It looks like Camp Cal is paying off.
The combination of intense practices and early morning workouts that coincide with the end of the academic semester has been the focus of much scrutiny. Unhappy with the amount of effort exhibited by some of the younger players, and without the veteran presence of years past, John Calipari pointed to this period as vital in determining how far this team could go in March. It was clear from his post game comments how Camp Cal is going. Saying afterwards, “We got better” and “We can play with anyone in the country” he made it clear he was pleased with their performance just two weeks after referencing the NIT following a game against Portland.
After staying close for the first ten minutes Marshall scored only two baskets over the final eight of the 1st half, and trailed 33-24 at the break. The second half started with the Thundering Herd scoring the first seven points to close the gap to 33-31, prompting a timeout from Calipari. Following that timeout UK went on a 24-5 run that effectively ended the game. Ryan Harrow, starting his second game at the point, finished with 23 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. He did an excellent job getting UK into tempo and creating scoring opportunities for himself and others. Archie Goodwin added 18 points and 6 boards, and Nerlens Noel scored 11 points to go along with his 10 rebounds.
In his post-game remarks, Calipari jokingly acted unsure of UK’s next opponent, before praising UofL as a talented, veteran team and saying the game next week was going to be really tough. He also qualified that it is a much bigger game for the fans than him, and as long as his team goes in and fights he’ll be happy. Rivalry or not, the game Saturday in Louisville will show a lot more about how much of a difference Camp Cal has made.
Photo: Flickr/Triple Tri
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