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Calipari: “Everybody has to get in the ring and play”

Photo by Chet White, courtesy of UK Athletics 

 

Boise, Idaho – Everyone wanted Kentucky and Arizona in tomorrow’s NCAA second round matchup in Boise but after comments leading up to the game, Kentucky/Buffalo should be worth tuning in.

 

Buffalo coach Nate Oats mentioned after his teams win vs. Arizona that John Calipari has been whining about his team’s lack of experience and that they’re all freshmen. Calipari and a few of his players were asked about the comments from Oats on Friday afternoon.

 

“I don’t know if it’s whining or telling the truth”, said Calipari. “I’m not whining about it. I’ve got a pretty good team. He should not tell the truth. He should not even say it. Introduce them and don’t give their year. That’s fine.”

 

Maybe realizing that his comments are now a big headline leading up to Saturday’s game, Oats attempted to back track on his comments during his Friday presser but the bulletin board material is already out there.



 

“Let me clarify, when I said Calipari whining about freshmen, I was maybe – it was a misuse of the word”, said Oats. “He’s a pretty dang good coach. He’s made known the fact that he’s young all year. It’s a fact. It is what it is.”

 

When Hamidou Diallo was asked about the comments, he said, “I feel like we’ve been getting that statement all year. That stamen is kind of old. At the end of the day, we’re all basketball players, we’re going to try to come out and compete and show the world what kind of basketball team we are. That’s what it’s all about.”

 

National media might have wanted UK/Arizona but UK/Buffalo definitely has something leading up to it. I’m not sure why anyone would want to poke the bear but Calipari said it best on Friday.

 

“At the end of the day we’ve got to play a basketball game. Everybody has got to get in the ring and play.”

 



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