
John Calipari sat in the underbelly of Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, S.C., and relayed to reporters the message he’d given his players minutes earlier. “I told them, I’m not coaching you just to win this game,” the Kentucky coach said. “It’s a bigger picture for us. We’re Kentucky, this is a bigger picture.” This was after a January 22 win at South Carolina, which was the Wildcats’ first SEC victory away from home in three tries.