Calipari: Kentucky 'Not Where We Need To Be Right Now'
Kentucky head coach John Calipari delivered a message to Big Blue Nation on Tuesday afternoon, relaying a miniature State of the Union address on where he feels his team stands with the season beginning in six days.
It isn't exactly an encouraging update, either. Calipari says his team is currently behind schedule:
"Let me talk about this team a little bit, and be direct with you. I like the pieces. We got the Player of the Year, we got another First Team All-Conference, we got good young guys," he said. "But let me explain to you, and you know i'm honest about this stuff...we're not where we need to be right now, and i'm looking at November and December saying, 'we could be a little shaky.'"
He continued, noting that the effort from his group has been extraordinary, but the goal and the end product isn't something he sees as being immediately achievable:
"What we're building to and what we're doing every day, these guys are giving everything. I love the pieces and I love the teammates. But, what we have to do to win at the highest level is gonna take us a little time."
That's likely not what BBN was looking to hear from the 14th-year head coach, but in all reality it's nothing new. Slow starts under Calipari-led Kentucky teams aren't uncommon.
As always, it's those last couple of months in the season that tend to matter just a bit more.
"Every day man, get better," Calipari said. "Every day you step on the gas to look at this and say 'where can we take this?' The big picture of this is January, February, we got to be at our best."
The Wildcats being behind schedule could also relate to the nagging injuries that have already made their presence felt in the preseason.
Oscar Tshiebwe is still recovering from a minor knee surgery. Jacob Toppin and Lance Ware have each dealt with minor knocks, while Sahvir Wheeler left Sunday night's exhibition game against Missouri Western State in the second half after re-aggravating a knee injury that kept him out of the Blue-White scrimmage on Oct. 22.
Calipari closed out his video by touching on the early injuries and sending a positive message to BBN:
"Hopefully the injury bug hit us early this year instead of what it did last year, it hit us late. Let's hope that we move on, can't wait to get the entire group together, and then start working together to grow this thing. Good group, let's have some fun, let me coach, let me cheer these guys on, hold em' accountable and let our fans enjoy the ride, cause that's what this is."
The Cats will return to the court on Thursday, Nov. 3, hosting Kentucky State in its final exhibition game before the beginning of the regular season on Nov. 7.
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