Today is the beginning of another year of Kentucky Wildcats basketball. Today, coaching staff and players hit the floor for their first practice of the season. Today’s practice is available due to the Wildcats Canadian tour they will be taking in just 2 short weeks. That series of exhibition games gave Calipari and staff 10 extra practices to get ready.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
Coach Cal has really been looking forwarded to today. “It was a long month of recruiting and spending time with the family,” said he on Saturday night. “I know I should be tired, but I’m too excited to start coaching this young team to even realize it.”
Practices are going to be grueling, even though their length will be limited. “We probably won’t go much more than 90 minutes in any one session, but we’re going to get a lot in,” Coach Cal said. “We’re going to try and learn about our players and what roles everyone will play. We’ve got to figure out the style that we’ll play.”
John Calipari’s biggest challenge isn’t teaching the players how to hoop, it could be keeping them focused on what’s important and that’s to play their own game as a team. “Can they become a unit over this two week period,” he said. “Can we get them so that they are cheering for each other but still competing at the highest level. Last year’s team all respected one another, they played for each other.”
Coach also provided the team with what he call’s UK’s Championship Standards:
1. Be early and be ready to work.
2. Have a daily passion for learning.
3. Bring great enthusiasm and competitiveness.
4. Strive to be the teammate you want to play with.
The Wildcats will be playing in Windsor on August 15, 16 and 17. The games will be aired and you can be certain will be covered on NOB. Quotes from Coach Cal are courtesy [URL=”http://www.coachcal.com”]www.coachcal.com[/URL].
