John Calipari is coaching the highest rated recruiting class in hoops history at Kentucky. In the preseason you saw all the Wildcats “40-0” websites, t-shirts, propaganda. No one with half a brain ever considered that to be realistic, but Tom Izzo and Michigan State made quick work of that in the Champions Classic. Still, it’s BIG BLUE; it’s Kentucky. It’s the program that dominates the first round of the NBA Draft, and the McDonald’s All-American game, year-in and year-out.
Coach Cal knows the stakes and expectations. Does he truly believe that this UK college basketball team is the most overanalyzed team in the history of sports? Not just in UK history, or basketball history, but ALL OF SPORTS. Here John Calipari explains those comments.
This was just said the other day at Kentucky media session. John Calipari on if there was anything in particular that led to his comments about being the most over-analyzed team …
“There are a lot of things I just feel like saying but what happens is, whatever I say, one, people know what my mind is, they know what I think. I don’t know how they know everything that I think.
“You know, it was funny, I leave mass this morning – and I’m praying for the team, praying for enemies and all that – so I’m leaving, a guy taps me and says, ‘I’m with you coach.’ I’m like, what?
“So I get in my car and I call DeWayne (Peevy), ‘hey DeWayne what’s out there?’ And he goes, ‘what are you paranoid?’ And I just bust out laughing, what are you talking about? What’s going on? So all I can tell you is, you throw a comment out, I don’t know, I mean was it on TV or was it on was there a lot of yelping? Guys tell me there was a lot of re-yelping. Like re-tweeting. The re-tweet yelp. So whatever, if it stirs everybody up I’m fine.”
John Calipari on if he actually thinks they are the most overanalyzed team in the history of sports …
“What I see going on is amazing, that I make a comment and it is all over the world. Worldwide. But that’s part of what playing here or coaching here is about. And let me say this, this, coaching here, I’m not saying it’s a problem. It’s not a problem for players. This has been the greatest five years of my life coaching here.
“I’m not saying it’s an issue but you all know I speak the truth. And I’ll say things, I speak the truth. But it’s funny how guys know what my mind is. Like, ‘I know what he thinks.’ Really?
“I like to talk in parables and those who understand listen and the others don’t have any idea what I’m talking about. But it’s fun, a fun thing about being here. I think it’s prepared our players and it’s taken me to the beginning of February to convince these players that every team is against us, everybody is against us, Jerry (Tipton) is against us. It’s taken me that long but you know what? You guys have helped me. They now believe it and it’s made us play better.”
The topic came up in John Calipari postgame press conference.
Q” The great amplification of this program, how much of it is the media’s fault?
John Calipari: Well, I think the President said it best. That network, you guys create it and it’s not as bad as you think. Here’s what I would say. It’s you guys here, but it’s national. It’s everywhere, and that’s why kids want to play here, but that’s what makes it hard here. Everybody has an opinion, and they write them, and then is it their opinion or their hope that they’re writing? I don’t know. You’d have to ask them.
Paul M. Banks owns The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports. An MBA and Fulbright scholar, he’s also a frequent analyst on news talk radio; with regular segments on ESPN,NBC, CBS and Fox. A former NBC Chicago and Washington Times writer, he’s also been featured on the History Channel. President Obama follows him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)