Famous college basketball coaches, they're just like us.
With severely limited options when it comes to live sports during the coronavirus pandemic, Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari did what so many other fans have done during this time and turned to replays of old games.
Calipari live-tweeted his team's 67-59 victory over the Kansas Jayhawks in the 2012 NCAA tournament championship game, which CBS aired Sunday:
That Kentucky team went 38-2 during the 2011-12 season and won all six of its tournament games by at least eight points in dominant fashion. It defeated in-state rival Louisville in the Final Four to set up the showdown with the Jayhawks and was loaded with talent across the board.
Anthony Davis is the name who stands out, but Doron Lamb, Michael-Kidd Gilchrist, Terrence Jones, Marquis Teague, Darius Miller and Kyle Wiltjer all made the NBA as well.
Perhaps the most incredible part of the win over Kansas was the fact that Davis scored just six points and was an ugly 1-of-10 from the field. While that might suggest the Jayhawks would have come away with the win, the big man made up for it with 16 rebounds, six blocks, five assists, three steals and plenty of leadership, as Calipari pointed out:
It was Lamb to the rescue on the offensive side with a game-high 22 points, but Calipari highlighted the efforts of many in the supporting cast:
While the scoring was needed, it was Kentucky's defense that set the tone throughout the game. It held Kansas to a mere 35.5 percent shooting as the Jayhawks struggled to string together enough makes to significantly cut into the 14-point halftime deficit until it was largely too late.
Perhaps the most revealing part of Calipari's live-tweeting was his explanation for why he switched to a slower, "grind-it-out" mode on the offensive end.
He explained he didn't like where the game was headed in the second half and that the switch would put more pressure on Kansas. He also noted his team was so effective on the offensive boards and protecting the rim that he still believed it was well positioned to come away with the win even in a slower game:
The strategy worked, as Kentucky held off all of Kansas' potential surges during the final stretch.
While Calipari is a four-time SEC Coach of the Year who has been to six Final Fours during his career, the 2012 win over Kansas remains the lone national championship on his resume.
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