With 2014 now in the rearview mirror and 2015 in full swing, I thought it would be good to take a look back at a piece I wrote on June 30, 2014. A piece that would highlight the course of the current basketball season before we even knew it. A piece that discussed the shock the John Calipari was in when Willie Cauley-Stein walked into his office and told his coach that he would be returning for his junior season. At the time, it was equally surprising and exciting, as everyone in the Big Blue Nation knew it would help this team to have him back. However, no one could have expected just how instrumental the big man would be. As it turns out, Willie Cauley-Stein has been the best player on the team (if not the country), and has shown himself as a leader on the team that could very well end up undefeated. With that said, check out the piece I wrote back on June 30, 2014 below.
Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
In the SEC coaches summer teleconference this afternoon, Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari spoke on a variety of topics. The one thing that caught my attention the most, however, was his discussion of the conversations he has with his players at the end of the season. We all know the conversation, the one about will they or won’t they go pro. Well, as it turns out, it is not a big long thing for Calipari. In fact, he said they generally last no longer than five minutes, and usually serve as a congratulations type conversation for those who have the option to go pro. When they don’t, he is pleasantly surprised, much like he was with Willie Cauley-Stein and his decision to return for his junior season.
"Matter of fact I thought Willie was leaving. The conversation we had the next morning after the national championship game was congratulating. I’m proud of you. You were a football player two years ago. No one knew who you were. You weren’t a McDonald’s All-American. You weren’t, ‘He was one-and-done before he got there.’ That’s not what he was and he was a top-15 pick. And he came in my office the following day and said, ‘I want to come back.’ I go, ‘What?’ He said, ‘One, I’m having a ball. Two, I’m not ready for that league to do what I want to do. Three, I want to win a ‘ship before I leave.’ I said, ‘That’s good reasons to come back.’ So the conversations I had with guys are kind of like that.This is a rarity of Calipari since he has arrived at Kentucky, especially considering the count before this season was 14 players sent to the NBA. This constant turnover lends way to a young team year after year, which can wear on someone. This season, with six of his top eight players returning, there is going to be a different challenge for Caliparito handle. Check out what he had to say on the experience of next seasons team.For the first time, I’ve had players return that had a chance to put their names in the draft. So, we’re in a unique situation where we have veterans. Now, granted those veterans are sophomores, two are juniors, but the other four are sophomores, which is kind of unusual for us. But I’m excited about it. The returning players and the freshmen are getting along well, so it’s all good.Providing they get along as well as Coach Cal says they do, it should be another exciting year for the Big Blue Nation. And it could be something special, as the old and new mix much like they did in that magical 2012 title run. In either case, this team will be one of the elite’s throughout the season, and will be lead by the goofy junior center, Willie Cauley-Stein.Published on 01/01/2015 at 4:00 PM EDTLast updated on 07/22/2019 at 3:05 PM EDT Matter of fact I thought Willie was leaving. The conversation we had the next morning after the national championship game was congratulating. I’m proud of you. You were a football player two years ago. No one knew who you were. You weren’t a McDonald’s All-American. You weren’t, ‘He was one-and-done before he got there.’ That’s not what he was and he was a top-15 pick. And he came in my office the following day and said, ‘I want to come back.’ I go, ‘What?’ He said, ‘One, I’m having a ball. Two, I’m not ready for that league to do what I want to do. Three, I want to win a ‘ship before I leave.’ I said, ‘That’s good reasons to come back.’ So the conversations I had with guys are kind of like that.For the first time, I’ve had players return that had a chance to put their names in the draft. So, we’re in a unique situation where we have veterans. Now, granted those veterans are sophomores, two are juniors, but the other four are sophomores, which is kind of unusual for us. But I’m excited about it. The returning players and the freshmen are getting along well, so it’s all good.Providing they get along as well as Coach Cal says they do, it should be another exciting year for the Big Blue Nation. And it could be something special, as the old and new mix much like they did in that magical 2012 title run. In either case, this team will be one of the elite’s throughout the season, and will be lead by the goofy junior center, Willie Cauley-Stein.Published on 01/01/2015 at 4:00 PM EDTLast updated on 07/22/2019 at 3:05 PM EDT For the first time, I’ve had players return that had a chance to put their names in the draft. So, we’re in a unique situation where we have veterans. Now, granted those veterans are sophomores, two are juniors, but the other four are sophomores, which is kind of unusual for us. But I’m excited about it. The returning players and the freshmen are getting along well, so it’s all good."