John Calipari does not like to play zone defense. Zone defense is exactly what Kentucky needed to sprint past Arkansas at Bud Walton Arena. None of it happened on Coach Cal’s watch.
Kentucky trailed 47-44 after Arkansas knocked down technical foul free throws following Calipari’s ejection. Needing stops to spark a big run, Kenny Payne and Tony Barbee changed things up with a zone defense.
“Basically our hands were tied,” Payne said after the game. “One of our best players, our leader, Ashton Hagans, had four fouls. Well, how do we keep him in the game?