LEXINGTON, Ky. _ Beginning with Friday night's game against Mount St. Mary's, a question for Kentucky going forward is this: Will the recent loss to unranked Evansville and the possession-by-possession competition against unranked Utah Valley embolden upcoming unranked opponents?
"I know that if any of us were on the other bench, that's probably how we would approach it," said UK assistant coach Joel Justus, who substituted for John Calipari at a Thursday media availability. "'Hey, this team played them close. That team played them close. We can do it if we stick to the plan and go do our own thing our way.'"
Freshman Keion Brooks welcomed the possibility of future opponents gaining confidence from UK being unable to crunch Evansville and Utah Valley.
"It probably does give them greater belief," he said before adding, "but it's still hard to come in here and beat us. So, I would like to see a team come in here with the belief that they can beat us. And we'll see how that plays out."
Mount St. Mary's Coach Dan Engelstad downplayed the notion of Kentucky's recent struggles giving opponents greater hope.
"We know every game is unique," Engelstad said. "If we don't play well, it could be a long night for us."
Engelstad suggested that Mount St. Mary's 1-4 record disguises a team that does not need an opponent's struggles to believe it can compete. Led by guard Vado Morse (the Northeast Conference Rookie of the Year last season), the Mountaineers led by 12 points at halftime at Georgetown, and by as much as 19 in the second half before losing 81-68. And Mount St. Mary's led at Washington with 10 minutes to go before losing 56-46.
"We've proven we can compete with the big dogs ... ," Engelstad said. "So, the fact we've played high-major opponents and played them tough should give our guys confidence.
"I have no doubt our guys are going to come ready to compete."
Lamar Coach Tic Price, whose team plays at UK on Sunday, also discouraged the idea of a past game impacting a future opponent.
"Every game is a new riddle to be solved," he said.
When a reporter asked Justus if Kentucky wanted to be tested in these early-season games, the assistant coach wryly responded by saying, "I think that we would all enjoy maybe the last 10 minutes to be a little more relaxing."
More than once, Calipari has spoke of the need for Kentucky to match an underdog opponent's ability to play with reckless abandon. The latest example of that came against Utah Valley when T.J. Washington made five three-pointers in the second half.
"Like we have nothing to lose ... ," Justus said. "It's tough. It's tough to play here. It's tough to play in front of 20,000 folks that are challenging you and cheering for you. These guys, this is new for them, too."
Engelstad knows about the adjustments an inexperienced team must make. According to Ken Pomeroy's calculations, Mount St. Mary's ranked next to last nationally in experience last season. The Mountaineers struggled to a 9-22 record, which was made easier to accept by three "true" road victories in the last seven games.
"I can relate ... ," Engelstad said. "That's just how it goes early on in a season."
Engelstad and Price expressed confidence that Kentucky will find a way to play freely.
"I know Coach Calipari is going to have his group playing really hard," Engelstad said. "They've also beaten one of the best teams in the country in Michigan State."
Price also expressed confidence in Kentucky's long-term outlook.
"I've admired John Calipari and his teams and what they've been able to do," the Lamar coach said. "There's no doubt in my mind he'll have his team ready to play. He's always done that."
