‘Energy’ and ‘spirit’ make Jacob Toppin part of UK’s revised rotation
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Champions Classic preview: No. 10 Kentucky vs. No. 9 Duke
The Kentucky men’s basketball team opens its 2021-22 season Tuesday in New York City against longtime rival Duke in the State Farm Champions Classic. Click below to view all the stories previewing the game that have been published on Kentucky.com.
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If how players fit in Kentucky’s rotation were commodities on the New York Stock Exchange, it would be a good time to invest in Jacob Toppin.
UK Coach John Calipari said the season-opening game against Duke on Tuesday night will feature a rotation of seven or eight players, not the 11-player revolving door seen in the two exhibition games.
“At the end of the day, merit wins out,” Calipari said of rotation decisions. “Jacob is jumping into the rotation because of his energy.”
Toppin has only practiced about seven days, Calipari said before adding, “I didn’t think Jacob would jump in and do this. But his energy level and the spirit he brings to the court changed how we were playing (in the exhibition games).
“Just think if we’ve got five guys playing like that. … We need five ‘dogs’ to play like him. We get five guys playing like that, all of a sudden we’re really good.”
Keion Brooks and TyTy Washington vouched for the difference Toppin has made.
“We all know he’s extremely athletic,” Brooks said. “But he matches that with his energy. He just brings a whole other level of intensity to the game.”
Added Washington: “He picks up everybody. You can tell the whole energy, the whole vibe we have goes up with him.”
Difficult task
After UK’s first exhibition game, Calipari lamented the lack of quality interior defense. After the second, he lamented the lack of quality contests on three-point shots.
The defensive task against Duke?
“We’re going to have to help inside because they’re big,” Calipari said. “They also shoot threes. We’ve got to help inside and take away threes. Not an easy task.”
Fredrick returns
Transfer CJ Fredrick returned to practice Saturday, then worked out again Sunday and was expected to practice Monday. Calipari described Fredrick’s participation as “a little bit.”
As for the Duke game, “my guess is I may throw him in for a minute or two,” Calipari said. “Let him just run up and down. But this probably isn’t that game (for a big debut). It’s just good to have him back on the floor competing.”
Fully vaccinated
Those attending the Champions Classic will be required to show proof of vaccination.
“All of our guys and staff are vaccinated,” Calipari said.
After noting that UK basketball has not had a case of COVID, Calipari said, “Right now, most of the staff has gotten their boosters.”
Durham North?
ESPN basketball analyst Jay Bilas saw significance in the first game of Mike Krzyzewski’s final season being at Madison Square Garden.
“Coach K has sort of turned the New York/New Jersey area into Durham North, and it’s a big base for Duke alumni,” Bilas said. “But it’s also been a great platform for the basketball program to showcase itself.”
Krzyzewski’s record in Madison Square Garden is 33-11. Two notable victories in his career came at MSG: the 1,000th victory (77-68 over St. John’s on Jan. 25, 2015) and the 903rd victory (74-69 over Michigan State on Nov. 15, 2011).
The latter enabled Krzyzewski to pass Bob Knight to become college basketball’s winningest coach.
Duke’s record in Madison Square Garden (old and revived) is 38-18. The Blue Devils are 7-1 in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
Kentucky has a 14-4 record in the new Madison Square Garden, and are 3-0 there in the Champions Classic.
Cal and K
Calipari and Krzyzewski have remarkably similar winning percentages as college coaches.
Krzyzewski, who has the most career victories of any coach (1,170), has an all-time winning percentage of .765. That’s based on a win-loss record of 1,170-361.
Calipari’s career winning percentage is .763 (742-231).
In 41 seasons as Duke coach, Krzyzewski’s winning percentage is .784 (1,097-302).
In 12 seasons as Kentucky coach, Calipari’s winning percentage is .785 (339-93).
Later not better
Kansas plays Michigan State in the first game of the Champions Classic doubleheader. Jayhawks Coach Bill Self prefers the opening game rather than the nightcap.
“The first game will run long,” he said. “There will be more fouls called because it’s the first game of the season. Officials are going to overly emphasize whatever the points of emphasis are.”
The UK-Duke game is scheduled to start at 9:30 p.m. EST. But Self suggested the tip-off will probably be closer to 10 p.m. The teams probably will not return home before 4 a.m. ET, he said.
Kansas and Michigan State will return home in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, Self said before adding that the time will be “far better for us and State in that regard.”
Etc.
Dan Shulman, Jay Bilas and sideline reporter Holly Rowe will call the game for ESPN.
This story was originally published November 8, 2021 at 2:01 PM.
