Kentucky Finds Its Edge - And It’s Wearing Boxing Gloves
For much of the early season, Kentucky looked like the team that played by the book - clean, skilled, but often on the wrong end of the physical battles. They moved the ball well, ran their sets, and trusted the refs to call it fair.
But anyone who’s watched college hoops long enough knows the game isn’t always that simple. There’s the basketball you see on the surface - and then there’s the game within the game.
The bumps, the nudges, the subtle contact that wears opponents down over 40 minutes. For a while, Kentucky was getting pushed around in that space.
Not anymore.
Something’s changed in Lexington. The Wildcats aren’t just playing tougher - they’re embracing a whole new mindset. And believe it or not, it starts with a pair of boxing gloves.
A New Routine, A New Identity
After Kentucky’s win over Oklahoma, forward Andrija Jelavic pulled back the curtain on what’s fueling the team’s recent surge in physicality - and it’s not just extra time in the weight room. It’s literal sparring.
“The boxing gloves is that we’re warming up by punching the boxing gloves from Coach Mikhail,” Jelavic said, referring to assistant coach Mikhail McLean. “We’re literally punching them.
He emphasizes that... We’ve been doing it for the past two games, and it’s brought good results.”
This isn’t just a gimmick. It’s become a staple of Kentucky’s pregame routine.
According to Jelavic, the moment the team steps into the gym, the gloves come out. Each player throws five punches into McLean’s mitts, then goes straight into a layup.
It’s symbolic - and strategic. Wake up the body.
Wake up the mindset. Get ready to hit first.
Playing on the Edge
What’s fascinating here isn’t just the physical drill - it’s the psychological shift behind it. Jelavic didn’t sugarcoat it.
This is about more than just energy. It’s about learning how to initiate contact, even if it skirts the edge of what’s legal.
“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,” he said.
That’s not the kind of quote you usually hear from a college player. But it speaks volumes about where this Kentucky team is mentally.
They’re not just reacting to physicality anymore - they’re setting the tone. Jelavic even admitted that he’s starting to pick his spots to make sneaky contact - the kind that rattles an opponent but flies under the officials’ radar.
“I found some situations when I can punch a guy, make contact with a guy, and they’re not being seen by the referees,” he said. “Even when you make contact and make a foul, it gave us energy.”
That’s the kind of edge that championship teams develop. It’s not dirty.
It’s not reckless. It’s controlled chaos - knowing when to push, when to pull, and how to walk right up to the line without crossing it.
Every great team has a little bit of that in them.
Just in Time
This evolution couldn’t come at a better moment. Kentucky’s schedule is about to get real.
And it starts tomorrow night with a visit from Tennessee - a team that’s made physicality a calling card under Rick Barnes. The Vols don’t just play defense; they turn games into full-contact battles.
They grind you down, wear you out, and dare you to match their intensity.
In the past, Kentucky might’ve leaned on finesse and hoped the refs would keep things clean. But now? This team sounds like it’s ready to meet fire with fire.
They’re no longer the ones getting pushed around. They’re the ones throwing the first punch - sometimes literally.
And if that mindset holds, Kentucky might just be the team nobody wants to see come March.