Calipari touts an all-SEC Final Four but doubts selection committee will allow for that
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Game day: No. 7 Kentucky 83, Mississippi 72
Click below for more of the Herald-Leader’s and Kentucky.com’s coverage of Tuesday night’s men’s basketball game between Kentucky and Ole Miss in Rupp Arena.
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Selection Sunday and a “One Shining Moment” memory are fixtures of March Madness.
Another appeared after Kentucky defeated Ole Miss 83-72 on Tuesday night in Rupp Arena. Call it Cali-paranoia?
UK Coach John Calipari voiced his suspicion that unidentified forces will work to thwart Kentucky.
This time he included the Southeastern Conference as a whole as being plotted against.
“This is the best league in the country,” Calipari said. “Why aren’t we talking of eight teams of ours in (the NCAA Tournament)?”
Calipari spoke of this year’s Final Four consisting of only SEC teams as plausible.
“What I hope is they separate the top four of us, and we’re all in the Final Four,” he said in an apparent reference to Kentucky, Auburn, Tennessee and Arkansas.
But …
“My guess is they’ll put us and another (top SEC team) in the same region,” said Calipari, who suggested he expected two regions to have multiple SEC teams.
“So only two of you can advance,” he said.
In previous years, Calipari has voiced suspicion about Kentucky’s seed or the quality of potential opponents on the path to the Final Four.
In his latest update, ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi had six SEC teams receiving bids: the four teams Calipari noted, plus Alabama and LSU. The Big Ten had the most with nine. The Big East had seven. The Big 12 also had six.
“I think we should be getting eight teams in,” Calipari said. “I’ve said what the goal should be is eight.”
As for UK, Calipari said, “this is a veteran, talented team. If you can get both, that’s what you want.”
Looking ahead?
Sahvir Wheeler dismissed the notion that Kentucky could be looking past the game at Florida on Saturday and thinking of the NCAA Tournament.
“I don’t think there’s any wanting to get to the finish line,” he said, “especially with the team we have. … We know how special we are. …
“I’ve been part of a team where I was looking for the finish line for sure. Not this team.”
When asked about Kentucky looking past Florida, Calipari said, “Nah. I won’t let them do that. We could go to Florida and get beat. But it won’t be because we’re overlooking them.”
Rebounding history
By grabbing 15 rebounds against Ole Miss, Oscar Tshiebwe raised his total this season to 460. That is the third highest total for a UK player in a season.
The top two are 567 by Bill Spivey in 1950-51 and 528 by Cliff Hagan in 1951-52.
Comparing experiences
Before the game, Davion Mintz and Kellan Grady were treated to the traditional sentimental Senior Night sendoff.
On Monday, Mintz suggested that players staying longer at Creighton made for a different kind of Senior Night experience.
“That guy was probably your roommate for three years,” he said of his time at Creighton. “I probably had lunch (and) met the guy’s family. … We’ve eaten over 100 times.”
That’s not to say that a bond cannot be built at Kentucky.
“This is the most brotherhood of teams I’ve ever been around …,” Mintz said. “And it’s the best team I’ve ever been on in my entire life.”
Silence isn’t golden
On his radio show Monday, Calipari seemed to suggest Tshiebwe should be more vocal on the court.
“Would you say he gets the crap beat out of him every game?” the UK coach said. “… Do you ever see him say anything to the officials? Maybe it’s because I say enough for him.”
Calipari included teammates as well as referees (and the UK team) among those who could benefit from Tshiebwe being more of an extrovert.
“How about teammates (who) don’t pass him the ball?” Calipari said. “(He) never says anything.”
On Tuesday, Tshiebwe was named one of 10 semifinalists for the Naismith Men’s Defensive Player of the Year award.
Other players on the list were Tari Eason (LSU), Walker Kessler (Auburn), Jamarion Sharp (Western Kentucky), Jacob Gilyard (Richmond), Chet Holmgren (Gonzaga), Christian Koloko (Arizona), Caleb McConnell (Rutgers), Kevin McCullar (Texas Tech) and Mark Williams (Duke).
UK honors Canada
Brennan Canada was among 17 athletes inducted into UK’s Frank G. Ham Society of Character at a dinner before the game.
The 17 took a bow at halftime. So were nine inductees from the 2021 class because the ceremony was not held because of COVID protocols.
The Society of Character honors athletes who have done well academically and shown personal development, career preparation and served as a role model.
Canada is on schedule to graduate this coming summer and then begin working on a master’s degree or graduate certificate. He hopes to be a coach.
This story was originally published March 2, 2022 at 12:16 AM.
