‘A lot of familiar faces.’ For Antigua, returning to UK staff is like a homecoming.

In the 2021-22 season, Orlando Antigua will be the Grover Cleveland of Kentucky’s basketball coaching staff: two non-consecutive terms.

When asked Saturday about his second time around on the UK coaching staff, he said lightheartedly, “They actually had a song like that: ‘Second Time Around.’” This was a reference to the 1979 hit by the Los Angeles-based band Shalamar.

Antigua, who was an assistant coach in John Calipari’s first five seasons as UK coach, made the return sound like a homecoming.

“My wife and I, our daughter and our son consider Lexington kind of like home,” he said. “From that point, it’s the same because you’re going back seeing a lot of familiar faces, a lot of family (and) friends.”

The Antiguas’ daughter, Olivia, graduated from UK this spring.

Antigua and Calipari go back to when the latter unsuccessfully tried to recruit the former for UMass.

Antigua also worked on Calipari’s Memphis staff in 2008-09 before coming with him to Kentucky.

“So, it’s been six degrees of separation with Cal for many years,” Antigua said.

When asked to compare Calipari then and now, Antigua spoke of a playful exchange they had this spring.

“He said to me, oh, you’ve got a lot more grays now,” Antigua said. “I said, so do you.”

Otherwise, Calipari is “still the same great person and mentor and friend,” Antigua added. “Really, really motivated. Really excited.”

As for how he’s changed from then to now, Antigua mentioned how his wife, Dana, remained a “star” and a “gem.” He then admitted he noticed Dana just then walking by.

“I’m just getting some brownie points there,” he said as he and Dana exchanged waves.

Practice begins

Kentucky will begin team practices this week. When asked what objectives the team will seek to achieve early on, Antigua said, “To start getting those guys to get to know one another … start laying the foundation of … how we’re going to play. The way we need to sacrifice. The way we need to work. The kind of shape we want to be in in order to play the way we want to play.”

Of course, restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic robbed college teams of this phase of preparation. Calipari spoke of gaining a newfound appreciation for the difference this preparation in spring, summer and fall can make.

That is particularly true with Calipari’s coaching approach, said Antigua, adding, “you need that time to be able to lay that focus, the vision, the togetherness, the bonding that needs to happen when you’re trying to push people through the comfort level.”

This preparation is even more important at Kentucky, where each dribble is subject to scrutiny.

When asked how this preparation shows itself in games, Antigua said, “It’s the connectivity. It’s when you meet up against another good team. It’s finding an extra oomph that gets you over the hump.

“It’s one more (defensive) rotation. It’s one more extra pass. It’s one more loose ball that you get that you weren’t supposed to get. And the only way you get to that point is by wanting to be there for your brother.”

First things first

When asked about what it would take for the Kentucky team to make a deep run in the 2022 NCAA Tournament, Antigua cautioned against looking that far into the future.

“It’s going to take us worrying about June 14th,” he said. “One day at a time.”

Coaching experience

Like fellow assistant James “Bruiser” Flint, Antigua has head coaching experience. In the summer of 2013, he was named head coach of the Dominican National Team. He led the team to the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain. He also was head coach at South Florida.

“It helps tremendously,” he said of head coaching experience. “Because you don’t know what you don’t know until you go through that experience. And just knowing how many things are coming at the head coach, and the head coach at Kentucky even more so.”

Where’s Oscar?

Antigua spoke to the media after Kentucky staged a youth camp for fathers and daughters on campus. UK players have participated in the series of camps.

But Oscar Tshiebwe, the power player who transferred to UK from West Virginia, has not been at any of the camps.

Antigua said Tshiebwe has been home in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

“He hadn’t been home for six or seven years,” Antigua said. “So, he got an opportunity to go see his mom, and also take care of some other personal things.”

Tshiebwe is expected to be back to start team practices, Antigua said.

Antigua vs. UK

Antigua played against Kentucky in a memorable game on Nov. 22, 1991. He contributed nine points, eight rebounds and four blocks to Pittsburgh’s 85-67 victory over UK in that year’s Preseason NIT.

Yes, Antigua said, the game is a vivid personal memory. For one thing, UK recruited him. He was ready to make a visit when he learned the last available scholarship was given to Aminu Timberlake.

Antigua also recalled the hoopla about a Kentucky victory allowing Jamal Mashburn (and then-UK coach Rick Pitino) to return to New York for the NIT semifinals.

“We had four guys on our team from New York,” Antigua said, “and we wanted to get back to New York.”