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National Media Suggests John Calipari Should Be Fired

Published

2 years ago

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UK Athletics

For a prestigious basketball program like Kentucky, missing the tournament is a disappointment, but not winning an NCAA Tournament game in five years is unacceptable. Yet, if the Wildcats miss the big dance this year, that is what they will be facing.

It does need to be said that the NCAA Tournament was canceled in the 2019-20 season, but Kentucky has suffered the worst season in program history and the worst postseason loss in the two seasons since.

Ranked in the top five in the preseason rankings, this year’s Kentucky team was expected to right the ship and make a deep run in March. However, they have been one of the biggest disappointing teams in the country and are on the verge of missing the tournament for the second time in three years.

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Joe Lunardi’s most recent Bracketology has Kentucky listed as the second team out of the NCAA Tournament. Fortunately for them, they still have an opportunity to push themselves into the field.

To close out the season, the Wildcats will have a tough six-game stretch that will consist of four – potentially five – quad-one opportunities. If they are able to grab some quality wins, they could save their season.

The first game of that stretch is a road game against Mississippi State on Wednesday, but a lot of national media platforms have already given up on the Cats and well, the Calipari era in general.

Each of the last six games deals a whole lot to Kentucky and their tournament hopes, but some national media platforms have already given up on the Cats and well, the Calipari era in general.

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Dan Wolken from USA Today stated the “$86 million marriage no longer works.” Also stated in Wolkens’ article “As Kentucky limps toward March, it’s obvious the John Calipari era needs to End,” as Kentucky has been “adrift” since the 2020-21 season, and Calipari’s coaching performances have been “fireable”.

Comparing this year’s team to Calipari’s early teams during his immediate success at Kentucky, Wolken says, “the product looks increasingly stale and unwatchable, regardless of what players he puts out on the floor,” in recent years.

Calipari hasn’t met the standard of Kentucky basketball in recent seasons and deserves criticism for those shortcomings. However, Kentucky is not the only blue-blood struggling, as Duke and North Carolina could feasibly miss the tournament this season as well.

One reason for this is that college basketball has changed drastically, both on the court and off the court, which has created a more ‘even’ playing field. Case in point, other teams in the SEC have made a point to invest more into basketball and they have caught up with Calipari, using NIL and the transfer portal.

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Wolken is not the only national media member to take this stance, as others such as Jeff Goodman and Dana O’Neil – both longtime Calipari critics – have provided similar opinions.

Let’s say that they are right and that Calipari does need to be fired, there is one major barrier, his contract buyout. With a buyout estimated at around $40 million, Calipari has one of the largest in all of sports, keeping his job safe for the time being.

Signing one of the best recruiting classes (on paper) in collegiate history for next season- which includes three top-five prospects – Calipari has shown that he can still recruit as well as anyone, but has left much to be desired with his X’s and O’s.

The Cats have their backs against the wall, but as mentioned have a lot of tough opportunistic games to improve on their tournament resume. This six-game stretch is not just an opportunity for the players to flip the narrative, but Calipari as well.

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky Basketball Players Say They Think About Winning National Championship “Every Second”

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3 days ago

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November 18, 2024

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Kentucky basketball players celebrate after their big over Duke.
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The expectations at Kentucky are the highest of any school in the country, and there is good reason why. The winningest college program ever. Eight national titles, under five different coaches. Seventeen Final Four appearances. You get it, a lot of success.

Fans want the players to have those same expectations. Despite not having the elite talent or preseason hype of great Kentucky teams past, this year’s team still has their eyes set on doing something “people will remember forever”, winning a national championship.

Asked on social media, if hanging banner #9 was all the players thought about “every second”, Ansley Almonor had a response.

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“We do.”

It takes a lot to win a national championship, including some luck, but this team is certainly going to be loved for their desire to live out their dream of playing at Kentucky and their unselfishness. Those two things can take them a long way this season .

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart Seemingly Takes Shot at John Calipari, “Anybody Can Recruit”

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5 days ago

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November 16, 2024

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Mitch Barnhart sitting next to basketball coach John Calipari.
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John Calipari and Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart had their differences over fifteen years, but success can hide a lot of things. Not that they hated each other, but they each had vastly different personalities. As that success weaned towards the end of Calipari’s tenure, those issues started to be noticed publically.

If you need evidence of that, despite their efforts to dispute it, there is the infamous press conference where Barnhart talked about “entitled” coaches, shortly after Calipari publicly called for a new practice facility. Then, there were multiple times when Calipari expressed that the administration was not on the same page and that he was facing “headwinds”.

That said, Calipari is now at Arkansas, but those differences and some disdain remain. During an interview on the Kentucky Football pregame show, Barnhart seemingly took a shot at Calipari when asked about Mark Pope’s recruiting philosophy and prioritizing fit.

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“I tell people all the time, ‘Anybody can recruit, not everybody can evaluate,’” Barnhart said. “You can recruit. You can be phenomenal at bringing people to your program. But if it does not fit you, it’s really not helpful.”

Of course, Calipari is one of the best, if not the best, recruiters in college basketball history. At times, he prioritized talent and athleticism over fit.

Quite the coincidence.

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Men's Basketball

ESPN’s Jay Williams Gives Message to Kentucky Fans, “You’re Not Going to Like It…”

Published

6 days ago

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November 15, 2024

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ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Williams gives a message to Kentucky fans after the Wildcats win over Duke. "You won't like it."
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Back in April, opposing fanbases like Duke, told Kentucky fans to “cope with Pope” following the hire of Mark Pope and the corresponding initial shock. On Tuesday, those same fanbases had to watch as Mark Pope outcoached Jon Scheyer and Duke in the final minutes of the Champion’s Classic to get his first marque win in just his third game at Kentucky.

Of course, shortly after the game, Duke fans began to rationalize the loss by highlighting their team’s youth. While true, it sounded like an echo chamber of what Kentucky fans said for years under John Calipari. One notable example was former Blue Devil Jay Williams.

At halftime, while Duke was leading 46-37, Williams called this year’s Duke team the most talented since the 2001 team that he was a part of at halftime. To his credit, he complimented Kentucky on the comeback victory, specifically on their offense and maturity, but then 36 hours later he posted a message to Kentucky fans on social media.

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“Let me put you on to something,” Williams started. “Whether you like it or not, networks are going to sell Cooper Flagg. He’s going to be the number one pick in the draft. You’re going to talk about whether he won the or whether he lost the game, regardless of the outcome.”

“You’re not going to like it. There should be more kudos to Mark Pope and Kentucky,” Williams continued. “Regardless of whether you won the game or not, they’re still going to sell Cooper Flagg because he is selling the sport. Sorry.”

William’s statement is true. That said, it comes off as ‘sour grapes’ about losing. Cooper Flagg is a great talent and will likely be the first pick in the NBA Draft, but most Kentucky fans would say they would much rather have the win than the marketing.

Futhermore, Kentucky and its ‘brand’ has raised the level of multiple players and coaches, and will continue to do so. A deeper impact than Cooper Flagg will have on Duke in just one season.

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