Jerry Tipton on UK basketball

While acknowledging that teams can only rally around being short-handed for so long, Kentucky Coach Billy Gillispie dismissed the possibility of the Cats suffering a letdown at South Carolina on Wednesday.

“I’m not worried about it,” he said of a letdown. “That’s what you do all year in practice. You develop a mental toughness. Whatever the situation, you handle it.”

Then Gillispie added with a chuckle, “We’ve had plenty of practice this year handling situations beyond our control.”

Kentucky has battled injuries throughout the season. The latest seemed devastating: the season-ending stress fracture discovered in Patrick Patterson’s left ankle.

Without Patterson, Kentucky rallied to play No. 1 Tennessee to a last-possession game that the Vols won 63-60.

Gillispie likened the performance to a backup quarterback who plays well in relief of the injured starter. It’s a different situation when preparing all week for the next game as a starter.

“He usually shows the reason he was the backup,” the UK coach said.

South Carolina, which plays Kentucky on Wednesday night, will benefit from seeing how UK played without Patterson at Tennessee.

Gillispie noted that UK will be more flexible without Patterson than the Cats were with him.

“It’s play it by ear more than I’m used to,” he said, “and play it by ear more than I want to be part of.”

But Gillispie said he was “happy with the soldier we have” and voiced his expectation of an all-out effort in every game.