‘He’s not nearly ready.’ Kentucky’s Calipari updates status of Dontaie Allen.
Kentucky Coach John Calipari doused any thoughts of Nate Sestina and/or Dontaie Allen returning from injury soon.
Sestina broke his left wrist in a practice leading up to UK’s game against UAB last week. In announcing the injury, UK said he could be sidelined three or four weeks.
“He’s still two weeks, maybe three weeks from us figuring out if he can play,” Calipari said Thursday.
Sestina’s basketball activities include watching practices and conditioning, said Calipari, who again pointed out the relative good news that the break was in Sestina’s non-shooting hand.
On his radio show Monday, Calipari said that Allen had practiced that day.
When asked about last season’s Kentucky Mr. Basketball giving UK more depth, Calipari said Allen missed the next two practices because of knee soreness.
“So he’s not nearly ready,” Calipari said.
Not worried
Freshman Johnny Juzang came to UK billed as a shooter. He’s made four of 18 shots (two of 11 from three-point range).
“It’s been feeling really good, actually,” he said. “It’s not something I’m worried about. At the end of the day, the numbers will balance out.”
Then, Juzang added, “I know I can shoot the ball.”
Maxey on list
Tyrese Maxey is one of 46 players on an initial watch list for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, which the U.S. Basketball Writers Association presents to its National Player of the Year.
Other Southeastern Conference players on the list are Kerry Blackshear Jr. of Florida, Aaron Nesmith of Vanderbilt, Skylar Mays of LSU, Reggie Perry of Mississippi State and Anthony Edwards of Georgia.
Jordan Nwora of Louisville is also on the list.
Maxey is the only UK player included on Player of the Year watch lists associated with the Naismith Trophy, the John R. Wooden Award, the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the USBWA.
Road worriers?
Fairleigh Dickinson, which brings a 2-5 record into Rupp Arena, will play only one home game between Nov. 5 and Dec. 14, and only two home games between Nov. 5 and Jan. 9.
When asked who devised such a schedule, Coach Greg Herenda quipped, “I decline to throw my assistant under the bus.”
Actually, the Fairleigh Dickinson coach said that economics played a part in scheduling only two home games in a two-month period.
“At this level, we have to go out and play some games to pay the bills,” Herenda said. “And we’ve had some recent success. So it’s hard to get people to come play us at home. It’s a Catch-22.”
Fairleigh Dickinson won its first NCAA Tournament game last spring.
Among the road games were a 70-59 loss at DePaul on Nov. 8 and a 91-66 loss at Notre Dame on Nov. 26.
“It just prepares us for March,” Herenda said. “That’s the only way I can describe it.”
‘Johnny Carson’
In addition to coaching, Herenda also hosts a Sunday morning radio show on Teaneck, N.J., station WFDU.
When asked his role on the show, Herenda referenced the longtime host of NBC television’s “The Tonight Show.”
“I’m the Johnny Carson,” he said.
Among the guests he’s had on his show are UK Coach John Calipari. Other past guests include former UConn Coach Jim Calhoun, Davidson Coach Billy McKillup, Villanova Coach Jay Wright, former Michigan Coach John Beilein, former NFL quarterback Phil Simms and sportswriter Jackie MacMullan.
Kentucky connection
Twenty years ago, Herenda was an assistant coach for the Cincinnati Stuff of the International Basketball League. Among the players on the team were ex-Cats Wayne Turner and Allen Edwards.
Herenda lived across the Ohio River in Independence, Ky. “I loved it,” he said.
Calipari-Herenda again
Herenda said his friendship with Calipari began when they worked the famed Five-Star basketball camp together more than three decades ago.
Saturday will mark the eighth time the two have been on opposing benches. Herenda is still looking for his first victory on these occasions.
When Herenda was an assistant coach at Holy Cross from 1989 through 1994, his teams had an 0-4 record against Calipari-coached UMass.
When Herenda was on the staff at East Carolina, his teams had an 0-3 record against Calipari-coached Memphis.
Pronunciation guide
In looking ahead, Calipari noted that UK faces what seems a progressively more challenging schedule. After Fairleigh Dickinson comes Georgia Tech, then Utah in Las Vegas, No. 6 Ohio State and No. 1 Louisville.
Or as Calipari pronounced it, LEWIS-ville.
“At the end of the day, we may have the No. 1 schedule in the country,” Calipari said.
Etc.
Kevin Fitzgerald and Dane Bradshaw will call the game for the SEC Network on Saturday.
