Kentucky’s Secret Weapon? Boxing Gloves and a Whole Lot of Grit
After Kentucky’s 94-78 win over Oklahoma, Andrija Jelavic was mid-interview when assistant coach Mikhail McLean stepped in with a reminder that said it all: “Tell them about the boxing gloves.”
Yes, boxing gloves.
Turns out, Kentucky’s newfound edge isn’t just about X’s and O’s-it’s about punches. Literal ones. In practice and before games, the Wildcats’ big men have been warming up by throwing hands… at gloves held by their assistant coach.
“The boxing gloves is that we’re warming up by punching the boxing gloves from Coach Mikhail,” Jelavic explained. “We’re literally punching them.
He emphasizes that. It’s really good.
We’ve been doing it for the past two games, and it’s brought good results, so we’re going to continue doing it.”
This isn’t just a quirky team ritual. It’s become a symbol of Kentucky’s push to bring more physicality to its game-especially in the paint. And it all started before the Arkansas game on January 31.
McLean, who works directly with Kentucky’s frontcourt, introduced the gloves as a way to instill toughness and set the tone early. It’s not just a pregame gimmick, either. The gloves come out in practice, too, and they’re part of a full-contact warm-up that gets the bigs ready for battle.
“This is even in practice, pregame, and everything,” Jelavic said. “It’s the first thing we do when we walk into the gym.
He takes those sparring gloves, and we’re punching them five times, then you go through seven GAs that are holding those punching stuff. You have to do a layup.
That’s just our pregame routines.”
It’s a gritty, hands-on approach to building toughness-one that’s clearly resonating. Since introducing the gloves, Kentucky has won seven of its last eight games, and the physicality in the paint has been hard to miss.
The Arkansas game, Jelavic said, was the turning point.
“I feel like some breakout was the Arkansas game when we were really emphasizing us starting physically and hitting guys that are not even meant to be hit in that moment from the start,” he said. “That’s when the boxing gloves started.”
You can see it in Jelavic’s game, too. The 6-foot-9 forward has earned a spot in the starting lineup, and he’s leaning into the physical side of things-finding moments to initiate contact and set the tone, all within the flow of the game.
“I found some situations when I can punch a guy, make contact with a guy, and they’re not being seen by the referees, but it means a lot to our team,” Jelavic said. “Even when you make contact and make a foul, it gave us energy against Arkansas, and it gave us energy today.”
For a Kentucky team looking to climb the SEC standings and make a deep run in March, that kind of edge matters. The Wildcats already have the talent. Now they’ve got the toughness to match-and a pair of boxing gloves to prove it.