How good is John Calipari

[upinya83]

How good of a coach is this guy? How much credit should he get for Kentucky's turnaround? Remember where this program was 1 year ago? He's obviously a hell of a recruiter, how good of a coach is he? Is he a cheater? Where does he rank among coaches today?

[Dr. Jack]

He's a great coach that likes to win at all costs. I don't think he's a cheater but he doesn't usually leave program in good shape. He definitely deserves a lot of credit for what he's done at Kentucky.

Oh and Dick Vitale loves him & let's you know over and over again that he's never been personally found guilty of any NCAA infraction (but teams sure have)

[WildKat]

HMMMMM Great question He should get all the credit for a quick turn around....Kids like to run that style of play, plus they like the fact that he has had success with kids going pro after a year. You bring in 2-3 all stars, return of Patterson, some experienced players and not the toughest conference and you have a great chance of success. Cheater? I think he prob has looked the other way a time or two, but prob has not directly been involved......If he stays at UK, he should have a chance to win it all every year...If he stays clean, he wins 2 titles every 10 years......

[upinya83]

As far as the cheater question goes, I think he's finally at a program where he doesn't have to "bend the rules" to get the 5 star recruits anymore, so maybe those days are behind him.

[ZoomVT]

ups is so sharp.

yes he should get the credit, unfortunately.

[Cardiac Kid]

great article from 2008

Cheater!
Aug.27, 2008

Seriously, you tell me who is dirtier in all of College Sports than John Calipari? He took Memphis from a college hoops after-thought to a school who is competing with the UCLA’s, the Kansas’s, and UNC’s, and the Duke’s of the world for every top recruit coming out of high school. He snags Derrick Rose last year. This year its the talented and troubled Tyreke Evans. Cal loves the one and done guys who have no intention of being students. Maybe I’m being a little hypocritical, I mean, who wouldn’t have taken one year of Derrick Rose (other than old man Lute “I’m done with the one year guys” Olson)?But the stench of the dirt and the grease from Coach Cal’s hair can be smelled all the way to Alaska. The man who hired Milt Wagner as an assistant coach to lure his all-american son and future NBA injury bust Dajuan Wagner (I called Boobie Gibson the next Dajuan Wagner in my pre-draft analysis) to his program is at it again.

The worst kept secret in college basketball is the man they call Worldwide Wes, William Wesley, is in Calipari’s hip pocket. Wes is tied into all of the major players in high school, college, and pro hoops, from Tyreke Evans (Cal’s latest big score) to Lebron James. He was the guy who steered Rose to Memphis. Wes has been labeled as perhaps the most powerful man in sports that nobody knows about. Click on the link above for one of the most interesting reads of the year. GQ’s piece on Wesley and how everyone loves him and nobody knows what he does or talks about him. He is that dialed in.

Next we heard the story of top 2009 recruit Abdul Gaddy, who’s mom is a Fed-Ex employee in Tacoma, Washington. She happened to get a call one day in her office from Fed-Ex CEO David Bronczek, also known as a top Memphis Basketball Booster. Coincidence? We don’t think so. The NCAA has decided to look into this one. Smartly, Gaddy has dropped Memphis from his list.

Now we have the latest, and smartest move by Calipari and his staff. C.J. Henry, a former two-sport high school athlete from Putnam City, Oklahoma, He can afford to be a walk-on because as a former first-round pick of the New York Yankees has decided to table this minor league baseball career and become a walk-on at Memphis this fall. Henry can afford to do this because as a part of his first contract, the Yankees are forced to pay his college tuition if he decided to go back to school.

C.J. originally committed to Kansas out of high school, before choosing to enter the minors. Seems good right, even better for the Tigers when you consider that C.J.’s younger brother Xavier is the #3 player in the class of 2009 and has Memphis and Kansas atop his list. “He’s going to make his own decision like I did,” C.J. said. “I didn’t even talk to him about it but I asked him if it’s cool if I went to Memphis. It’s 50-50, that he goes to the same school and I’m even still there.”

Call it crying over spilled milk from a Kansas fan. Hey, I am a graduate of the same University that hired Ed Manning as an assistant to lure his son Danny, and Ronnie Chalmers as Director of Basketball operations to lure his son Mario. Both of those worked out pretty well I’d say. That is not even to mention the moves made around the country these days, like Baylor hiring #1 recruit John Wall’s AAU coach as the “director of player development” and last year’s ridiculous $300,000 contract given to Dalonte Hill, a two year college assistant, and former AAU coach of Michael Beasley. Magically, Beasley ended up at K-State.

But keep in mind that the Henry’s parents both went to Kansas and Xavier was at one point considered a strong Kansas lean. On the other hand, I have to give Calipari credit. He is doing everything he can within the rules to make his program better. It’s just amazing to me that in seemingly the snap of a finger, he has taken this program from an after-thought to a must-visit school for top recruits. “The opportunity to win a national championship this year,” said Henry of why he chose Memphis. “Coach Cal has a great track record of getting guys to the next level.”

Let us dissect that quickly.

“The opportunity to win a national championship this year.” - Memphis has lost its best three players in Derrick Rose, Chris Douglas-Roberts, and Joey Dorsey. They did add ball-hog extraordinaire and Cal’s next one and done guy in Evans. They also return role players Antonio Anderson, Robert Dozier, and Shawn Taggert. Far from National Championship caliber.

“Coach Cal has a great track record of getting guys to the next level.” - Marcus Camby was Calipari’s first great big man. He developed nicely at UMass and is a solid NBA veteran. Other than Lou Roe’s cup of coffee with the Pistons, that was it for his UMass guys.

Rose would be in the league, Cal or no-Cal. Out of high school scouts drooled over him. CDR definitely flourished under Calipari’s tutelage, but he was a second round pick who may be D-League bound. (we do love CDR’s game by the way). Wagner was one and done and derailed in the NBA by his lack of PG skills, size, and injuries.

How is Shawne Williams, another one and done bum from that program, doing on the NBA thus far? The kid hasn’t been able to stay out of trouble or on the floor, so much so that Pacers GM Larry Bird famously said of Williams this summer ” we are extremely upset and hugely disappointed he once again has put himself in a position that jeopardizes Shawne’s future as a member of the Indiana Pacers. He is on thin ice with us.” How about Darrius Washington? How’s that NBA career coming?

Am I forgetting anyone?

Regardless, Calipari does deserve credit for building this program back up from the dead (and the Dana Kirk/Larry Finch eras). Memphis is relevant again and into the elite, despite being in a non-BCS conference.

He just seemingly couldn’t be any dirtier if he tried.

[upinya83]

good article - i think now that he's at kentucky, he can get pretty much any player he wants, and can do without some of the BS he's used to recruit in the past.

Plus, the guy can talk - after hearing 5 minute interviews with him I'm sometimes ready to sign a letter of intent

[Thunder]

It's guys like Vitale that go silent when these cheaters are truly exposed. Same can be said for so many sports writers, managers and owners in baseball. We knew it was going on but turned a blind eye. That doesn't make it ok.

IMO Calipari is a phenomenal recruiter/BS'er. He's a pretty good coach but not in the top 5. And his ethics speak for themselves.

[skrilla]

he's insanely good. best recruiter in college basketball at the moment.

[Dr. Jack]

Originally Posted by Thunder

It's guys like Vitale that go silent when these cheaters are truly exposed. Same can be said for so many sports writers, managers and owners in baseball. We knew it was going on but turned a blind eye. That doesn't make it ok.

IMO Calipari is a phenomenal recruiter/BS'er. He's a pretty good coach but not in the top 5. And his ethics speak for themselves.

Just curious are you talking active and if yes, who do you have above him?

[be47320]

this team is your 2010 natl champs, this is not over reaction to their hot start tonight...when they try they are easily the best team in the country, i honestly cant see them getting knocked off come tourny time