Jai Lucas, left, is leaving John Calipari to join Duke according to numerous reports. (Photo by Vicky Graff)
If there was one thing that Kentucky basketball fans did not need right now it is another loss to Duke.
Yet Kentucky and coach John Calipari took a significant hit from the Blue Devils today with numerous sources reporting that Jai Lucas is leaving John Calipari’s staff to become an assistant for new Duke head coach Jon Scheyer.
This move has been rumored for several weeks but it seemed like it might have died out when Lucas was recruiting for UK last week — and don’t forget he was the lead recruit for Daimion Collins, Shaedon Sharpe, Cason Wallace and Chris Livingston.
Lucas, 33, has been considered a rising star in the coaching ranks and was a huge get for Calipari when he left Texas to join Kentucky. Duke normally does not hire coaches without a connection to Duke but Scheyer is breaking that mold to add a coach like Lucas.
It’s a big PR blow to Kentucky for Lucas to leave the “gold standard” of college basketball and working for a Hall of Fame coach in Calipari to join the staff of a first-year head coach.
Duke has already been dominating Kentucky in recent head to head recruiting matchups and has five 2023 verbal commits — UK has one from Reed Sheppard.
It was a blow to UK when Kenny Payne left to join the New York Knicks and is now back as Louisville’s head coach. This is another blow and even though the hiring has not even been officially confirmed, there’s no way this was just about money because Kentucky certainly could have and would have matched any financial offer by Duke.
Calipari certainly can add a big-name hire to his staff and probably will. But the bottom line will not change — a first-year Duke coach convinced Lucas to leave Calipari and Kentucky.
14 Responses
Something else is cooking in Lexington. Kentucky may never beat Duke for a recruit for quite a long time.
Every team loses assistants all the time. Everyone Is replaceable.
That is true Jim but trends can also be a cause for concern
Where there’s smoke there is fire
Keion Brooks entering transfer portal..are things getting toxic in Lexington?
Do not think this was a surprise
Going toxic?
It’s been toxic for quite some time, and the toxicity level is growing with each new season with this fraud destroying the program.
When will the University administration step in and say enough is enough?
What’s the trend Larry? A bunch of whiney fans that think they are entitled. If I were the parent of a top player, and read all the crap being spewed on the net by fair weather fans, there is no way I would want my son to play for Kentucky. But everyone can just blame it on Cal. If Lucas is so good why isn’t he a head coach somewhere? The reason Brooks is leaving is obvious. The kid has heard all the crap he can stand. Eleven points and 5 rebounds in 27 min. pg. is not terrible. The whiners on here WISHED they had a son who could average that at Ky. Calipari is not leaving. Not this year and not next year. Being negative all the time gets you NOTHING. I think it’s pathetic.
Hope you feel better now Jim . Always been a Brooks fan myself
Jim, I been critical of Cal at times myself and I do think the pressure will be on him this season more than Joe Hall face back in 1978 due the recent collapse we have endure. I don’t blame it all on Cal , but needs to looked at the mirror and change his coaching style to today’s level his dribble and drive is out dated. It be interested how this up coming season turns out.
Sorry for the rant. As Oscar would surely say. You got to have faith no matter what. I agree I think next year needs to be special. Assuming Toppin comes back, with the others coming back along with Wallace, Livingston, and Robinson I have faith it will. Plus there could a couple of more added. Go Cats!
Keep the faith. That’s a good thing. Lot of really good pieces
There are a lot of things you can say about a fan base, good or bad, but entitled is not one of them.
It is like a restaurant owner complaining that his patrons are entitled because they think that they deserve good hot food in a timely manner just because they come in and faithfully throw all of their money in the cash register.
Say that to the customers and the owner will be serving from a hot dog stand real soon.
The fans are the customer and they are the reason that the program is the #1 Blue Blood in history. Without this fan base, the athletics department would have become Elon U. a long time ago.