UK basketball notes: Calipari nixes talk of Knicks

Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari sounded dismissive Friday of the trial balloon floated this week about the New York Knicks seeking him as coach.

"I don't pay attention to it," he said. "... My focus is here. I don't get into all the rumor and innuendo."

Calipari added, "I'm good where I am."

Ken Berger, an "NBA Insider" for CBSsports.com, wrote this week that if the Knicks continue to struggle, Calipari logically would be the man to bring the franchise hope.

Shorter stroke

To help freshman Dakari Johnson improve his free-throw shooting, Calipari said he showed the freshman video of Enes Kanter. Message: Shorten the shooting stroke.

Johnson is 8-for-17 (47.1 percent) at the foul line this season.

Cal is watching

Freshman Dominique Hawkins became the latest player to say that Calipari takes a keener interest in the point guard. He added a twist: Calipari is harder on the Harrison twins.

"I feel like he's harder on them because he knows they can be really, really good," Hawkins said. "And I'm just learning and I don't have that much pressure on me. He still gets on me when I make mistakes at the point guard position. ...

"Point guard here is definitely a hard job and that's the main position he's looking at."

This story was originally published November 22, 2013 at 5:44 PM with the headline "UK basketball notes: Calipari nixes talk of Knicks."