Connect with us

Kentucky Basketball

John Calipari is looking for something specific this season

John Calipari declared during Bahamas week that there would be an emphasis on rim protection with this Kentucky team

This summer, wanted some information.  The basketball coach tasked his staff with looking back over his previous 13 seasons in the job and figuring out the key to the program's biggest successes during that time. Calipari noted that he threw out the 2020-21 season — “the COVID year,” as he often refers to the 9-16 slog that included very little practice time for a young team that never found its footing. With that exception, he wanted to dig into the stats and see what made his Wildcats click.

“One thing stood out,” he told reporters in the last week. “Blocked shots.”

Indeed, the numbers are glaring.

In Calipari's first six seasons at Kentucky — when the Cats went to four Final Fours, just missed a fifth and won a national championship — UK averaged at least 5.9 blocks per game each year.

Read more.

On This Day In UK Basketball History

On March 18, 1966, Louie Dampier joined the 1,000-point club.  He did it in 53 games.

 

On March 18, 1966, Kentucky, the No. 1 team in the nation, faced off against No. 2 Duke in the 1966 NCAA Final Four.   Louie Dampier (23 points) and Pat Riley (19) led the top-ranked Cats past No. 2 Duke in front of 14,253 at the Cole Field House in College Park, Md.

 

On March 18, 1972, Adolph Rupp coaches his last game at UK, a 73-54 loss to Florida State for the Mideast Region title in the NCAA Tournament.

 

On March 18, 1978, in the 1978 NCAA Tournament round of eight, sophomore point guard Kyle Macy scored nine points in the final 6:16 to rally the Wildcats past Michigan State and freshman star Earvin “Magic” Johnson before 13,485 at the University of Dayton Arena.

 

More in Kentucky Basketball

Walter's Wildcat World has had one mission since 1998: to provide the most comprehensive coverage of Kentucky Wildcats Men's Basketball on the web with highlights, scores, news, schedules, rosters, and more!

 

Copyright © 2024 Walter's Wildcat World.