UK’s Calipari offers ‘feel good’ opinion about transfer Sarr playing this season
In a wide-ranging teleconference Wednesday, John Calipari spoke confidently about the NCAA clearing Olivier Sarr to play for Kentucky in the 2020-21 season. Sarr, who is seen as the sole big man for Kentucky, has been waiting — along with the Big Blue Nation — for the NCAA to waive the requirement to sit out a season as a transfer.
“I feel good about Olivier’s situation,” the UK coach said. “It’s just going through channels. . . . We’ll hear when we hear. But I feel comfortable about it.”
Name change
When asked about a UK faculty group calling for the name of Rupp Arena to be changed, Calipari said he had not heard support nor objection from former players.
Calipari said he was “all ears” in welcoming all opinions, while adding that UK leaders seek more diversity on campus.
The Minority Leadership Initiative that he’s promoted will help the perception of UK, Calipari said. “As this thing goes and grows, Kentucky is going to be the leader in what we’re doing.”
The MLI program has 75 coaches participating, Calipari said. Eighteen jobs have been posted. The hope is that there will be 36 to 50 jobs this school year, he added.
Action, not words
More than once, Calipari called for action rather than words in dealing with systemic racism and other issues. He mentioned voting as one example of action. UK players have registered to vote.
“The last piece of that will be to get some mail-in ballots,” Calipari said.
A social media posting showed the players around a table. The topic of discussion was voting.
Calipari said he was not surprised that the posting drew a mixed reaction, including sharp comments pro and con.
“We said you vote with someone who believes what you believe . . . ,” Calipari said in shaping the effort as non-partisan. “It’s me teaching my team. There are times I’ll do things I know aren’t the most popular.
“But what’s right isn’t always popular, and what’s popular isn’t always right. I’m just trying to do what I think is right.”
2020-21 details?
Calipari voiced confidence that there will be a 2020-21 season. The devil will be in the details, he said.
Calipari lamented how a late start to the season or a schedule of only conference games will hurt mid-major and historically Black schools that depend on so-called guarantee games against top-level programs to fund their athletic programs.
His son, Brad, plays for Detroit Mercy, which regularly plays seven or eight guarantee games, Calipari said.
The NBA and WNBA have given college basketball “a path that we can do” a season, Calipari said. But no “bubble” can last two or three months for college basketball, he added.
Practice update
Calipari liked what he saw in Tuesday’s UK practice.
“Reminded me of practices four or five years ago,” he said. “You’d drive and two players block the shot. . . . That kind of team makes somebody shoot jump shots. That kind of team has your shooting percentage defensively so low that you’re out running.”
Re-energized
Two staff changes sparked talk of Calipari being re-energized. James “Bruiser” Flint replaced Kenny Payne as an assistant coach and Jai Lucas is set to join the staff as a recruiting coordinator.
“What gets me going is trying to figure out a team every year,” Calipari said. “That’s what wakes me up in the morning (and) creates some fear in my heart and some anxiety. It’s what moves me.”
‘Less crazy’
Flint, who was an assistant coach for Calipari at UMass in the 1990s, said he sees a change.
“Honestly, he’s a lot less crazy than he was back in those days at UMass,” Flint said. “I know you all think he’s crazy at Kentucky, now. That’s not even close to those UMass days.”
When asked to elaborate, Flint said he saw a difference in Calipari during games.
“He sits down a little bit,” Flint said. “He never sat down at UMass.”
Flint added that he also sees a more patient Calipari in practices.
“Back then, we didn’t have all these rules” limiting practice time, Flint said. “We practiced for, like, five or six hours. Or we’d come back and have four or five practices a day.”
Brooks as leader
As an Indiana assistant, Flint recruited Kentucky’s Keion Brooks.
“Great kid,” Flint said of Brooks, who is from Fort Wayne, Ind. “One of the nicest kids you’ll ever be around. Unbelievable work ethic.”
Brooks is UK’s only returning player who played extended minutes last season.
“I don’t think he’ll have any problem taking a leadership role just because of the type of kid he is,” Flint said, “and how hard he works. And I think he wants it.”
