john calipari

Kentucky's Postseason Could be a Roller-coaster

Jason Brubaker — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 10:10:59 -0500

Every year, CBS concludes their coverage of the NCAA Tournament with “One Shining Moment”, the sappy video montage that shows the highlights, lowlights, emotions and passion that make March Madness so great. Monster dunks. Clutch three-pointers. Buzzer-beaters. Teary-eyed players and coaches. You name it- it's on there.

So why bring this up now, still two weeks from Selection Sunday? Well if Kentucky plans on making a deep run in the tournament, fans better familiarize themselves with the roller-coaster of emotions that are often captured in that video. Because despite their overwhelming talent, the young Cats still have plenty of flaws that could be the difference between cutting down the nets or heading home early.

The most glaring defect right now is clearly the lack of outside shooting. The Cats' 2-22 effort against Tennessee, unfortunately, isn't an aberration. Since the calendar flipped to February, the Cats have made only 35 three-pointers in 145 attempts, a robust 24 percent. And while they're 8-1 in those games, their shooting woes have forced them to play with a razor-thin margin of error, needing overtime to best Mississippi State by six and surviving in Nashville against Vanderbilt by only two points. Even 10-point margins of victory over teams like Ole Miss and Alabama are a little misleading, as both games were tight throughout. Yes, there's certainly something to be said for finding a way to win, and the Cats did that in two very tough environments. But winning sometimes offers a false sense of security, and in the one-and-done style of the Big Dance, another cold night from the floor against a quality team could spell trouble.

But shooting woes shouldn't be the biggest concern for UK. After all, this is a team that buried 12 threes in a home win over Vandy in January, as well as 10 in a win over Arkansas, 11 against Sam Houston State and 14 against Hartford. The Cats have shooters, albeit some inconsistent ones. But they're very capable of making outside shots. No, the real concern should be why they're missing those shots. And the answer is easy...tired legs.

The Cats' eight-man rotation includes four true freshmen, as well as a junior college transfer. And as spectacularly talented as guys like John Wall and Eric Bledsoe are, they are simply not used to playing this many minutes. Although most high school teams play 30-35 games each season, it's a safe bet that both Wall and Bledsoe were both able to spend some second halves on the bench last year, having already built up a big lead. Unfortunately, that's not been the case this year, as both players are averaging over 30 minutes per game for the season. And their stats bear out the fact that they may be wearing down from all of the time on the court.

In December and January, Wall shot 45 percent from the field and 41 percent from the three-point line. In February? He's at 39 percent from the field and a paltry 19 percent from behind the arc. Bledsoe has also seen his numbers dip, from 46 percent from the field and 38 percent from three-point land to 40 percent from the field and 18 percent from three-point land in the same time. Of course some will point to the level of competition having increased in conference play, and the fact that UK is getting every team's best shot - both fair points. However, even if that is the case, the tournament certainly won't change either of those facts. The level of play is going to be just as high, and every team will be fighting to stay alive, meaning the target on UK will grown even bigger as March wears on.

And therein lies the next concern...the march through March. Can a team with so little postseason experience handle playing six games in three weeks, each with increased intensity and scrutiny? They certainly didn't show it this past weekend, playing on a short turnaround after beating South Carolina on Thursday night. They did manage to climb back in the game against Tennessee, but only after spotting them an 18-0 first half run, something that could end them if it happens in March. Quite simply, mental lapses and periods of defensive breakdowns usually mean early exits from the Big Dance. The Cats' talent level is so high, they've been able to win despite those errors all season. But what about when they match up with a quality team in the second or third round of the tournament, potentially a team like Wisconsin, a veteran team who slows the pace and makes you maximize every possession? Could they fight through a poor shooting night to keep their intensity and focus at both ends of the floor? Only time will tell.

Of course, it's only fair to point out that the Cats, despite their youth and occasional mental lapses, are still 27-2. They still have a Player of the Year candidate in Wall, a potential All-American in DeMarcus Cousins, and a versatile forward in Patrick Patterson who is likely to be a lottery pick in June. They are the biggest team in the country, and they've showed that when they lock in, they're nearly unbeatable. So can they win the title this year? Absolutely. But because of their youth, they probably enter the postseason with a few more question marks than other title contenders like Kansas or Syracuse. So it remains to be seen if the Cats will fulfill their potential and cut down the nets in Indianapolis.

But one thing is certain.

It's going to be a heck of a ride.

UK/Calipari Statement Regarding Memphis Allegations

Press Release — Thu, 28 May 2009 12:16:47 -0400

STATEMENT FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY:

First and foremost, there are no NCAA allegations against UK Head Men's Basketball Coach John Calipari. Coach Calipari was forthcoming with the University of Kentucky during the hiring process about any issues under investigation at the University of Memphis at that time.

It is normal procedure for the NCAA to ask a former coach to participate in a hearing. Therefore, Coach Calipari will participate as requested.

Coach John Calipari has received a letter from the NCAA stating that he is not at risk of being charged with any NCAA violations in this case.

This is a University of Memphis issue and the University of Kentucky will not comment any further.

UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY MEN'S BASKETBALL COACH JOHN CALIPARI

"Even though I'm not at risk, I will fully cooperate with the NCAA hearing. Beyond that, I concur with the statement from the University of Kentucky and will have no further comment."

John Calipari: Smoke & Fire

Jason Brubaker — Thu, 28 May 2009 11:40:45 -0400

Memphis allegations don't help Calipari's reputation

Here we are, in the middle of the NBA and NHL playoffs, and yet UK basketball is still dominating the national headlines.

Too bad that those headlines aren't exactly brimming with positive news.

On the same day that former coach Billy Gillispie announced he has filed a lawsuit against the school hoping to collect $6 million, the Memphis Commercial Appeal has reported that Memphis is under investigation by the NCAA for major violations, including "knowing fraudulence or misconduct" on the SAT by a former player, as well as providing money to an associate of a player.

To make matters worse, it has been announced that prized UK recruit John Wall has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for a breaking-and-entering arrest in April. Under the plea agreement, Wall will have to complete 75 hours of community service and stay out of trouble for the next six months.

All of a sudden, UK fans who were full of excitement a week ago now find themselves using that energy to vigorously defend their coach, as well as the integrity of their program. Think the folks just down I-64 who wear Cardinal red will make any mention of this during the annual UK/UL tilt this year?

In a released statement, the UK Athletic Department made it clear that Calipari was not named in the report, although he does plan on attending a hearing held by the NCAA to address the allegations.

"First and foremost, there are no NCAA allegations against UK Head Men's Basketball Coach John Calipari," read the release. "Coach Calipari was forthcoming with the University of Kentucky during the hiring process about any issues under investigation at the University of Memphis at that time. It is normal procedure for the NCAA to ask a former coach to participate in a hearing. Therefore, Coach Calipari will participate as requested."

So while it's still early in the process, it appears Calipari may not be facing any charges, despite the fact that these alleged violation occurred on his watch. However, when you examine this situation and compare it to the situation at the University of Massachusetts when Calipari left, you'll find some eerie similarities.

In both cases, the programs were accused of major violations after Calipari left the school. In both cases, Calipari has not been directly named or tied to the violations. And in both cases, skeptical fans find it hard to believe that these violations could occur supposedly with Calipari having no knowledge of them.

With the news of the allegations breaking on the same day that Wall pleaded guilty, Calipari's reputation appears to be catching up to him. And for an image-conscious program like Kentucky, you have to think the administration is sweating just a bit right now as this process plays out.

Calipari supporters, and UK fans, will be quick to point out that Calipari himself has never had any violations, and that Wall is just a young kid who made a mistake (over-zealous UK fans could probably justify signing Christian Laettner right now if they thought he could deliver victories). But a look at the big picture delivers a disturbing reality, namely that trouble just seems to follow Calipari around.

Now maybe there's nothing to this story. And it's possible that he knew nothing about his player's SAT scores, or payments made to a player's friend. But when there's a pattern of behavior, a pattern of near-violations and recruiting kids with criminal records, you have to wonder... how much longer before something sticks on Calipari? Is it just coincidence that the two programs he coached at have been accused of major violations under him? Or is there something more to it?

It's still much too early in this process to make any determinations, and it can't be overstated that Calipari's name did not appear in the report. So the possibility exists that he was in no way involved with this.

But where there's smoke, there's usually fire. And there's been a lot of smoke around Calipari's programs. As for the fire? We'll just have to wait and see.

John Wall to UK: Is Big Blue Nation Back?

Jason Brubaker — Tue, 19 May 2009 14:58:34 -0400

Is the Big Blue Nation back?

Less than two months ago, Kentucky was winding down a disappointing campaign, culminating in a loss to Notre Dame in the NIT quarterfinals. Their head coach was on his way to being ushered out the door, their two best players were weighing their NBA options, and an unrelenting fan base was sounding off at every opportunity to show their disdain for an uneven season.

Yet here we sit, just hours after uber-recruit John Wall announced his intentions to come to UK, and there's realistic talk of a national title next season. A team that started the 2008-09 season by losing at home to Virginia Military Institute will enter the 2009-10 season as one of the favorites to cut down the nets. An elite program some felt was on the decline has all of a sudden become nationally relevant again. A school that has had three head coaches in four years now looks to be the new hot spot of college hoops. A team that ended their season wondering whether next year would bring drastic changes now is wondering how to mesh all of their incoming talent.

How in the world of Shagari Alleyne did we get here??

The obvious answer is John Calipari, who has endeared himself to the UK fan base more in two months than former coach Billy Gillispie did in two years. Cal's vibrant personality, self-deprecating humor and outright honesty are a stark contrast to Gillispie, who often appeared uncomfortable as a public figure, and tended to sound condescending when being interviewed.

Of course it doesn't hurt that Cal knows a thing or two about recruiting as well.

The signing of Wall adds even more luster to a class that could go down as one of the best in history, as he joins forwards DeMarcus Cousins and Darnell Dodsen, center Daniel Orton, wing Jon Hood and guard Eric Bledsoe. Add in the return of big man Patrick Patterson (who pulled out of the NBA draft), and talented wings Darius Miller and DeAndre Liggins, and you can understand the optimism in Lexington. And that doesn't even take into account the potential return of All-American guard Jodie Meeks, who declared for the NBA Draft but still could return to school.

Add that all up, and it's easy to see that the 2009-10 Cats will bear little resemblance to last year's team. With two five-star point guards in Wall and Bledsoe on their way, excessive turnovers should be a thing of the past. With Orton and Cousins joining Patterson up front, no longer will frontcourt depth be a problem. And with the excitement and flair of Calipari, the boos that occasionally filled Rupp Arena last year will be replaced with legions of cheers.

Of course, there are no guarantees in this game. While the talent of Wall, Cousins and their classmates is unquestioned, how will they all mesh? Can they all play effectively together with one eye on the NBA? How will Patterson, and potentially Meeks, respond to fewer touches on the offensive end? And what about the Ramon Harris and Perry Stevenson-type players at UK, who will lose most, if not all, of their minutes to the newcomers? There's no question that the Cats are getting a talent upgrade, but for players like Harris and Stevenson, who played with pride and passion amidst all of the distractions, is a seat at the end of the bench a fitting reward for their perseverance?

While those questions will be hopefully answered over the course of the season, one thing we do know for sure right now is that the Cats will open the season in the top five, and will be expected to make a deep tournament run. They'll likely be the favorites in the SEC, and they'll be on the national pictures all year.

A potential starting lineup of Wall, Meeks, Miller, Patterson and Cousins has very few weaknesses, and with Liggins, Bledsoe, Orton, Dodsen and Hood coming off the bench, the Cats will be able to rotate fresh bodies throughout the game. They'll have speed, athleticism, size, ball-handling, passing, shooting, experience and defense, not to mention the adrenaline rush from 24,000 screaming fans at Rupp. They'll have a passionate coach who understands the public facets of his job, and the support of a town anxious to have a winner again.

So the pieces are definitely in place for a fantastic season. The Big Blue Nation may not be back yet, but they're certainly on the way.

College Basketball: Coaching Changes 2009

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 11:19:28 -0400

We'll track coaching changes as they occurr. If there's any missing on here, or if you have contract info to add (including salaries), please mention it in the comments section.

Newest: Seattle hires Dollar

Power Conferences

Alabama
Was: Mark Gottfried
Is: Anthony Grant (1.8 mil, VCU)

Arizona
Was: Russ Pennell (Interim)
Is: Sean Miller (2.5 mil, Xavier)

Georgia
Was: Dennis Felton / Pete Hermann (Interim)
Is: Mark Fox (1.3 mil, Nevada)

Kentucky
Was: Billy Gillispie
Is: John Calipari (4.3 mil, Memphis)

Virginia
Was: Dave Leitao
Is: Tony Bennett (1.7 mil, Washington St)

Washington St
Was: Tony Bennett
Is: Ken Bone (Portland St)

High-Majors

Memphis
Was: John Calipari
Is: Josh Pastner (880k, Asst)

Nevada
Was: Mark Fox
Is: David Carter (Asst)

VCU
Was: Anthony Grant
Is: Shaka Smart (Florida Asst)

Xavier
Was: Sean Miller
Is: Chris Mack (Asst)

Mid-Majors

Appalachian St
Was: Houston Franchar
Is: ?

Boston University
Was: Dennis Wolff
Is: Pat Chambers (Villanova Asst)

Cal Poly
Was: Kevin Bromley
Is: Joe Callero (Seattle)

Elon
Was: Ernie Nestor
Is: Mike Matheny (Davidson Asst)

FIU
Was: Sergio Rouco
Is: Isiah Thomas

Georgia Southern
Was: Jeff Price
Is: Charlton Young (Georgia Tech Asst)

Hampton
Was: Kevin Nickelberry
Is: Ed Joyner Jr. (Interim, was Asst)

High Point
Was: Bart Lundy
Is: Scott Cherry (South Carolina Asst)

Liberty
Was: Ritchie McKay
Is: Dale Layer (Asst)

NC Central
Was: Henry Dickerson
Is: LaVelle Morton (Asst)

North Florida
Was: Matt Kilcullen
Is: Matthew Driscoll (Baylor Asst)

Portland St
Was: Ken Bone
Is: Tyler Geving (Asst)

Seattle
Was: Joe Callero
Is: Cameron Dollar (Washington Asst)

Southeast Missouri St
Was: Scott Edgar
Is: Dickey Nutt (Former Arkansas St Coach, 96-08)

Tennessee St
Was: Cy Alexander / Mark Pittman (Interim)
Is: John Cooper (Auburn Asst)

Cal And the Cats: A Good Fit?

Jason Brubaker — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 12:52:57 -0400

I have been wrong before - believe me. I once remember telling a friend that Rashad Carruth was going to be a fantastic player at Kentucky. I thought it was a good thing the Cats didn't recruit Chris Lofton out of high school. I thought Tayshaun Prince would be, at best, a decent NBA sixth-man. I even bought into the rumors that Patrick Sparks would be the missing piece UK needed to a national title after he transferred from Western Kentucky.

So keep that in mind when I tell you that I don't have the greatest feeling about John Calipari coming to Lexington. When Kentucky gave Billy Gillispie his walking papers last Friday, I wrote that their next hire needed to be a homerun, someone who could quickly resurrect the program, not only on the court but restore their public image as well.

Judging by the reaction of many in the Bluegrass, John Calipari appears to be just that - a homerun. However, I just can't shake the nagging feeling that this may be a Barry Bonds-type home run. It may look good, but it feels a little off, like there's something not quite right about it.

Don't get me wrong, Calipari can coach. His Memphis teams won 137 games in the last four seasons. They visited four Sweet 16s, and were a few missed free throws away from a national title in 2008. He's sent a number of players onto the NBA, including 2008's number one overall pick in Derrick Rose. He brought Memphis onto the national stage, and had top-ranked recruits beating down his door.

But, as everyone has noted, Calipari also comes with a little extra baggage. It has been well-documented that his UMass team in 1996, the one that featured Marcus Camby, has had to "vacate" their Final Four appearance after it came out that Camby was provided with extra benefits. Calipari was never directly implicated in the scandal, but you have to wonder how much he actually knew.

Similarly, there's been a lot of smoke, if not fire, during his rebuilding at Memphis. Numerous top recruits have been lured to the Tigers as part of package deals, where their friends, coaches and family members are given positions on the staff or in the athletic department, coincidentally, right around the same time the heralded recruit signs on the dotted line.

There's also the infamous "World Wide Wes", the moniker given to William Wesley, perhaps the most well-connected non-coach in the basketball world. Wesley has been a fixture in the Memphis program the past few years, and is said to have helped Calipari land top recruits like Dajuan Wagner, Derrick Rose, Chris Douglas-Roberts and Tyreke Evans. Wesley, who is also well-known by many NBA players and their agents, has never been proven to have done anything illegal with regards to recruiting, but his close ties to so many agents and players gives the appearance of impropriety.

To be fair, Calipari has never been sanctioned by the NCAA for any violations. His Memphis teams have had their share of off-court problems, but have never been proven of any wrong-doing on the recruiting trail. But for a program as image-conscious as Kentucky, you have to wonder if a guy who goes right up to the fence, if not over it, is a great long-term fit.

Calipari is an engaging coach with a sharp wit and a marketable personality...two traits he will need to navigate the Kentucky waters, and two traits his predecessor did not possess. Gillispie turned off many around the Bluegrass with his prickly personality and mood swings (not to mention losses to VMI and Gardner Webb), so Caliapri's enthusiasm will be a welcome arrival in the Bluegrass. He has shown the ability to get talented players, and he has the personality to handle the off-court requirements of the job, which can be more draining than the Xs and Os.

Upon the official announcement, UK fans were celebrating, envisioning more banners being hung in Rupp Arena. With Calipari's energy and UK's resources, the sky seems to be the limit. The possibility even exists that some members of his top-ranked recruiting class at Memphis will follow him to Lexington, which could provide an extremely quick rebuilding job. Adding Xavier Henry and DeMarcus Cousins to a lineup that could return Jodie Meeks and Patrick Patterson is something that could have the Cats thinking realistically about the Final Four, one year after bowing out in the NIT quarterfinals.

But there's still the nagging feeling that this feels a little rushed. After the Gillispie hire, Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart took a lot of heat for his quick decision to hire the former Texas A&M coach, with many even assuming he made his mind up after Gillispie's Aggies knocked off hated Louisville in the NCAA Tournament in Rupp Arena.

This time around, Barnhart and UK President Lee Todd promised to do their research and extensively investigate the potential candidates, even putting together a search committee that featured some former players. Yet, not even four full days after Gillispie cleaned out his office, there was Calipari on his way to Lexington, pen in hand and wallet ready to be filled.

So, as we said two years ago, we'll just have to wait and see. The Calipari hire has certainly generated national headlines, and has ensured that the Cats will certainly be interesting to watch next year. His personal rivalries with Rick Pitino and Bruce Pearl will add even more excitement to the regular season, and if he's able to bring a few recruits along with him, the Cats could find themselves competing for a title as soon as next year.

But I'm not ready to call this a home run yet, at least not a real home run. There's too much baggage that comes with Calipari to not be at least a little concerning for UK fans. He may bring some more wins to the program, but at what cost? Images and perceptions are very important to Kentucky fans, and Coach Cal doesn't exactly arrive with a clean slate.

But like I said, I've been wrong before. For UK's sake, I hope I am again.