Kentucky’s Sestina lives up to family creed: ‘No whining allowed’
When it comes to assessing his play, the start to Kentucky’s season has shown that Nate Sestina is unsparing.
He found his defense, especially away from the basket, inadequate in the stunning loss to Evansville last week. “Couldn’t really guard anybody,” he said.
Nor was he defensive or evasive about his defense in Kentucky’s follow-up victory (escape?) against Utah Valley on Monday.
“I made it a point in practice not to get blown by,” he said. “I don’t know what it was. I kept getting blown by. And that’s on me. It’s not on the coaches. It’s not on my teammates. It’s a personal thing that I have to do.”
Sestina spoke matter-of-factly. His tone suggested a devotion to realistic truth. There was no self-pity. He did not beat himself up. Nor did he cite mitigating circumstances (UK Coach John Calipari said EJ Montgomery being sidelined meant too many minutes for Sestina and Nick Richards).
According to his father, Sestina has long refused to shift blame or responsibility.
“He has always been that way,” Don Sestina said Wednesday. “He’s always been his, like, worst critic. In the past, we haven’t even had to open our mouths because he does a lot of self-evaluation, and will work hard toward improving any inadequacies.”
No whining allowed
When asked what contributed to this trait, Don Sestina said, “I think it comes from what my wife and I have inculcated in our kids regarding any aspect of their lives. Whether academic, athletic or personal.
“To always work on improvement. Don’t sit back and whine about what’s wrong because that won’t fix anything. Take the wrong and make it right.”
The elder Sestina, a former high school basketball coach, summed up what he and his wife inculcated to their children by saying, “There’s no place for whining in the Sestina household.”
(By the way, Webster’s dictionary defines the word inculcate as “to impress upon the mind by frequent or persistent urging.” The elder Sestina said he learned that word while working on a graduate degree at the University of Virginia.)
His son’s defense for Bucknell was mostly in the paint area, Don Sestina said. Nate Sestina said the flow of a game impacts his defense.
“I get one or two stops, then my confidence raises,” he said before suggesting that getting beat adversely affects his confidence.
“It’s just all about me taking it like a personal thing,” he said after the Utah Valley game. “Like I cannot get blown by, and I have to do a better job. Otherwise, it’s going to kill me, and it’s going to kill the team late in the season. And that’s something I don’t want to do. I don’t want that to be a reason we lose a game.”
Offense, too
Sestina’s offense has also been the focus of self-examination. He’s averaging 9.0 points per game.
After the Evansville game, Calipari said the Purple Aces’ physical play prevented Kentucky from establishing a low-post offense with Richards or Sestina.
To which, Sestina said, “I got out-toughed. I was standing straight up. It’s a mental thing for me. I’ve got to be mentally tough late in the game, especially when I’m tired.”
Of course, Sestina was billed as a big man who could shoot from the perimeter. To use basketball parlance, he was to be a “stretch-four.” In its college basketball preview edition, Sports Illustrated said Sestina “might be the secret sauce” for Kentucky.
In the small sample size of four games, he has made two of nine three-point shots (22.2-percent accuracy).
Calipari suggested some players declined shooting open three-point shots.
Again, Sestina accepted responsibility.
“I have to make shots,” he said after the Utah Valley game in which UK made one of 12 three-point shots. “Everybody has to make shots, especially when we are open. We practice it all the time. They are rhythm shots. I think guys’ legs were tired, and my legs were tired.”
His father said Nate Sestina’s self-evaluation is based on the team, not himself.
“Any personal improvements he does, whether it’s to his body or to his game, is all directed what’s in the team’s best interest,” the elder Sestina said.
And Nate Sestina extended the family’s no-whining credo to the imperfect victory over Utah Valley.
“I am very happy with a win,” he said. “I don’t care if it is by one point or 50 points. A win is a win. For us, coming off a bad loss, to win at home and get our momentum going again is awesome.”
Next game
Mount St. Mary’s (Md.) at No. 9 Kentucky
7 p.m. Friday (SEC Network)
