Calipari has a straightforward approach with Chris Livingston. It’s starting to pay off.
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Game day: No. 16 Kentucky 69, Yale 59
Click below for more of the Herald-Leader’s and Kentucky.com’s coverage of Saturday’s men’s basketball game between Kentucky and Yale in Rupp Arena.
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The desire to see more of Chris Livingston this season has come from all angles: from the Kentucky men’s basketball fan base, from UK head coach John Calipari, and from everyone in between that’s been intrigued by the potential flashed by the 6-6 freshman forward from Akron, Ohio.
Livingston still hasn’t played more than 19 minutes in a game this season, but his comfort level on the court has continued to grow, rooted in a straightforward relationship with his head coach.
During Saturday afternoon’s 10-point Kentucky home win over Yale, Livingston saw significant playing time in the first half: 10 minutes were all he needed to be UK’s second-leading scorer at the break with seven points. He made three of his four shots and his only three-point attempt.
“I definitely feel a lot more comfortable than I did five games in. Nine games in, I definitely feel a lot more comfortable,” Livingston said postgame. “I think that’s really encouraging to see that Coach trusted me enough to keep me in the game that long. I’m hoping that continues to go up from here.”
But then came Calipari’s choice to sparingly use Livingston in the second half. He played only three minutes after the break, missing a shot and recording an assist while an Oscar Tshiebwe-led performance carried Kentucky to a 69-59 victory.
After the game, Calipari attributed Livingston’s lack of second-half minutes to a defensive miscue.
“The only reason I took him out, he left the best shooter on the court, he left him, and they made a three,” Calipari explained. “I said, ‘I don’t care about you missing shots, but this game is too close to have you not realize you’re not leaving that guy.’ I said, ‘You’re fine, but we’re trying to win the game.’”
The hand-wringing and armchair quarterbacking that has come with Livingston’s playing time — or lack thereof — this season has been one of the defining themes from the first nine games of Kentucky’s season.
But while the merits of giving Livingston more or less playing time have already been debated heavily, it’s also worth assessing what the conversations are like behind closed doors when Calipari is laying out expectations for one of UK’s true freshmen.
Calipari, teammates confident in Livingston
According to Livingston, there’s no sugarcoating that occurs when he talks with Calipari about playing time.
It’s grown-up conversations, ones that mirror what happens at the professional level.
“He doesn’t hide it when it comes to what he wants to see from you as far as why he’s not playing a guy as much and things like that. He’s pretty straightforward and up front with it,” Livingston said of his head coach.
“No sugarcoating or coddling or babying or anything like that, you’ve just got to get done what you’ve got to get done.”
So what has Calipari specifically asked of Livingston?
“I’ve got to lock in on the defensive side of the ball and the offense will take care of itself. That’s what I’ve got to hang my hat on,” Livingston said.
That meshes with most of what Calipari has said about the versatile forward, who arrived UK as a consensus five-star recruit.
On Saturday, Calipari continued to beat the drum of consistency.
He spoke about the importance of Livingston staying the course, tossing in reminders of former UK players turned NBA stars such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Devin Booker and Anthony Davis, who have become elite scoring options at the professional level despite not posting overwhelming point totals in college.
The gist of Calipari’s messaging is that it’s about what Livingston does with the opportunities he’s given, and if he succeeds in those, then more will be provided.
“You’re going to get minutes and you’re going to get offensive opportunities. What are you going to do with them? How do you keep building your confidence?” Calipari recalled telling former players.
“We’re just going to keep on this path. Chris, he’s the best. He’s the best.”
While these kinds of assurances and validations do mean something when coming from the head coach, it’s also worth checking with teammates to take the temperature of a player’s progression.
Enter UK senior guard Sahvir Wheeler.
“Chris has made unbelievable strides,” Wheeler said Saturday. “Not just as a player — his skill — but, I think, mentally, being able to retain concepts, absorb stuff like a sponge, being coachable, and getting better with doing what he does in practice and carrying it over to the game.”
The improvements in Livingston’s game listed by Wheeler, from aggressive rebounding to running the floor harder, are things that Livingston can feel himself.
Comfort comes with time, and the freshman is growing in both categories every time Kentucky plays.
“Just playing with my teammates, definitely way more comfortable offensively and also knowing where I’ve got to be at defensively. … I definitely just feel more comfortable and (am) enjoying it more out there on the floor,” Livingston said.
“You’ve got to take advantage of the opportunity, that’s what I’m going to do.”
It’s up to Livingston to take control of the moment, and to force Calipari to find more minutes for him.
Cal said it himself.
Saturday was about making sure Kentucky won, and the trust level still isn’t there yet for Livingston to be on the court in those moments.
But Wheeler thinks that will change soon.
“Every game, you can kind of see that maturation of him and his mindset,” Wheeler said. “We’re going to need him in the game. And I know he’s going to win a game for us at some point this year.”
This story was originally published December 10, 2022 at 6:50 PM.
