Calipari, fans look beyond vacated games

Big Blue Madness stokes wildfire of expectations

By Jerry Tipton / Herald-Leader Staff Writer

Mark Cornelison | Staff

UK's John Wall greeted the crowd at Rupp Arena during Big Blue Madness. Wall's eligibility has become an issue because of his association with an AAU coach who was an agent.

When asked about being the only coach to have two Final Four appearances vacated, John Calipari tried to put that awkward distinction into perspective.

"I'm not the only coach to have games vacated," he said at the Southeastern Conference Media Day on Thursday. "And there's other coaches who won championships and had games vacated. They just didn't have them vacated that year.

"The point of this for all us coaches is we're all responsible, and I'm responsible for everything that goes on in my program. But it's hard to be accountable — or held accountable — for everything and everybody else."

Calipari recalled being an assistant at Pittsburgh and recruiting the son of a high school coach. The prospect went to another school and later was caught stealing from his teammates. How could a coach anticipate and prevent that?

Calipari acknowledged that, like it or not, coaches are held responsible. When he coached at UMass, his star player, Marcus Camby, took improper gifts from an agent. That led to UMass vacating its 1996 Final Four appearance.

The NCAA ordered Calipari's Memphis team to vacate its 2008 Final Four appearance, in part, because star guard Derrick Rose was judged to have cheated on an entrance exam. Memphis is appealing the ruling.

"Some of the rulings say we are (responsible and accountable)," Calipari said. "So you live with it. I'm not happy about it. I'm hoping the appeal is successful.

"And I'm coaching Kentucky."

At Kentucky, Calipari can easily look forward. He said fans seldom ask about the vacated Final Fours. For that, he can thank UK fans' famously myopic view of college basketball.

"These people are all excited about Kentucky basketball," he said. "They probably don't know where I coached. They just want to know how we're preparing the team.

"I tell you, they know who coached at Kentucky. They know who played at Kentucky. They may know who Derrick Rose is. I bet you they don't. I bet you none of them know Tyreke Evans' name."

Madness revisited

A walk through Rupp Arena — from the top row of the upper arena to the first row courtside during last week's Big Blue Madness — gave the impression that fans were simply happy to be there.

A few highlights:

■ Top row view.

"We're big Wildcat fans," said Heather Herrera, who sat with her husband, Carlos, on the top row of Section 320.

When asked if they regretted not bringing binoculars, Heather smiled and said, "I've got zoom on my camera."

■ The gentleman from North Carolina.

Zach May, 18, sat with his uncle, John May, on the third row from the top of Section 230. It was Zach's first time in Rupp Arena.

Zach grew up in Floyd County but now lives in North Carolina.

"Tar Heel Country," his uncle said.

To which, Zach corrected him by saying, "Tar Hole Country."

■ Great expectations.

When asked what he expected from the UK team this coming season, Zach got right to the point.

"No. 8," he said, meaning the program's eighth national championship. "That's pretty much what any Kentucky fan would expect. Great players. Great coach. You expect that No. 8."

But Zach recoiled from the suggestion that anything short of the championship, or a Final Four, would be a disappointment.

"We didn't even make the (NCAA) tournament last year," he said. "That is disappointing."

However, his uncle had more of a pass-fail mentality.

"If Kentucky does not go to the Final Four, it's not a good season," John May said. "If Kentucky goes to the championship game, that's a good season. If Kentucky wins it, that's a great season. Anything else is a bad season."

■ Less show biz, please.

In first-row seats at center court sat Rick Brizendine and Jerry Roberts, who camped out first in line outside Memorial Coliseum for Madness tickets.

Brizendine welcomed Calipari's promise of a Madness with more basketball and less pseudo show biz.

"I like the idea of more basketball and less clog dancing," he said. "I'd rather see the players than some hillbilly faction."