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Mitch Barnhart Issues Statement as Kentucky Begins Coaching Search

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Mitch Barnhart releases an official statement on the departure of John Calipari and the coaching search for the Kentucky Wildcats.
IMAGN/USA Today

After days of reports and updates it’s official. John Calipari will not return to coach Kentucky next season after 15 seasons in Lexington, announced on social media.

No longer handcuffed by the legalities of contracts, Kentucky can now begin their search for the next head coach. Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart has issued a statement that both gives thanks to Calipari for the last 15 years and announces they have begun working on attracting their top candidates.

“We’re appreciative of John Calipari leading our program for the last 15 years, adding to the legacy of championship success at Kentucky. We’re grateful to John for his many contributions to the University, and our state, both on and off the court.

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We are working diligently to hire a proven, highly dedicated coach who embraces the importance of this program to our fans and the state of Kentucky.”

The first three candidates Kentucky will reach out to are Dan Hurley, Billy Donovan, and Scott Drew. Money will be no obstacle in hiring either three, with Kentucky having the ability but they each have a personal reason why they could turn the offer down, which Alabama’s Nate Oats has already done.

That said, there is confidence around the program that the hire should not extend beyond one of those three. If it does, there is a step down in the candidates and that field is much broader. It will be an interesting couple of weeks.

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky Basketball Receiving High Praise in Power Rankings, High as No. 2 According to One Analyst

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The Kentucky Wildcats are the early surprise of the college basketball season, receiving high praise after a big win over Duke.
Chet White | UK Athletics

It was different to see Kentucky ranked 23rd in the preseason AP Poll, their lowest since the 2008 season. However, a week and a half into the season, they are already climbing the rankings.

Jumping to No. 19 in the AP Poll and No. 18 in the Coaches poll this week, the Wildcats will take another good jump when the updated polls are released Monday, after defeating sixth-ranked Duke in the Champion’s Classic 77-72. They will likely fall in the 11-14 range.

That said, some analysts believe Kentucky is a top 10 team, including one from CBS that has them ranked as the SECOND best team in the country.

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Let’s take a look.

CBS

2. Kentucky Wildcats (3-0)

It took all of three games for Mark Pope to capture a signature victory at Kentucky. UK outlasted No. 6 Duke on Tuesday in the Champions Classic, nailing 10 3s in the win and downing Duke despite a huge game from Blue Devils freshman phenom Cooper Flagg.

ESPN

8. Kentucky Wildcats (3-0)
Preseason ranking: 23

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At halftime during the Champions Classic, it was fair to question whether Kentucky could consistently get points in a half-court setting against a strong opponent. Duke was keeping the Wildcats out of transition, and after an early barrage of 3s, the team’s attack had dried up. Then Mark Pope made some smart tweaks offensively, using Amari Williams and Brandon Garrison as playmakers in the middle of the floor, and Andrew Carr created matchup problems. The Wildcats answered a lot of questions with their second-half showing.


If the Wildcats are able to maintain this momentum and keep themselves high in the rankings, they will truly be one of the best stories of this college basketball season. A storied program, with a new coach and an entirely new roster.

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Men's Basketball

ESPN Anchor Discredits Kentucky After Win Over Duke, “They’ve Already Peaked”

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An ESPN anchor is discrediting Kentucky after their big win against Duke. "Where does Kentucky go from here? They’ve already peaked."
Chet White | UK Athletics

The Kentucky Wildcats are coming off of a statement win against Duke. However, many of the national stories shortly after the game were about Duke and Cooper Flagg. Now one SportsCenter Host, Shae Peppler, is even discrediting the Wildcats, suggesting they’ve already peaked.

“It’s only their third game of the season,” Peppler said. “You talk about how he [Pope] totally rebuilt this roster from scratch and did it in such a short time. Now where does Kentucky go from here? They’ve already peaked, it feels like.”

To his credit, former Duke guard Jay Williams took up for the Cats quickly after they defeated his alma mater the night before. “No, no, they’re not peaking. You have a team full of veterans that know how to play.”

Mark Pope said postgame that he will be keeping the team off of social media, to prevent them from getting too high or low. This is a perfect example of why.

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In just a few weeks, the Wildcats will have another big test as they take on the fourth-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs in Seattle. They will look to prove themselves right, and prove the doubters wrong, again.

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Mark Pope Showed Team Past Kentucky-Duke Games Before Champion’s Classic Win, Help Them Understand the Rivalry

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Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope showed his players past Kentucky-Duke games to help them understand the rivalry and prepare for the Champion's Classic.
Dale Zanine | Imagn

The days of most college basketball players spending three to four seasons with one school are long gone. For years elite freshmen have entered the draft after one season, and now the most talented experienced players are jumping into the portal to spend a season or two at bigger schools.

It’s hard to fault players for these moves, looking to better themselves and their careers. However, it does make it difficult for them to understand what a program means to its fanbase, and the history behind them, such as long-standing rivalries.

Despite assembling a team of 13 new players, including nine transfers, Mark Pope is doing his best to make sure his players understand the deep traditions and storied history of Kentucky Basketball.

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Prior to the Wildcats’ game against Duke in the Champions Classic, he had a video made to not only help them understand, but to feel the Kentucky-Duke rivalry.

“We started with a little bit of a hype video and just gave our guys context,” Pope said in a postgame radio interview with Matt Jones. “The beginning of the video is a bunch of Jack Givens highlights about his National Championship against Duke. Then, of course, in the Spectrum with Christian Laettner. Then the Comeback Cats national championship in ’98. It just gave our guys a sense of the context they were walking into in this game. Our guys were very, very aware of what this means.”

From the reactions and celebration after the game, you can tell the players got the message and felt the accomplishment of giving Big Blue Nation that win.

“It’s special. This is special for Kentucky.”

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