Calipari on his ejection, the post-match locker room

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More than a week ago, John Calipari said getting kicked out of the Arkansas game last season was the moment the team turned the tide. Most of us thought Calipari’s next ejection would come against Louisville, but he saved it for tonight. At 9:05 am of the second half, Cal dug into the referees on a no-appeal, arguing that Iverson Molinar of Mississippi State carried the ball before leading the way for a jumper. After his team’s spectacular double overtime win from behind, Cal claimed he intentionally drew the first technique, but not the second that threw it away.

“I know you’re going to say, did he do this on purpose?” Cal said. “The first yes, I did. Yes I did because there were a couple of things that happened that we wouldn’t have a chance to win if that didn’t change. The second was, you know, okay, but I wasn’t – I was happy. And my team, all these guys on the bench. And they stayed in that zone, and everyone told me that we had to play more zone, but I think again, it’s going to be one game to another.

“When I left I said it was going to be a good thing or a bad thing,” Cal said. “And then when we started our race – and there was plenty of time now. So I knew it wasn’t four minutes, but nine minutes. So we looked at it and I’m there with Kevin Sargent and I pace and go and it’s close and I say it could become the same [as the Arkansas game last season]. “

It turned out to be a very good thing. Less than 20 seconds later, Dontaie Allen made a three, his third of the game. From there, Allen was on fire, hitting four more three, each more clutch than the last. Calipari was looking on her phone from the locker room, carrying a hole in the floor.

“I was pacing,” Cal said. “I probably walked about three miles in there, watching it on ESPN on my phone.”

When it became clear that Kentucky was going to win, Calipari hid in the corner so he could watch his team come in and celebrate.

“What I did after the game, I snuck into the back of the locker room in the far corner before they arrived because I just wanted to enjoy this celebration. I wanted to see it, I wanted to enjoy it and I wanted to remember why I do what I do. To see this stuff. And then do it without me, which is even better. It’s better… we just needed to win one to get started.

When asked, Olivier Sarr said what happens in the locker room stays in the locker room, but I have a feeling we will see a video from the UK soon.

UPDATE: Yeah, that was awesome.



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