Men's Basketball

Former Kentucky Players Speak on John Calipari and Kentucky’s Woes

Published

1 year ago

March 29, 2024

Once the most popular man in the state Kentucky, John Calipari might have become the most divisive amongst the fanbase.

Over the last week, several former Wildcats have given their opinion players on DeMarcus Cousins, Rajon Rondo, and Antoine Walker spoke out on their opinion on the current situation at Kentucky.

Demarcus Cousins and Rajon Rondo

Rondo joined Cousins on his podcast Bully Ball, where the two provided different opinions on John Calipari. Cousins, who played for Calipari’s first Kentucky team took up for his former coach. “How did we get to this place of we’re now disrespecting the guy that created the standard,” Cousins asked.

“He’s brought more positivity to this university and to this fanbase than any negativity. No matter what university, no matter what legendary coach, they all went through a dry spell of losing tournaments, not really meeting the standard for that year. It happens with every program.”

Rondo, a Kentuckian who understands the prestige of the program before Calipari, responded with, “How many (champion)ships Cal got? It’s been over a decade. It’s about what have you done for me lately. Don’t disrespect the University of Kentucky, though. It’s been one of the greatest colleges of all time way before Cal got there.”

“I don’t understand how we get to the point where our next best option is to replace this coach,” Cousins said. “I never said replace him,” Rondo responded. Cousins says UK will take a big hit financially if Calipari were to be replaced. “Everything is going down.” Rondo disagreed, saying, “It’s UK. It is the brand. It’s Duke, North Carolina.”

Not wanting him fired, what is Rondo looking for Calipari to do?

“All I’m saying is, he has to get the guys to buy in. These guys are looking at the damn draft boards every day. Mentally, it’s like, okay, I want to do what’s best for the team, but at the same time my agent is calling me, I got the NIL deal money coming in. So these are just different times that these kids are going through to buy in. …I don’t think they did that completely in understanding, okay, we need to focus on winning versus looking at the draft board. I think that starts with Cal and the staff getting them to buy into that system”

Antoine Walker

Former Wildcat Antoine Walker also spoke about John Calipari on The Zach Gelb Show, where he says he’s still all-in on Calipari.

“I’m definitely still all-in,” Walker said. “I just think we have to understand that the landscape has just changed. He’s one of the best at doing it and bringing in talent, and maximizing and making good runs. But, It’s going to be tough, because you got to play older teams with the transfer portal, and things like that. It’s gonna be tough to win it all, but I’m still all-in on Cal.”

Walker says NIL can help Kentucky a lot to to correct course. “I think so because of the NIL, because guys are now having an opportunity to make money playing. You may be able to get guys to stay two or three years now. It won’t be such an urgency to go to the NBA.”

A large number of players don’t want Calipari gone, but they understand, just as the fanbase does, that he needs to self evaluate and making changes accordingly to adapt to the current landscape of college basketball.

Men's Basketball

Jasper Johnson Makes Final U19 USA Roster Under Coach Mark Pope

Jasper Johnson has advanced in the U19 USA camp for the second time alongside the nation’s best recruits, and under Mark Pope’s wing.

Published

2 hours ago

June 20, 2025

Lane Mills

Instagram: @bruhjasperj (UK Athletics)

In a surprisingly relevant development smack dab in the middle of the offseason, Jasper Johnson has yet again advanced in the pool of players participating in the USA U19 camp.

The program, which could be a described as a sort of extension of the Team USA that just took home the gold in 2024, is comprised of some of the nation’s most anticipated talents set to take collegiate courts in the next couple of seasons.

Blue Gets In

Among them is Kentucky native and commit Johnson, and was also incoming Cat Malachi Moreno, before the latter was cut as a result of a mild injury he obtained throughout the camp’s course. Despite Moreno’s exit, his future teammate continues to impress.

Under the wing of Coach Mark Pope, who’s helmed the team in the camp up to this point, Johnson has now made the final cut after multiple roster slashes – he and only 11 other players remain in the minority that will go forward to actually compete for the team in the 2025 FIBA U19 Men’s World Cup, which will take place June 28 through July 6 in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The pre-competition camp serves not only as a trial of play before these athletes disperse to their own respective rosters this fall and next, but for Johnson, as a preview of what it’s like to play under Coach Pope. If his current success is any indicator, Kentucky fans may be in for something special when the pair tackle opposing teams together for the blue and white.

In similar noteworthy news, also attending the event are Taylen Kinney and Tyran Stokes, two Kentucky-born athletes with ties to Kentucky that the program is heavily recruiting. Jasper’s strong performance, combined with Coach Pope’s presence, can only help the Wildcats’ chances on that front, too.

To say the least, Mark Pope has found a way to facilitate Kentucky’s influence far beyond the boundaries of Lexington. He and Johnson, for the time being, will continue to press turn heads on the national stage, and it’s very likely that fans aren’t the only ones paying attention.

Men's Basketball

Archie Goodwin and Kahlil Whitney Set to Join La Familia This Summer

La Familia continues to add more firepower to the 2025 roster.

Published

1 day ago

June 19, 2025

Kai McClelland

James Crisp (Left), Adam Hunger (Right) | Associated Press

As the start of the 2025 TBT Tournament inches closer, La Familia has been slowly but surely adding star Wildcats to the roster.

Usually, we see announcements for new additions to the squad roll out on social media in some form, whether it be a post from La Familia’s official accounts or in form of Ansley Almonor’s announcement, which took place on BBN Tonight.

However, this time, Archie Goodwin and Kahlil “The Dragon” Whitney were added to the roster on the TBT website without any announcement, surprising Big Blue Nation as the news leaked and began to circulate.

They were removed from the website afterwards, but as of Thursday, June 19, appear on the website as listed members of the roster.

Goodwin has been an active member for years, highlighted by his semifinals appearance last year where he averaged 13.8 points per game en route.

Whitney is a name that may cause some to shed a tear, with so much potential surrounding the former five-star leading up to his debut. Ultimately, he left the program after appearing in just 18 games for Kentucky.

La Familia is competitive as all get out, shown by chippy play with guys who have nothing to lose but everything to win for the place they call home. Goodwin and Whitney, now added to that list of guys, will look to redeem themselves with one goal in mind. Win.

The official La Familia roster as of June 19:

– Willie Cauley-Stein (2012-15)

– Doron Lamb (2010-12)

– DeAndre Liggins (2008-11)

– Aaron Harrison (2013-15)

– Andrew Harrison (2013-15)

– Ansley Almonor (2024-25)

– Archie Goodwin (2012-13)

– Kahlil Whitney (2019-20)

Men's Basketball

Former Kentucky Star, 10-year NBA Veteran Eric Bledsoe Arrested and Charged with Felony Domestic Violence

Published

1 day ago

June 19, 2025

Tristan Pharis

Former Kentucky guard Eric Bledsoe has been arrested and charged with felony domestic violence.

Scott Utterback | Courier Journal

Eric Bledsoe, a key part of the 2009-10 Kentucky team that reinvigorated the Big Blue Nation following the Billy Gillispie era, was arrested on Wednesday morning.

According to reports, the California Highway Patrol investigated a report of domestic violence. The investigators were led to a gas station on a Los Angeles-area freeway where they discovered Bledsoe with a woman who was suffering from “bruising and swelling” to her face, and who said that Bledsoe allegedly hit her. Bledsoe was booked on a felony domestic violence charge and held on $55,000 bail.

Bledsoe was previously arrested on a similar charge back in 2022, but that case was later dropped when prosecutors said the alleged victim gave “inconsistent statements about whether there was a physical altercation.”

Bledsoe was part of Kentucky’s La Familia team last year in the TBT, and was announced to return again this season.