Daimion Collins (UK Athletics Photo)
John Calipari didn’t waste any time meeting with his players after they got back to Lexington following the season-ending loss to Saint Peter’s in the NCAA Tournament in Indianapolis last week. It’s normal procedure for Calipari to do that after the season ends to check on players as well as discuss their futures.
Calipari confirmed on his radio show Monday that he had met with freshman forward Daimion Collins and his parents. Earlier a report had surfaced that Collins had decided to stay at UK for his sophomore season.
“Some of the kids have decisions to test the (NBA) water. My advice to a couple of them were you need to test the waters but let’s talk about what you’re looking for so there’s a plan of where they are and what opportunities they’re looking for which would make them leave or come back,” Calipari said on his radio show.
“So we’ve had those talks. We had talks with guys that are coming back about where they need to go with this. What holds them back from being that guy.”
Calipari not did say what players were coming back but he made it obvious he was glad to have Collins —who did not play against Saint Peter’s — coming back.
“I think he becomes one of the best players in the country. The things he does normal players can’t do,” Calipari said. “His mom and dad were so good all year because it had to be frustrating.
“I coached my son. He’s not playing, you get frustrated. You want him to play. But how they dealt with it and dealt with their son is unbelievable. And how he dealt with it. Every day the kid had a smile.
“And I said, ‘You have to get stronger. You have to be more consistent. You have to play like you’re a guard. You’re 6-9, you can do both.’ I look at him as one of the cornerstones of what will be this team.”
4 Responses
Very strange there are no comments.
Kid can leap.
I thought he and Toppin both should have been played in the st Peter’s game. Along with Oscar..3 freak athletes that st Peter’s definitely couldn’t counter.
This “thing” of Calipari hating on Kentucky kids has gone way toooo far. What happened to UK coaches like Joe B & Rupp who always would take the Kentucky & Indiana Mr Basketball? And, of course, ALWAYS ended up with the BEST shooters in the nation? Has Calipari done an adequate job of “hating on “ Dontaie yet? The shortest leash I’ve EVER seen on a pure shooter with Calipari ALWAYS looking for excuses NOT to play Dontaie. Dontaie could easily end up like Juzang. At UK, Cal had us believing Juzang was ONLY a perimeter shooter. Now we know: Juzang is also a slasher/slicer. Calipari screwed Juzang the same way he tried to destroy Dontaie. Pure shooters/scorers MUST have AT LEAST a medium leash! And, hey it’s OK to set a few picks to get your best shooters open; like Rupp did for Dampier & Joe B did for Macey, Grevey, Masters, and Givens. At what point will the Kentucky media wake up to Cal’s hatred of the talent right there in Kentucky…like Dontaie? How much more will Kentucky fans tolerate?
One “other significant thing”: Calipari, to my knowledge, has taken only Brooks and Dontaie from Kentucky & Indiana the last 10 years. No Ohio players that I know of. It wasn’t but about 12 years ago that EVERY center on Notre Dame, UNC, Duke, and IU were from only 2 Indiana families: Zellers and Plumlees. So, go ahead Cal, hate on Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana kids; u are sitting in the nation’s hotbed of basketball, but don’t have a clue. Avoid Indiana, Kentucky, & Ohio players…at your own risk, Cal. FYI: Dontaie’s high school played LARGE schools when Dontaie was there. He was boxed & 1 every game and still averaged 42/game until the injury his senior year. Could Wheeler do that? How about Boston Junior? U know the answer to that. Hey UK fans, have you got a pulse? Just when are u going to wake up and say something?