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John Calipari might be an experienced coach with a national title under his belt, but that doesn’t make him immune to all the pressure that comes from playing in the SEC.
As his No. 6-seeded Wildcats look to open March Madness against No. 11 seeded Providence on Friday, the coach spoke to the media about facing the Friars and Kentucky Wildcat-turned-Providence-transfer Bryce Hopkins on the court.
Of Hopkins, Calipari said, “He’s a terrific player. Being with us and part of our family, hated to see him go but I understood. Still love him. He bounces it, he’s physical, he can shoot the ball, get to the foul line. He’s a terrific player.”
Calipari on Bryce Hopkins: "He's a terrific player. Being with us and part of our family, hated to see him go but I understood. Still love him. He bounces it, he's physical, he can shoot the ball, get to the foul line. He's a terrific player."
— Tyler Thompson (@MrsTylerKSR) March 16, 2023
Calipari also took time to call out those who doubt Kentucky’s potential to take home the championship trophy, saying “Everyone’s counting us out. I told the players, I kind of like this. It’s like my UMass teams…We’ll see. I wish my team was fully healthy.”
Calipari on people doubting Kentucky: "Everyone's counting us out. I told the players, I kind of like this. It's like my UMass teams…We'll see. I wish my team was fully healthy."
— Tyler Thompson (@MrsTylerKSR) March 16, 2023
Calipari also pointed to the volatility and upsets during March Madness as an advantage for Kentucky, saying “One game. You don’t know what happens. A No. 16 could beat a No. 1. You may not know this, but a No. 15 has beaten a No. 2 team. A couple of times. The last time I came to Greensboro, it worked out really well for me. Why? Bam Adebayo.”
Calipari's focus this week: "One game. You don't know what happens. A No. 16 could beat a No. 1. You may not know this, but a No. 15 has beaten a No. 2 team. A couple of times." [Laughter]
"The last time I came to Greensboro, it worked out really well for me. Why? Bam Adebayo."
— Tyler Thompson (@MrsTylerKSR) March 16, 2023
Kentucky fans shouldn’t worry about the pressure Calipari and the Wildcats are under. In fact, the head coach seems to thrive being under the microscope. Despite the downsides of the job, Calipari says he still loves it.
“I love being at Kentucky. I love walking in every arena and it’s full…yeah, there’s the other side of it, the high expectations, but that’s never scared me. That doesn’t scare me now,” he said.
Kentucky will open the tournament against Providence on Friday at 7:10 p.m.
