There surely are no good times for the coronavirus to impact a team. But Lance Ware suggested that Kentucky’s basketball team can benefit from the COVID-19 positive test that resulted in a 48-hour pause last weekend.
“We all took the time off and kind of used it (to) refresh and (we) got our minds right,” he said during a teleconference Tuesday.
UK players still worked out individually, but not as a team in the aftermath of the COVID-19 positive test that led to the cancellation of Saturday’s scheduled game against Texas.
“It was not a two-hour practice,” Ware said of the players’ basketball activities. “So, we got to decompress and just kind of refocus on our main goal and what we’ve got to do to continue playing and, obviously, win games.”
Ware suggested the benefits of the pause were apparent during the return to practice on Monday.
“Guys came into practice . . . energetic, fresh, bouncing, just happy,” he said. “When you take something away that we’re used to, I was, like, wow, we don’t have any practice today. . . . So, it gave us kind of like excitement to get back on the court.”
During his turn on the teleconference, UK Coach John Calipari also hit on the theme of renewal. It came with Kentucky taking a 5-10 record into Wednesday’s game at No 18 Missouri. “Let’s restart,” he said. “Let’s reboot. Forget all. Let’s start anew. Let’s be energized in what we do. And let’s go from here.
“We’ve got nine games left. Let’s go.”
Kentucky may lead the nation in fresh starts. UK fans may recall Calipari spoke of the beginning of Southeastern Conference play as a chance to begin again.
Calipari suggested that the latest new beginning will not be without players sidelined because of COVID-19. When asked if all players will be available to play at Missouri, he said, “At this point, I don’t know. But I think it’ll be most of the guys. I don’t think it’ll be five guys or six guys. As we speak right now, there’s nothing COVID-related.”
As for Terrence Clarke, who has been sidelined by a leg injury since the Louisville game on Dec. 26, Calipari said he was waiting for UK’s medical staff to clear the player for action.
A change with Kentucky’s sputtering offense fits the theme of a new beginning. Going into Tuesday’s games, UK ranked tied for 264th among Division I teams in scoring (67.5 ppg), 278th in shooting (41.5 percent), 314th in three-point shooting (29 percent) and 331st in three-point baskets (4.9 per game).
“Coach has been changing some things in practice for the offensive end . . . ,” Ware said. “Just so we can attack differently instead of the ball staying in one person’s hands.”
For the umpteenth time, Calipari lamented how players can seem reluctant to shoot. He cited three reasons why: Poor passes from teammates, not being prepared to catch and shoot and fretting about previous misses.
The UK coach added a new factor: players worrying about misses adversely affecting their NBA Draft stock.
“If every shot is life or death, is (a factor in) a draft position, you die all the time,” he said. “You don’t want to be in that mode.”
Calipari stressed the need for making shots in the final four minutes of games. In its 10 losses, Kentucky has been outscored in the final four minutes seven times. In its five victories, UK has outscored the opponent in the final four minutes only twice: against Morehead State and the double-overtime game at Mississippi State.
“Let’s see if we’ve got a couple daggers on this team,” he said, meaning players who can make clutch shots. “You’re wide open. If you make that shot, that’s the dagger that wins the game. We keep missing those.”
Calipari repeatedly spoke of Kentucky being close to a resurrection.
Ware echoed that claim. Given Kentucky’s win-loss record, it has been said that a bid to this year’s NCAA Tournament would require winning the Southeastern Conference Tournament and/or not losing another game.
Achievable?
“Absolutely,” Ware said. “I know our team thinks we can win the rest of the games.”
Playing in the NCAA Tournament is not part of Kentucky’s latest metaphorical wiping of the slate clean. That was — and remains — the team goal, Ware said.
When asked how much room for further error Kentucky had, Ware said, “Not too much room. But enough where we’re not going to be panicking and just (saying), ‘Oh, we have to do this. We have to do that. We have to do this.’”
What UK will need, he added, was obvious.
“Still playing with the system,” he said, “and still playing calm.”
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WEDNESDAY
Kentucky at No. 18 Missouri
When: 7 p.m. EST
Records: Kentucky 5-10 (4-4 SEC), Missouri (11-3, 4-3)
Series: Kentucky leads 13-1.
