Inside Kentucky Basketball’s Unconventional Edge: Boxing Gloves, the ‘Tunnel of Doom,’ and a Whole Lot of Physicality
Kentucky basketball is leaning into physicality this season-and not just in the usual ways. After back-to-back wins over Oklahoma and Tennessee, we’re getting a clearer picture of how the Wildcats are building toughness behind the scenes. Spoiler alert: it involves boxing gloves, body blows, and something called the “Tunnel of Doom.”
Let’s start with the gloves.
Freshman forward Andrija Jelavic pulled back the curtain earlier this week after Kentucky’s win over Oklahoma, explaining how the team has been warming up with actual boxing drills in practice. Yes, boxing gloves. Yes, punching.
“The boxing gloves is that we’re warming up by punching the boxing gloves from Coach Mikhail,” Jelavic said. “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.”
That coach is Mikhail McLean, and he’s clearly not afraid to get a little bruised in the name of player development. The idea behind the drill is simple: get the players used to contact, get them comfortable initiating it, and build a mindset that thrives in the chaos of physical play. For a team that’s looking to dominate the glass and impose its will in the paint, this kind of training isn’t just novel-it’s intentional.
And if the boxing gloves weren’t enough, Kentucky’s now added a new wrinkle: the “Tunnel of Doom.”
After Saturday’s win over Tennessee-a game where freshman center Malachi Moreno posted 10 points, five boards, and three assists in 27 strong minutes-he offered some insight into the next evolution of Kentucky’s contact-first practice culture.
“When we go into practice, Coach [Mikhail] McLean will wear these little boxing gloves on his hands, and he’s just like, ‘Hit me,’” Moreno said. “It’s just to emphasize that when we go into these games, we’ve got to hit people, we’ve got to hit, we’ve got to go get the rebounds, and we’ve got to bring the physicality to them, not let it be the other way.”
That’s where the Tunnel of Doom comes in.
“At this point, we’ve kind of just started having fun with hitting each other in practice,” Moreno said. “Then, he calls it-we have a tunnel of doom.
You hit the pads and then you literally run through a tunnel of guys with pads and they’re just hitting you, smacking you, and you’ve got to accept it. That’s become fun.”
It’s part drill, part gauntlet, and part therapy session. Moreno even mentioned the emotional release it offers.
“Sometimes, you can let out a little anger here and there,” he added. “It’s a lot of fun. That’s just what we do.”
This isn’t just about toughness for toughness’ sake. Kentucky’s physical edge is translating to results on the court. The Wildcats are crashing the boards harder, fighting through contact more consistently, and showing a level of grit that’s hard to teach through Xs and Os alone.
The message is clear: if you want to play for Kentucky right now, you’ve got to be willing to hit-and get hit. Whether it’s with gloves, pads, or in the middle of a high-stakes SEC battle, this team is embracing the fight. And if the Tunnel of Doom is what it takes to bring out that edge, it’s safe to say the Wildcats are all in.