‘We’re getting better.’ Calipari encouraged by how UK beat Tennessee.
The particulars of Kentucky’s handling of No. 19 Tennessee on Saturday in Knoxville did not consume John Calipari. After UK’s 70-55 victory, he put importance on his team continuing to improve.
“I don’t care about the record,” the UK coach said. “I don’t even know what the record is.”
With its first victory against a ranked opponent in six tries, Kentucky improved to 8-13 overall and 7-7 in the Southeastern Conference.
“All I want to know is that we’re getting better,” Calipari added. “That’s it.”
Kentucky led the final 34 minutes and 22 seconds. Unlike recent games, a sizable early lead — this time 38-21 in the first half — did not dissolve into yet another possession-by-possession nail-biter. Kentucky held a double-digit lead for the final 28-plus minutes, and even expanded a 45-30 halftime advantage despite making only three of its first 22 shots of the second half.
“None of our energy waned,” Calipari said. “Maybe we broke through that today.”
Kentucky’s fans — and maybe its coaches and players — had been conditioned to the seemingly inevitable strain at the end of games. In 13 of UK’s previous 20 games (including the last six), eight or fewer points separated the teams going into the final four minutes. Kentucky had a 4-9 record in those contests.
“It was extremely important to know we can do that,” said Keion Brooks, who contributed 10 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. “We can build big leads and finally bury a team and put a team away. It felt good to be able to keep a foot on the gas pedal the whole time.”
Calipari joked about liking overtime games. “They excite me,” he said.
More seriously, the UK coach added, “we needed to go and have a good win to let them know you can do this. Just throw those daggers, keep defending, keep rebounding and you can do it.”
Defense and tenacity propelled Kentucky to a third straight victory (longest winning streak since Jan. 2-9).
Freshmen Keon Johnson and Jaden Springer combined for 50 points when Tennessee won in Rupp Arena two week earlier. Calipari lamented how his guards got “bullied” in that game.
In the rematch, Johnson and Springer combined for 19 points. They made a combined six of 25 shots (one of nine from three-point range).
“We learned from the last time we played them,” Calipari said of the startling difference. “How you have to play them, and we knew coming in, it was going to be hand-to-hand. We didn’t back away.”
Tennessee, which fell to 15-6 overall and 8-6 in the SEC, had ranked No. 3 in defensive efficiency by Ken Pomeroy. The Vols ranked 35th nationally in field goal defense (opponents making 40.2 percent of their shots).
Kentucky shredded that defense in the first half. Led by Davion Mintz’s 5-for-5 three-point shooting, UK made 60.7-percent of its shots in rolling to a 45-30 halftime lead.
“I was burning up at the beginning,” Mintz said.
Mintz’s second three gave Kentucky the lead for good at 11-10 and started a 15-0 run that expanded the lead to 23-10. His third three-pointer served as a bookend the run.
Tennessee got as close as 30-19. Then Isaiah Jackson took a turn as the dominant player on the court. He hit two free throws. On the next possession, he drove by Tennessee “big” John Fulkerson and rose under the rim and dunked on the other side.
That play was part of Jackson’s 13-point first half and expanded UK’s lead to 38-21.
Mintz’s final three-pointer restored a 17-point lead (43-26).
Mintz called his early sharp-shooting “extremely helpful … (to) kind of take the air from the other team.”
While Kentucky’s offense flowed (six of nine on three-point shots), Tennessee struggled. The Vols made only 11 of 30 shots. UT’s eight turnovers helped Kentucky enjoy a 14-5 advantage in fast-break points.
Kentucky made only three of its first 15 shots in the second half. Yet UK expanded its lead to 58-38 on a post-up by Olivier Sarr with 12:14 left.
UK’s defense limited Tennessee to 2-for-9 shooting in the first eight minutes of the second half.
“I don’t think we’re all the way there yet,” Brooks said. “We’ve definitely got room for improvement.”
But the trend is encouraging, he added.
Seven UK players have scored double-digit points in at least one of the four most recent games: Devin Askew, Jacob Toppin, Brandon Boston, Jackson, Sarr, Mintz and Brooks.
Calipari interpreted this by saying, “You ready? That’s a team.”
Of Tennessee, Calipari said, “They weren’t at their best. I know they’re better than they played.
“But let me just tell you: We were at our best.”
Next game
Florida at Kentucky
When: 4 p.m. Saturday
TV: CBS-27
This story was originally published February 20, 2021 at 5:36 PM.
