Kentucky Basketball: My Brother’s Keeper

University of Kentucky Head Men’s Basketball John Calipari is, arguably, the best recruiter in the country. Year after year, he’s brought top ranked classes to Lexington. Year after year, save the dreadful 2013 campaign, Calipari has taken the often young and talented Wildcats deep into the NCAA Tournament. There’s one thing that hasn’t been discussed is the quality of players he’s brought into the program off the court as well.

When you usually think of top basketball recruits, you think of AAU basketball. There’s visions of wild, me-first, shooters that lack basic basketball fundamentals. And on top of the on the court issues, there’s visions of pushy parents and shady, behind the scenes brokers that create talented, yet socially out of touch ballplayers. Yet somehow, with all of the talent that Cal has recruited, there haven’t been any on or off the court incidents. In fact, these young men have gone out of their way to represent themselves, their families, the program and the university exceptionally well.

Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

Calipari preaches that each player needs to be his “brother’s keeper.” He asks for that on and off the court. Where outsider’s look for strife and internal issues, all that we see year in and year out are young men that are committed to each other. How can any member of the Big Blue Nation forget the images of his Wildcat teammates carrying off the floor of Florida’s O’Connell Center after tearing his ACL? What about Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and the famous Breakfast Club of 2012? Or how about the current team rallying around teammate Alex Poythress after his season-ending injury? Great basketball players, better people.

Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

And it doesn’t stop when the guys leave Lexington. The viral image of John Wall weeping during his postgame interview over the death of a young girl he befriended that had passed away from cancer. DeMarcus Cousins, despite his ability to pick up technical fouls on the court, has committed himself to various charities the Sacramento area. And, most importantly, there haven’t been any issues surrounding these kids as there have been for so many high profile athletes.

From all the fundraising and other charitable events that Calipari has charged the players with engaging in, to their play on the court, Cal is bringing in players that buy into his philosophy. Not just being your brother’s keeper on the court, but being your brother and sister’s keeper off the court as well. So, yes there have been great basketball players to play here, but there have been better young men to attend UK and go out in the world and to be their brother’s keeper.