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Kentucky Wildcats

Is the swagger back for John Calipari? Jimmy Dykes weighs in

Keith Farner

By Keith Farner

Published:

John Calipari has led Kentucky to a strong turnaround from last season’s forgettable campaign. What’s different this time?

ESPN analyst Jimmy Dykes spoke with “BBN Tonight” and explained the changes, and how Calipari is a strong Coach of the Year candidate.

“I think Coach Cal last year, at the end of the year everything was on the table, and he told me that himself,” Dykes said. “The roster overhaul was going to happen. Made changes in his staff. But I think it has kind of brought the fight back in Cal. It’s brought the swagger back in Cal, the confidence back in him, and he knows he has a team this year that could win it all.”

Dykes was at the UK game on Wednesday night when Bryce Hopkins came off the bench to score a career-high 13 points, including 11 to lead Kentucky’s 15-2 second-half run, and Oscar Tshiebwe and Keion Brooks Jr. made late free throws to help the No. 6 Wildcats survive LSU 71-66.

Kentucky next plays at Arkansas on Saturday in the lone regular-season meeting between the teams.

Keith Farner

A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.

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