LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Sitting on the baseline at the end of the Kentucky bench when the Wildcats played Auburn on Jan. 19 was an illuminating experience. It happens less and less these days, and with the Wildcats and Auburn playing a game that wound up coming down to the wire (an 82-80 UK win), there was more than enough to pay attention to on the court.
But I couldn't help turning my attention to the bench pretty often, noticing how UK coach John Calipari interacted with this group of players, his assistant coaches, the officials.
Below are some shots I took of those interactions. They tell a bit of a story of the UK sideline, though not the whole story.
I was struck by how much input assistant coach Kenny Payne had into everything, even suggesting a late timeout to set the defense.
With a young team, much of Calipari's time was spent instructing, and a bit with cajoling and pleading.
The gallery, with additional comments in the captions:
PHOTO ESSAY | Scenes from the Kentucky sideline
IN THE HUDDLE
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Calipari listens to his players as he prepares to speak to them during a timeout.
THE HOOK
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The hook is familiar to anyone who watches Calipari on the sidelines for very long. There are some mistakes he has little patience for, especially when it has been a point of emphasis ahead of time. In this case, the offender was Tyler Herro . . .Â
HERRO SHOT
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Herro hears Calipari's critique after getting the hook.
BE STRONG
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Calipari coaches scheme, but what he really wants from his players is toughness and effort. In this case, he's urging more of it as the game breaks for a timeout.
COACHING DOUBLE TEAM
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Calipari and assistant Kenny Payne make points to separate players before they head back into play after a timeout.
HALFTIME MOMENT
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I was intrigued when Calipari sat down by himself while his team was in its second-half warmups, drawing a diagram on his board. I asked him after the game what he was doing, he said Payne had suggested a certain defense against Auburn, and he was drawing up a diagram to show why he didn't think it would work.
HALFTIME MOMENT 2
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Calipari and Payne talk about the defensive move mentioned in the previous photo.
WORKING THE REF
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Every coach has his own style for working the refs. Calipari uses a mix of good cop and bad cop.
HE WAS HELD!
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Here, Calipari works the refs with both verbal and nonverbal communication.
LAST SECOND INSTRUCTION
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Calipari makes a final point before his five hits the court in the closing minutes of a tightening game.
MAKING A POINT
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Calipari will ask players questions during play stoppages. Here, he looks to be saying, "You sure about that?"
PLEASE GO IN
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Just liked Calipari's look in this shot as Tyler Herro fires a three-pointer.
RIVALS
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John Calipari and Bruce Pearl.
TEACHABLE MOMENT
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Calipari spends a great deal of time with younger players explaining situations they've just encountered.
WHAT IS THAT?
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Not all calls are easily comprehended.
WHY?
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Calipari has never been the "Y" during Kentucky's popular cheer at road games. This shot proves that if he's ever needed, he's up for it.
YOU'RE KILLING ME
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He didn't say that, literally, but the look says it. Freshmen can make you feel that way. So can sophomores.
SIR CHARLES AND SIR KENNY
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Kenny Payne greets Charles Barkley before a Kentucky-Auburn game.Â
TEAM REACTION
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The Wildcats react to a positive play on defense.
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