In anticipation of a second mano a mano competition in four nights, Kentucky associate coach Kenny Payne had a man-to-man meeting with Nick Richards on Monday.
The subject: reviewing how Auburn's Austin Wiley had _ to quote UK Coach John Calipari _ "a field day" against Richards on Saturday, and then noting how the challenge Tuesday night begins with Mississippi State's Reggie Perry, who has been an even more productive presence than Wiley.
Payne asked Richards to remember how he wanted more playing time the previous two seasons.
"You were saying, 'I just want to play, man,'" Payne said Monday. "'I'll do whatever. Just let me play.'"
Then as if speaking to Richards, Payne told said his response was, "Well, not only are you getting a chance to play, how you play determines how this team is going to win or lose. That's a lot of responsibility. You better come into this thing every single day prepared for war."
Perry comes into the game averaging a double-double in SEC games: 21.3 points and 10.9 rebounds. Going into last weekend, he ranked second in scoring (behind Ole Miss guard Breein Tyree) and first in rebounding.
When asked to characterize the challenge Perry presents, Payne said, "He's an NBA player."
A moment later, Payne described Mississippi State as "probably the most physical team in the Southeastern Conference."
Going into last weekend, Mississippi State had the best rebound margin (plus 8.9) in all games among league teams. State also had the best total of defensive rebounds. These numbers resonate after Auburn outrebounding UK 42-28, a margin that included 17 offensive rebounds.
But, whether it be Wiley on Saturday or Perry on Tuesday or whomever going forward (freshman Trendon Watford of LSU, Kerry Blackshear of Florida or Wiley again on Feb. 29), Richards' challenge is Richards, Payne said and for not the first time.
"It has nothing to do with the opponent," Payne said. "It's all within Nick, with his mental and how he approaches the game."
After UK's loss at Auburn, Calipari offered several possible reasons for Wiley winning the matchup conclusively. The UK coach even wondered aloud if nine double-doubles this season had made Richards arrogant.
"No," Payne said when asked if he saw arrogance. "Nick is not in a position where he can come into this environment day after day after many successes and come here and feel good about anything.
"The time for Nick to feel good is when he leaves this program and he is a success story. Until that time, every single day he's here, we're pushing him for greatness."
When asked if positive reinforcement might help on occasion, Payne acknowledged that the love UK coaches bestow on players is not all of the tough variety.
"We cherish him," Payne said. "We hug him and kiss him. But, at the end of the day, when you step on that court, your job is to fight. What you did yesterday is history. ... We're forgetting that. We're onto the next."
Of course, Richards isn't the only player on the court for Kentucky. Freshman Keion Brooks summarized the loss at Auburn as "we kind of got hit in the mouth and kind of staggered back instead of punching back."
But Richards is an important player, Payne said.
At Auburn, Richards and UK were "not aggressive enough," Payne said. "Not physical enough. Not quite ready for the battle."
Mississippi State presents a similar challenge, Payne said.
"You better be the aggressor," he said. "If not, you'll be on your heels the whole night, which was a great lesson for him.
"We're not going to win if Nick Richards isn't playing well."
Calipari made that point after Kentucky defeated Vanderbilt on Jan. 29. It was not a coincidence that UK trailed at halftime when foul trouble limited Richards' impact in the first half, Calipari said. Similarly, Richards played well in the second half as UK rallied to win 71-62.
It said something that Kentucky needed a rally to beat a Vanderbilt team that came to Lexington on a 24-game losing streak in SEC regular-season play.
Payne suggested that Kentucky is on something of a telling pattern, too.
The loss at Auburn marked the 15th time in 21 UK games so far this season that the margin separating the teams was seven or fewer points inside the final seven minutes. It was also the 12th time that a single possession inside the final six minutes could erase a lead either team held.
"We have a thin margin (for error) ...," Payne said. "We're not an (overpowering team nor) the most talented team in the SEC. We're not the most talented team in the country.
"We have really good players, and we have to play well to win."
