Maybe John Calipari was right with his “biggest day” in Kentucky Wildcats history comment
By Paul Jordan
Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Thing is, a lot of people missed Calipari’s clarification of his comments. But when you take the “talking to the future” aspect, Calipari was dead on and absolutely right.
Kentucky fans seem to forget where Kentucky basketball was before Calipari had arrived. The previous five years of Kentucky basketball pre-Calipari had produced a 112-58 record and just one Elite Eight appearance. North Carolina and Florida had passed Kentucky as the kings of college basketball with two titles each in that span. Calipari even alluded to that in his draft night comments.
"“I’m not trying to be braggadocios, but if you’re a player with pro potential, where do you want to go?” Calipari said. “Not long ago it was Florida, and then it was Duke and then North Carolina. Right now it’s Kentucky. I’m not saying I prepare a kid better than someone else, but I was told by NBA folks that it’s easier to evaluate your guys because you let them play.”"
And like that, in one short season, John Calipari had restored the order to college basketball with Kentucky back in the spotlight it so richly deserved.
Keep in mind, the average high school kid knew nothing about the glory of Kentucky basketball the past five years. All they had seen was UNC and Florida cutting down the nets in their high school years. John Calipari bringing John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins to Kentucky opened their eyes to UK and seeing five Wildcats go in the first round of the NBA draft made them want to come to Kentucky.
And so they have.
With this years NBA Draft, John Calipari will have sent 19 players to the NBA Draft. With Julius Randle and James Young added, fifteen will be first rounders. Of course, thirteen of those (including Enes Kanter) left Lexington after just one year, but those numbers are changing. Next years team (and for the moment we are including the Harrisons) could potentially have as many as TEN future NBA players. And only Karl Towns Jr may be a “one and done” player from that team.
The times are changing. Players used to come to Lexington just for John Calipari. Now they are staying for the Kentucky Wildcats.
So maybe it’s time to look back and admit that maybe John Calipari was right when he made those comments four years ago.
And the two-hour Kentucky infomercial that passed as the 2010 NBA Draft? It opened enough eyes to send the players to Kentucky that have won a national title and been to three Final Fours. And the thing is, next year will mark the five-year period Calipari mentioned back in 2010. And Kentucky will be poised as a top one or two preseason team.
Still want to mock Calipari for those comments? Wonder if that Vol fan still thinks it was ridiculous.