For the most part, Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari is saying the right things
Random notes:
▪ I thought John Calipari was fine on his much-anticipated radio show Monday night. I would have preferred he say, “I need to do a better job,” but I thought he hit most of the right notes. And it appeared obvious that he wants to remain as the Kentucky basketball coach.
▪ One takeaway: In many of past public comments, Calipari has tailored his message toward recruiting. That’s why he constantly boasts about UK’s success putting players in the NBA. On Monday, Cal talked directly to the fans. It’d be smart to continue that approach.
▪ I do think Calipari needs a more aggressive approach to the transfer portal. In the past, the coach has often said he has been approached by transfers about coming to UK. To improve another young roster next season, the Cats need to recruit more experienced transfers who can be difference-makers.
▪ Key Calipari comment on Monday: “We’ve got to get older.”
▪ Calipari said the current Cats lacked physicality. That lines up with what one SEC Network analyst told me during the season. He praised UK’s offense but thought the roster lacked the muscle to play tough defense. “They’re not built that way,” the analyst said.
▪ One thing I probably should have included in my column saying Kentucky should not pay the $33 million buyout on Calipari’s contract: The next coach isn’t going to work for free. It UK pays Cal $33 million to go away, it also have to pay the new coach $30-$40 million over the next five years. And that’s a conservative estimate.
▪ The top three seeds in the NCAA Tournament are 21-2. The two losses: No. 3 seed Kentucky to No. 14 Oakland in the first round and No. 3 seed Baylor to No. 6 seed Clemson in the second.
▪ Speaking of Baylor, Scott Drew was believed to be first on Louisville’s search list. Speculation had Baylor’s coach as a prime possibility should UK move on from Calipari. A closer look at Drew’s record finds the Bears have failed to reach the Sweet 16 in eight of the last 11 seasons in which there was an NCAA Tournament.
▪ I’m not buying that Kentucky fans won’t return to Rupp Arena next season if Calipari is coach. They’ll be back. Rupp might not be as packed as it was this season. That depends on the team. But it’s Kentucky. It’s basketball. The fans will be back.
▪ Rich of UConn coach Dan Hurley to say the selection committee “tried to make this as difficult as possible for us.” UConn opened the tournament in Brooklyn. It plays this weekend in Boston. Do coaches really think we believe this stuff?
▪ From the what-we-thought-was-wrong department, part 1: I lost two of my four Final Four picks in the first round when Kentucky lost to Oakland and Auburn lost to Yale.
▪ From the what-we-thought-was-wrong department, part 2: The SEC had a rough showing the NCAA Tournament’s first weekend. Of the eight conference teams, only Tennessee and Alabama reached the Sweet 16. Auburn, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Florida and South Carolina all suffered first-round knockouts. All five lost to lower seeds.
▪ Kentucky is ranked 112th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to Ken Pomeroy’s numbers. Of the 16 teams still alive in the tournament, only Alabama has a ranking higher than 100. The Crimson Tide is at 101.
▪ We kept hearing that this is a down year for the ACC. And yet four ACC teams — twice the SEC number — populate the Sweet 16. Clemson made it as a No. 6 seed. North Carolina State did so as a No. 11 seed.
▪ Teams that shot less than 40% from the field are 4-32 in the tournament. The winners: Washington State (38.2%) over Drake; Tennessee (33.8%) over Texas; Creighton (38.7%) over Oregon and Alabama (36.9%) over Grand Canyon.
▪ As you might imagine, I’ve received a lot of feedback over the last few days regarding my columns. My favorite is an anonymous voice mail in which the caller said, “You are always way wrong and never way right.”
As Calipari looks at transfer portal, he makes one thing clear: ‘We need to get older.’
John Calipari looks ahead to next season’s roster. And teases the return of current Cats.
John Calipari expects to be back as Kentucky’s head coach next season. ‘I love this job.’
The son of a Kentucky basketball legend is in the NCAA transfer portal for a second time
Paying $33 million to buy out a basketball coach would be wrong thing for Kentucky to do
