turned a corner with no chance of a relapse to last season’s less-confident version of himself.

“The past doesn’t really matter for what the future has for you,” he said.

Surrender, Georgia

Richards all but said Georgia could save everyone a lot of fuss by surrendering before Saturday’s football showdown with Kentucky.

“The (UK) football team is eating it up right now,” he said. “They’re doing really well.”

On a roll, Richards added, “They’re going to get this win on Saturday, and they’re going to go to Atlanta (for the SEC Championship Game). I believe in them. I believe in my guys.”

When asked why he did not make such bold proclamations about his own team, Richards suggested that was unnecessary. “C’mon, it’s basketball,” he said. “We’re always going to get that win.”

Looking ahead?

Kentucky assistant coach Joel Justus, who substituted for John Calipari at Thursday’s news conference, dismissed the possibility that UK players are looking ahead to next Tuesday’s opener against Duke.

Quoting Calipari, Justus said the players know “the most important opponent we play is ourselves. We’ve addressed that since we started practice in August.”

Keldon Johnson echoed the theme when asked if it’s difficult not to think ahead to Duke.

“I don’t feel it’s hard at all,” he said. “We take one game at a time. We’re focused. We’re locked in.”

Earth to Herro

Tyler Herro made only one of eight shots (0-for-4 from three-point range) against Transylvania. This followed leading UK in scoring in the Bahamas (17.3 ppg) and scoring more than 30 points in the Blue-White Game.

When asked if it might be good for Herro to “return to Earth” in the first exhibition, Justus thought for a moment and said, “I don’t know the last time Tyler was on Earth. He’s such a fun guy to coach. He has such a swagger about him (and) such a supreme confidence.”

Etc.

▪ Justus on Jemarl Baker’s status: “Kind of day to day. He’s working out . . . When he’s ready, he’s ready.” Problems with a surgically repaired knee sidelined Baker in the first exhibition, and the four games in the Bahamas in August.

▪ Kevin Fitzgerald and Daymeon Fishback will call the game for the SEC Network.