John Calipari brings Kentucky basketball into the ‘modern time’ with a record night
Who was that man on the Kentucky basketball sideline Friday night?
The opposing coach sure didn’t recognize him. Not by what his team was doing on the court, at least.
“I’ll give him his dues, man,” Marshall head coach Dan D’Antoni said, setting up the joke. “He came into the modern time — passing that ball and throwing it around and shooting 3s. Who is that?”
It was John Calipari, of course. The head coach of Kentucky, the team that had just beat D’Antoni’s Thundering Herd 118-82, an offensive explosion in Rupp Arena that set records for the Hall of Famer’s nearly 15-year tenure in Lexington.
This Calipari team is just six games into its season, but these Cats have put on quite the show already.
And Friday night was probably the most fun they’ve had on the court.
By halftime, Kentucky had scored 69 points. That’s the most in any half in Calipari’s tenure. Only three UK teams have scored more than that in a 20-minute period. Ever.
The final tally of 118 points is also the most since Calipari came to town back in 2009. The previous best was 115 points, at a time when Bam Adebayo, De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk were wearing blue and white.
Kentucky went 16-for-27 from 3-point range. That’s the second-most 3s the Cats have ever hit in a game under Calipari. The most? That happened seven days earlier, when UK went 17-for-32 from deep in a 101-67 win over Stonehill College. And three days before that? Kentucky put up a Calipari era-record 38 attempts from 3-point range in a near upset of No. 1-ranked Kansas.
These Cats passed out 27 assists. Only four Calipari teams have dished out more in a game.
“We got our butt beat,” D’Antoni said. “They played really well. They passed the ball. They shot it. They played better basketball than we played. I haven’t seen Cal do that.”
The “that” on this night was the “modern” basketball that D’Antoni was talking about. He knows it well. His brother, NBA coaching veteran Mike D’Antoni, is often mentioned as one of the revolutionaries of the style that’s been firmly established at the top level of the sport and has trickled down to college over the years.
Calipari — even though he’s coached some entertaining, high-octane teams in the past — has been roundly criticized more recently for not adopting that “modern” style.
But this team is playing it. And Friday night was the best example yet. And that was to be expected. D’Antoni’s Marshall program is known for its fast-paced approach. The Herd are often rated among the most uptempo teams in the country, and despite some early struggles this season, they remain near the top of those lists. Calipari’s Cats have shown they’re more than happy to run with anyone. To borrow an already-worn phrase from the head coach, they’ve also shown they can all pass, shoot and dribble. They can make shots. And they can create open ones.
“We’re creating great opportunities for a team that can shoot,” Calipari said.
Then the UK coach, in a mocking voice, made fun of his detractors.
“Why don’t you play this way?” Calipari said in that tone.
“Well, if you have a bunch of guys that can shoot it like this, you play this way,” he finished.
Through six games, UK is averaging 29.0 3-point attempts per game. Calipari’s previous 14 teams never averaged more than 19.9 in a season. These Cats are now making 3s at a 42.5% clip. The school record is 39.7% for a season.
“When we play to get players open — not play for ourselves and try to get buckets — then it’s way easier,” said freshman guard Rob Dillingham. “Because it’s like, ‘How can you guard so many players?’ It’s five players that can shoot, pass and dribble. So, honestly, when we play like that, I feel like the only person that can stop us is us.”
There was no stopping them Friday night.
D.J. Wagner led the way with 28 points. Antonio Reeves scored 23, making 5 of 7 3-pointers. Tre Mitchell had 18 points. Dillingham scored 16, going 7-for-8 from the field. Reed Sheppard had 12, and Justin Edwards added 10. All six of those players shot 50% or better from the floor.
Who gets the credit for this playing style?
“I guess it’s got to be Cal,” D’Antoni said. “He starts it. … I just think they’ve done a great job coaching and teaching them to move the basketball. They keep it simple too. As fast as that ball’s moving, they kept it simple. They don’t make hard plays.”
And not making hard plays is what leads to easy basketball.
Dillingham is a prime example. The shiftiest of Kentucky’s players has toned down his game to such a degree that he’s unrecognizable to most who saw him play before he arrived in Lexington. The kid who Calipari countless times told to “stop messin’ with the ball” is letting the game come to him. He can heat up in a hurry as a scorer, but he’s also a talented driver and passer … when he wants to be. And that’s the way he’s playing on this team.
“It’s way easier,” he said of playing with this bunch. “Back then, it was more like, if I didn’t perform then we didn’t win. Now it’s like I can play solid and just be more of an all-around playmaker, and we’ll still win by a lot. We’ve got so many scorers.”
On Friday night, he grabbed five rebounds and dished out five assists before he even took a single shot. When that stat was repeated to him postgame, Dillingham cackled. He said high school Rob never would have done such a thing.
“I’m not gonna lie,” Dillingham started, seemingly on the verge of giggling. “Before (now), you’d never hear of Rob not taking no shots.”
D’Antoni poked some fun at Calipari after the game, but he also clearly respected what he saw on the court. The 76-year-old who spent a decade on the NBA sidelines alongside his brother put his seal of approval on this Kentucky team.
“I like good basketball,” he said. “They’re playing the way you should. It’s fun. It’s entertaining. It’s good for the fans. I’m not into this sumo wrestling basketball. These are athletes that are moving the ball, sharing the ball, (who) are skilled. It’s fun to watch win or lose. Fun to watch.”
That sumo wrestling comment mirrored something Calipari said back in the summer, when he was still working out his “pass, shoot and dribble” narrative during the team’s trip to Canada for a July exhibition tournament. He said then that this team wasn’t comprised of wrestlers but basketball players. He hinted that Kentucky would get away from mucking it up in the paint and move toward more of the style they’ve played over these first six games. After the past few seasons of watching often-ugly basketball, it was hard to fault anyone who didn’t believe him.
There’s a lot of season left, but, so far, he’s held to his word. And the word that described this team during that trip to Canada still describes it now.
“It’s fun,” Wagner said. “You know, we all love to play the game of basketball. I feel like people can see it out there. We just love to be out there. And whatever happens, you know we’re going to try to execute as much as possible. Learn from our coaches. Learn from each other as much as possible.
“But, most importantly, we’re all having a lot of fun. And we’re all loving what we’re doing.”
Next game
No. 10 Miami (Fla.) at No. 16 Kentucky
What: SEC/ACC Challenge
When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday
TV: ESPN
Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1
Records: Miami 5-0 (0-0 ACC), Kentucky 5-1 (0-0 SEC)
Series: Kentucky leads 3-1
Last meeting: Miami won 73-67 on Dec. 6, 2008, in Lexington
This story was originally published November 24, 2023 at 11:38 PM.
