John Calipiari didn't have a roster Tuesday that could beat Ole Miss and coach Kermit Davis. (SEC Photo)
ESPN analyst Jimmy Dykes said during Tuesday’s Kentucky-Ole Miss game that he had known UK coach John Calipari a long time and didn’t think this year’s losing record was any kind of a “trend” for Calipari or the Wildcats. However, he did say the offseason was crucial and indicated “changes will be made in the roster” to where he might bring in seven or eight new players again.
“He will not miss on, ‘Are you a fighter, are you tough, are you a worker, do you have some dog in you,'” Dykes said. “Cal will learn from it and will be better for it. You have to get it fixed with recruiting and make sure you are going after that right guy or two.
“I think this will be the year that changes what he does going forward. Next year’s roster has to look different.”
Dykes spent a lot of time talking with ESPN’s Karl Ravech during the game — something that irritated UK fans when he went on and on about UK’s then 8-14 record that turned into 8-15 with another loss.
“He’s averaged 31 wins a year over the past 15 years prior to this season; he’s a Hall of Fame coach. But he knows 8-14 isn’t acceptable. And this is … there’s no guarantee at Kentucky. The only guarantee at Kentucky is, the expectations that you’re supposed to win and the pressure that you feel,” Dykes said.
He correctly noted that other marquee programs are struggling and “there’s no guarantee you’re going to win because you’re a blue blood” as UK has learned this season.
“So specifically for Kentucky right now, what they do going forward, John Calipari has been caught without a guard that can break you down,” Dykes continued. “Let me put that in a little bit bigger perspective: that’s like (North Carolina’s) Roy Williams being caught without bigs that can run, (Gonzaga’s) Mark Few being caught without skill at all five positions offensively,(Alabama’s) Nate Oats being caught without shooters. That’s who John Calipari has always been; he does not have that guard this year. ”
Dykes said the only way to fix that is roster management that can bring a John Wall or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to run the point — the type of dominant point guard UK does not have this year.
“I don’t know what they have coming in (next year). I know they have a good point guard (Nolan Hickman Jr.) coming in, but that has to get fixed and it only gets fixed in recruiting. Cal got caught without the one guy that he’s always had,” Dykes, a former UK assistant coach under Eddie Sutton, said.
Dykes also was not bashful saying that UK “missed” on landing an elite freshman player this year and rattled off several big-time players who would have made a substantial difference on UK’s roster.
“There’s only five or six guys a year I think that come from high school to college that can change your program. Kentucky does not have that guy this year,” Dykes said. “They thought they did and rankings backed it up (with Terrence Clarke and BJ Boston), but it didn’t play out.”
Then Dykes added something really interesting about transfers Davion Mintz, Olivier Sarr, and Jacob Toppin.
“The transfers that have come in, I’m not sure they have the DNA that Calipari really needs from this group right now. Old leads your team. That voice leads your team more than any other voice. And I’m not sure it’s that rough, tough, dogfight style that they got out of Mintz and particularly Sarr this year that I think has also been a little bit of an issue,” Dykes said
