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Coach Cal and Coach K don’t see eye to eye on Duke’s flopping

John Calipari

Kentucky coach John Calipari yells instructions to his team during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Duke at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012. Duke beat Kentucky 75-68. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

AP

ATLANTA - Kentucky head coach John Calipari is never afraid to pick a fight, and he did just that on Tuesday night.

Interviewed on ESPN at halftime, Cal told Andy Katz that “Duke is flopping all over the place and if they were in the NBA they would be getting fined.”

Combining a well-known stereotype with a well-timed pop-culture reference? Cal could have made it as a stand-up comic. I’m sure of it.

Coach K was asked about the comment in the postgame press conference and, safe to say, he was non-plussed.

“I really don’t pay attention, not just to John, but to other coaches. I don’t really care” he said. “He has a right to say whatever he wants. I thought we took some amazing charges and probably could have taken a couple more. There’s a difference between a charge and a flop. A flop means you don’t take any contact, and I hope that anybody who watches the game would say our kids played good defense.”

“And we don’t make any money so we can’t be fined.”

Cal? Well, he tried to play it off as a joke.

“I don’t even remember. What did I say? It was a joke. You guys at Duke can take a joke, right? Sheesh.”

Apparently not.