I have always been a University of Kentucky fan ever since I was a child. My first favorite college basketball player was Kenny Walker, and I have remained a die hard ever since.
I was around during the Eddie Sutton era and still have the Sports Illustrated issue detailing the violations that almost led to the death penalty for the program. I celebrated when Rick Pitino brought the program back and later booed that man for coaching at Louisville. I praised Tubby Smith for carrying on the tradition of winning before his run began to fizzle.
Then came Billy Gillispie. Those were a couple of dark years to be a Wildcat fan. My personal tipping point as a fan came on November 14, 2008 when Kentucky lost to VMI, 111-103, in Rupp Arena. I used to work in the Sports Information office at VMI and knew a lot of people involved with that program. From a personal standpoint, I was thrilled for my friends and very happy for the program at VMI. From a fan standpoint, I could see that Kentucky basketball was in trouble. And as the season progressed, everyone knew that Gillispie’s time was nearing an end. That program needed a new approach and in a hurry. Enter John Calipari.
Calipari came to Kentucky with a checkered past, but one thing was undeniable. The man knew how to bring in talent better than any other coach at that time. He was a maverick and embraced the one-and-done philosophy well before other coaches got on board. The program changed instantly.
Honestly, the media was unfair to Cal in a lot of ways early in his tenure. His first two years featured a lot of success and even a Final Four appearance. Still, others openly questioned his philosophy of getting the best players possible and then having to replace a huge majority of them the following season. But then he won a National Championship in 2012 with a stacked recruiting class featuring the likes of Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
The following season featured an NIT appearance, but then Kentucky slid into the tournament in 2014 before falling in the title game. Even if there were two disappointing regular seasons, that run to the title game still had me believing in Coach Cal.
Ironically, some other coaches including Mike Krzyzewski started adopting a version of Cal’s one-and-done philosophy. While the media originally derided Cal for the approach, Coach K was called a genius for adapting to how the game was changing – for how Cal changed it. Still, Cal remained successful with Final Four and Elite Eight appearances over the next few seasons. But there was one thing that didn’t set right with me.
More and more, Cal was touting the success of his players in the NBA Draft more than he was his team’s success at Kentucky. In 2015, Calipari infamously stated, “I hate to drive you traditionalists crazy, but I’ll say it again: our goal at the beginning of the season was to have eight players drafted.”
Kentucky, one of if not the most storied college basketball program in history was Cal’s way to get players to the NBA. He seemed to be less concerned with putting a team together that could contend for conference and national titles than he was hearing their name called on draft night.
And his way still mostly worked just because Kentucky usually had more raw talent than its opponents. But things started to shift. The transfer portal made it easier for teams to replace departing players with other players who have already proven that they can play. The SEC also became a stronger basketball conference, taking some shine off Kentucky as a dominant force. Then, NIL deals made it more enticing for players to stick around longer. Add that with the transfer portal and teams are older and more mature. They may not be great NBA players, but they’re more ready to play in college right now.
Yet, Cal mainly stayed with what he was doing, even as the postseason success dried up. There was the loss to Saint Peter’s two years ago. Last year, it was a second round NCAA exit. This season brought a season-ending loss from Oakland.
It also became increasingly clear that Cal was more about is players’ individual success than he was success for the University of Kentucky. Along the way, the team became harder to follow as a Kentucky fan. Players weren’t sticking around and developing. If they weren’t great right away, they were usually gone. If they were great, they were definitely gone before the following season rolled around. Replacing players each season makes it harder to feel that connection as a fan.
Don’t get me wrong. I can’t blame any player one bit for taking that NBA money. They have to take that opportunity if it presents itself, but Cal went out of his way to recruit those players almost exclusively instead of building a team. Cal was an innovator, but he’s more and more falling behind other coaches who are embracing the transfer portal while also recruiting a mixture of high level talent with those who can develop and become good college basketball players.
While Cal was unfairly criticized at one point, his methods brought on a new evolution in coaching. In the end, others like Coach K did evolve. When it became Cal’s turn to change, he did not.
NBA Draft picks and all of that is fantastic, but it isn’t what Kentucky basketball is about. When you coach at UK, it’s all about championships. Upsets happen, but they shouldn’t happen with this type of alarming frequency. I feel like Cal saw the writing on the wall, and we’ll soon see him in Arkansas.
As a Kentucky fan, I do worry about the next hire. There’s always the chance of another Billy Gillispie, but Kentucky needs to get back to playing for the name on front instead of the names on the back. That was not going to happen with Cal.
I’ll support whoever is the next head coach at Kentucky. I hope they’re successful. I’m well aware that next season could be difficult as the program transitions, but it must change direction. I also know that with the transfer portal, a team can be constructed pretty quickly, so there may not be a drop off at all. Only time will tell.
In the end, thanks for the memories, Cal. You brought the program out of the Gillispie era and returned Kentucky basketball back to its glory. But along the way, you forgot that your job isn’t to get players to the NBA – it’s to win in March.
As a Kentucky fan, I hope that someone can lead the program out of the Calipari era and back to glory.
