[Stardust]

With Kentucky on the eve of a return to No. 1, Coach John Calipari spoke to the players about the benefit of losing. Talk about taking the win out of UK's sails.

What he called a "tough road trip" this week (games at Georgia on Tuesday and at Louisiana State on Saturday) led Calipari to look favorably upon defeat. Apparently, so did the thought of watching his team getting pushed around again in getting past Alabama last weekend.

"We probably need a loss," Calipari said Monday of his message to the team Sunday night. "So we'll come together and say, 'We're not losing like this.'

"In other words, getting manhandled. 'That's enough!' "

Kentucky's latest freshman-oriented team might have been pushed around too much to suit the coach. But UK has not lost because of it and returned to the No. 1 ranking earlier Monday in The Associated Press and coaches' polls.

Calipari seemed to suggest this was not an optimal long-term development for a team that, so far, refuses to find its inner Howard Beale: "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore."

So maybe a loss will do it.

"My thing is, let's take one on the chin," Calipari said. "Now, what's he going to do? Is he going to say, 'It's OK.' I don't think they'll say it's OK. That was my message. ... If this doesn't start changing, we need to take a 'L.' "

Kentucky players made available to reporters had mixed feelings on the return to No. 1. Terrence Jones likened it to a "target" on the team's back. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist smiled broadly when asked about the ranking.

"We're young," he said, "but we're good, too."

Kentucky's last two experiences with a No. 1 ranking were not long-lasting. The Cats spent two weeks at No. 1 earlier this season. A 73-72 loss at Indiana demoted UK to No. 3.

A 68-62 loss to South Carolina — which came two years ago this Thursday — limited the time Calipari's first UK team spent at No.1 to one week.

Kidd-Gilchrist offered a fool-proof way for Kentucky to stay No. 1.

"We just have to win games," he said, "and we'll be No. 1 forever."

Calipari called the No. 1 ranking "a badge of honor" and joked about trying to reach Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim, whose team fell from No. 1 after losing at Notre Dame this past weekend. "I was so mad at him," Calipari joked before saying of being No. 1, "It's just an added thing."

http://www.kentucky.com/2012/01/24/20402...tucky.html

[LWC]

I hope that is more of his famous mind-tricks and he doesn't mean that.

[Stardust]

^ No, he's covering for the loss based on his track record!

[cuppett777]

i think they need a good loss, 15-20 point one and maybe like he said they will allcome out and play like there sup2..

[Wildcatk23]

Cal was come on now. Lol

[RunItUpTheGut]

NO!
Ive been saying all year 39-1 :biggrin:

[theVILLE]

I think Cal is just covering himself incase History repeats....That way if and when they get another Loss he can say its a good thing