Father-son game: A homecoming for Brad Calipari on next season’s Kentucky schedule
Kentucky announced three more games on its 2020-21 basketball schedule Monday. In one of them, UK will play Detroit Mercy on Nov. 13.
Of course, it would have been fitting to play the game on Father’s Day. Brad Calipari, the son of UK Coach John Calipari, plays for Detroit Mercy.
After being on Kentucky’s teams for three seasons (two as a seldom-used walk-on and the third as a redshirt player), the younger Calipari transferred to Detroit Mercy last year. He played in 27 games (which matched the number of games he played for UK). He made 38 percent of his three-point shots while averaging 6.1 points and 20.2 minutes.
Detroit Mercy Coach Mike Davis said that the younger Calipari’s shooting could help lessen the defensive attention opposing defenses paid to the team’s point guard, Antoine Davis. The younger Davis, who is the coach’s son, has averaged 26.1 points and 24.3 points in the last two seasons.
Detroit Mercy had an 8-23 record last season.
The UK head coach joked on Twitter that he’ll have a special defense waiting for his son — if Brad’s mom will allow it.
“(Brad) better be ready for a box-and-one! No, better yet, triangle-and-two. Both guys guarding him!!!” John Calipari tweeted. “Ellen might ask for a box-and-none!!!
The Kentucky-Detroit Mercy game will not be the first time a father-versus-son subplot arises in UK basketball history.
When Tubby Smith was coach, Kentucky played four games against Georgia teams that featured his son, G.G. Smith, as a guard. UK won all four games.
The game against Detroit Mercy will be part of what Kentucky is calling the “Bluegrass Showcase.” The other two games similarly labeled were announced for the first time on Monday. UK will play Hartford on Nov. 17 and Richmond on Nov. 23.
Hartford had a 16-15 record last season. In the only other game between the schools, Kentucky won 104-61 on Dec. 29, 2009. That equaled the seventh-most points scored by a UK team in John Calipari’s 11 seasons as coach.
Richmond had a 24-7 record last season. In the final NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) ratings, the Spiders were ranked No. 38. Only four Southeastern Conference teams had a better NET: Kentucky (21), Auburn (27), LSU (28) and Florida (29).
How formidable an opponent Richmond might be will be determined later this spring. The team’s top three scorers have entered this year’s NBA Draft: Blake Francis (17.7 ppg), Grant Golden (13.4 ppg) and Jacob Gilyard (12.7).
In addition to the scoring, Gilyard led the team in assists (5.8 apg) while Golden led the team in rebounding (6.9 rpg).
Earlier this spring, Kentucky announced six other games on the 2020-21 schedule. That included two home games (Nov. 20 against Georgia State and Nov. 30 against Cleveland State) and four games at neutral sites (Nov. 10 against Kansas in Chicago, Nov. 27 against Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Dec. 6 against Michigan in London and Dec. 19 against UCLA at a site not yet announced).
As has become customary during the one-and-done era, Kentucky is expected to be dependent on freshmen next season. Eight of last season’s nine leading scorers have departed. In that group, only Keion Brooks (4.5 ppg and 3.2 rpg) returns.
Kentucky also added graduate transfer Davion Mintz from Creighton. Jacob Toppin, who played last season as a freshman for Rhode Island, also transferred to UK.
Kentucky will be buoyed by what is generally considered the nation’s best incoming class of freshmen.
2020-21 UK schedule
Opponents with confirmed dates as of this week (Home games in all capital letters, except for UCLA):
Nov. 10: Kansas-1
Nov. 13: DETROIT MERCY-2
Nov. 17: HARTFORD-2
Nov. 20: GEORGIA STATE
Nov. 23: RICHMOND-2
Nov. 27: Georgia Tech-3
Nov. 30: CLEVELAND STATE
Dec. 6: Michigan-4
Dec. 19: UCLA-5
1-Champions Classic at United Center in Chicago; 2-Bluegrass Showcase; 3-Holiday Hoopsgiving at State Farm Arena in Atlanta; 4-Basketball Hall of Fame Showcase at The O2 Arena in London, England; 5-CBS Sports Classic at location TBA.
