Calipari readies Cats for White House
Kentucky coach John Calipari wasn’t surprised when the Wildcats received an invitation to attend the White House.
“The amazing thing is the first thing that was said when the horn sounded in New Orleans was, ‘We’re going to the White House!’”
President Barack Obama will greet the NCAA national champions at 4:50 p.m. Friday in Washington.
“It’s one of those moments for these players that they have probably thought about without us even knowing that it was important to them. So I’m excited about the opportunity for them to meet the President of the United States, the Leader of the Free World and someone who is trying to make a difference in their lives.”
Happy Osborne set to return to Bluegrass
All signs point toward former Georgetown College men’s basketball coach Happy Osborne returning to Kentucky.
Osborne is expected to be named boys basketball coach at Montgomery County High School this week. He replaces Tony Wise, who was dismissed after one season at the helm earlier this spring.
“It’s not rumblings, but it’s a fact,” Clark boys basketball Scott Humphrey said. “The state is known for great high school basketball, the 10th Region in particular. The 10th Region is a special place. It has a lot of passion with communities that care about basketball and he’ll just add to that excitement.”
The 10th Region is no stranger to hiring former college coaches. The late Lake Kelly, a former assistant coach at the University of Kentucky and head coach at Austin Peay State University, coached at Clark for a period of time in the 1970s and 1980s, while Guy Strong, also served two stints as boys coach at George Rogers Clark High School.
UK Football: Joker likes his team’s attitude
I spent some time this week with Kentucky football coach Joker Phillips, offensive coordinator Randy Sanders and defensive coordinator Rick Minter at the Nutter Training Facility.
All three coaches agreed the team is going to be young this season, but all three acknowledged that the team has talent, too. Phillips especially likes the team’s attitude behind the scenes and the following is what he had to say during his 15-minute session.
“I like our locker room,” he said. “I really like what we have in the locker room and it’s taken us a while to get the locker room right. It’s been since 2007 that we’ve had the locker room totally right. Sometimes (getting the locker room) right comes with deletions. It comes with additions, too.
“We’ve added some guys to our team we think have strong leadership (abilities). I really like the chemistry and attitude of this football team.”
New athletics director inspires Tubby Smith
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — As Virginia Commonwealth’s athletic director, Norwood Teague helped raise money for a new $10 million practice facility, saw the Rams reach the Final Four for the first time in program history and persuaded sought-after coach Shaka Smart to stay put.
That’s a lot of success at a mid-major school, or any place for that matter. Well, Teague will have to keep up the hard work at Minnesota: There are plenty of men’s basketball issues that need his attention.
First, there is the contract status of head coach and former Kentucky head man Tubby Smith, who hasn’t won an NCAA tournament game here and is 38-52 in the Big Ten over five seasons. Smith has two years remaining on his original deal, which pays him $1.8 million annually, and representatives for the school and Smith have not reached agreement on an extension, which was first broached after last season.
Then there is the lack of a specific practice facility.
“We’re in the Big Ten, and we’ve got to have facilities that are Big Ten facilities,” Teague said. “So in the next years to come, it’s going to be important that we raise money.”
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UK Basketball: What if. …
We’re turning back the clock, say to 1982. John Calipari is the coach at Kentucky and the one-and-done phenomenon has yet to catch on in the collegiate ranks. Players are staying for the four-year duration, with the exception of a handful of juniors.
What would Kentucky’s roster look like going into next season?
The senior class would be composed of John Wall, Demarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe and Daniel Orton, all of whom were first-round draft picks in the 2010 NBA Draft.
The junior class would feature Brandon Knight, Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb. Like the senior class, the sophomore class would be loaded with Anthony Davis, Marquis Teague, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Kyle Wiltjer.
Talk about domination. Of course that’s just on paper and a what-if scenario. In reality, that just shows the success Calipari and his staff enjoy on the recruiting trail.
It’s recruit, release and reload.
Calipari: Noel a work in progress
Kentucky coach John Calipari and his staff received Nerlens Noel’s letter-of-intent Thursday.
The team’s fourth signee is a 6-foot-10 forward and played for Tilton (N.H.) last season and is slated to be the Wildcats’ inside replacement for Anthony Davis, who declared for the NBA Draft earlier this week. Noel averaged 12.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.9 blocks a game last season. He competed in the Jordan Brand Classic and is a finalist for the Naismith High School Boys Player of the Year. Noel also is the top-rated player in the nation by several recruiting outlets, including ESPNU Recruiting, Rivals and Scout.com.
“I’ve been blessed three times in my career to have a player that can change the game without really scoring with Marcus Camby, Anthony Davis and now Nerlens Noel,” Calipari said. “I will tell you that Nerlens, just like Anthony, is not a finished product. He’s got a lot of work to do and we have a lot of work to do to get him to where I think he’s capable of being, but he is a special player who I am ecstatic to have an opportunity to work with.”
Noel will join Willie Cauley-Stein, Archie Goodwin and Alex Poythress as incoming freshmen on this year’s team.
“As we recruit, just like last year, it’s like piecing together a young group that will play off one another,” Calipari said. “The four that we’ve now signed will all play off one another. They’re all great kids who have a desire to win, have terrific talent and who all complement each other.”
The spring signing period ends May 16.
Pat Summitt elevated women’s basketball
Women’s college basketball will never be the same again. Tennessee coach Pat Summitt stepped down Wednesday, leaving a void not only in the Lady Vols’ program, but women’s college basketball in general. Summitt had a big hand in building the women’s program at Tennessee and played a big role in the elevation of women’s college basketball in general. She is the all-time winningest coach – men or women – and leaves the sidelines as one of the most respected and successful coaches of all-time. She will be around the Tennessee program as coach emeritus, but it won’t be the same ever again. Her impact in women’s college basketball mirrors the success the late John Wooden had at UCLA.
Kentucky women’s basketball coach Matthew Mitchell offered his thoughts after hearing of Summitt’s resignation.
“I want to thank Pat Summitt for all she has done for the sport of women’s basketball. Her 1,098 wins, eight national titles and numerous conference titles are just a few of her staggering statistics and accomplishments. What I think is more important about Pat Summitt than her impressive statistics, is the millions of people she has and continues to inspire. She motivated so many people during her 38 years to accomplish their dreams.
“Words can never express adequately how much gratitude I personally have for Coach Summitt. I am living a dream, coaching at Kentucky, because she gave me an opportunity to learn from her many years ago. Jenna and I will continue to support the Pat Summitt Foundation and Coach Summitt’s effort to bring awareness to this disease that she is so courageously fighting. I wish coach Summitt nothing but the very best as she starts the next chapter in her very impactful life. I love her very much.”
UK Basketball: Departing starting five forever connected to Kentucky
Kentucky’s starting five consisting of Anthony Davis, Marquis Teague, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Terrence Jones and Anthony Jones declared for the NBA Draft Tuesday night. Although the five players will never play another game in a Kentucky uniform, they will forever be a Wildcat.
Kentucky coach John Calipari touched on that point during a press conference Tuesday night at the Joe Craft Center in Lexington.
“They’re all going to come back and get their degree and they all will have that opportunity,” Calipari said. “These players are connected to our fans, just like past players, they’re connected to this university and they’ll come back.”
They indeed left a mark, compiling a 38-2 record, complete with the school’s eighth national championship.
Taylor’s thoughts: Starting five arrived as individuals, left as a team.
A look back: How UK teams have fared after winning the NCAA title
Kentucky has already been tabbed as one of four top seeds in next year’s NCAA Tournament. Of course it’s really too early to tell if the Wildcats will repeat, considering what will likely be a mass exodus of five underclassmen who will declare for the NBA Draft possibly as early as this week. Here’s a look back at how the Wildcats fared the following season after winning the national championship the previous year:
1999: The Wildcats finished 28-9 and lost to Michigan State in the Midwest Region finals in St. Louis.
1997: Kentucky ended the Rick Pitino era as national runner-up after losing to Arizona 84-79 in overtime. The Wildcats finished with a remarkable 35-5 record, including a 13-3 record in the Southeastern Conference.
1979: Kentucky struggled to a 19-12 record and went 10-8 in the SEC. Kentucky lost to Clemson 68-67 in the opening round of the NIT.
1959: Kentucky recorded a 24-3 record, but lost to Louisville 76-61 in the NCAA Tournament in Evanston, Illinois. Kentucky beat Marquette in a consolation game.
1952: The Wildcats went 29-3 and posted a perfect 14-0 record in the SEC. Kentucky lost to St. John’s in the second round of the NCAA Tournament and defeated Penn State in a consolation game.
1950: UK finished with a 25-5 record in the team’s last season at Alumni Gym. Kentucky won the Sugar Bowl and lost to College of New York in the opening round of the NIT.
1949: Kentucky scored a repeat as national champion with a 32-2 record and a perfect 13-0 mark against conference foes. The Wildcats defeated Oklahoma State to win the second of eight national championships.
Trophy Tour another creative strategy by Calipari
Photo by Steve LeMaster/Floyd County Times
Less than 24 hours are Calipari landed heralded prep star Nerlens Noel, the Kentucky coach was touring the state with the NCAA Championship Trophy in hand, giving Big Blue Nation a chance to get a glimpse of the school’s eighth national championship trophy.
Calipari knows how important Kentucky basketball is in this state and isn’t afraid to try new things, especially for the fans from one end of the state to another. The trophy tour, which began today and concludes Friday, is Calipari’s latest creative idea. Not many coaches would take the time to meet and greet fans and let them get up close and personal with the coach and the trophy.
The Kentucky coach deserves a pat on the back for taking the time out of his schedule to meet and greet followers from all walks of life in the Bluegrass.