London tour stop shows just how popular UK basketball remains

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My grandson, Colby, loved getting a picture and autograph from coach John Calipari Wednesday in London. (Larry Vaught Photo)

LONDON — Taking my 10-year-old grandson, Colby, to London Wednesday for the autograph tour that Kentucky coach John Calipari put together with Kroger to benefit tornado victims in western Kentucky was a great reminder of just how popular Kentucky basketball remains.

Sure, Kentucky missed the 2021 NCAA Tournament and then went out in the first round of the 2022 NCAA but standing in line for 90 minutes waiting with my grandson so he could get photos with UK coaches and players along with Calipari’s autograph let me interact with a lot of fans of all ages.

John Calipari didn’t take long to find UK fan Myles Bell once he got to London Wednesday. (Larry Vaught Photo)

These fans have not lost faith in Calipari or the Cats. They believe Kentucky is headed for a banner year and also love the way he’s recruiting the 2023 class. Obviously, with North Laurel star Reed Sheppard already part of the 2023 class, fans here knew plenty about recruiting.

I watched one fan arrive with two basketballs for Calipari to sign when he heard a young boy’s mother tell him she was sorry she forgot to bring his basketball. The man gave the boy one of the basketballs he had just bought. No fanfare. No hidden motive. Just a man helping a young UK fan because he felt it was the right thing to do.

There was also a program for fans to sign. Calipari plans to use the rolled-up program at games again this year as a tribute to the late UK coach Joe B. Hall and watching fans sign the program — or explain to children what the program was all about — was touching.

This young Kentucky fan came to see John Calipari but had on a jersey honoring nearby Knox Central junior Gavin Chadwell, who has a UK football offer. (Larry Vaught Photo)

Calipari was great with the fans, too. After he arrived he promised those in line he would stay to make sure everyone got an autograph and players Cason Wallace, Chris Livingston and Brennan Canada would also along with assistant coaches Orlando Antigua and KT Turner.

He kept his word just like he did Tuesday in Louisville when he stayed an extra hour signing autographs. Calipari and crew stayed about an extra hour again in London.

Wallace and Livingston were getting their first real look at the Big Blue Nation.

“You hear about Kentucky fans but seeing this today is unbelievable,” Wallace said.

He was smiling and joking with fans from start to finish.

“I love them,” he said.

Griffin Phillips Ryan is a huge UK fan — her honeymoon a few years ago was to see UK in the Citrus Bowl — and she brought her 5-month-old daughter, Campbell, and husband, Sean, to meet John Calipari and his players Wednesday. (Larry Vaught Photo)

The feeling is mutual for Rev. Griffin Ryan Phillips of London. She was there with her husband and 5-month-old daughter waiting in line for about 90 minutes. She joked she told her husband if the baby got fussy, he could take her home but she was staying. I believed her because a few years ago her honeymoon was a trip to see Kentucky play in the Citrus Bowl.

“No way was I missing this,” she said.

Same for Myles Bell of Danville, who came with his mother and aunt to get a basketball autographed for his Kentucky room. He’s a “special” UK fan who loves following the Cats and has written Calipari. The UK coach spotted him when he first arrived and brought him inside for the first autograph.

My grandson can be a bit impatient but he was perfect in the long line waiting to see the players and Calipari. He asked a lot of questions and also intently listened as fans talked with me. He really liked Antigua and Wallace — along with the 1978 and 2012 national championship trophies and Oscar Tshiebwe’s John Wooden Award from last season.

Kudos to Kroger, too, for great organization and keep the line moving smoothly and orderly. Kroger employees were all smiles and also handed out bottles of water to offset the heat.

But the best thing was seeing so many fans who either brought gift cards to be sent to western Kentucky tornado victims or who either made a cash donation or bought a gift card when they were in line. Calipari personally thanked each person who left a card or cash.

I’ve always been a believe that UK basketball needed to connect with fans in better ways and this is a perfect way to do that. It was a long day for Calipari, his assistants and his players — I would guess at least six hours for travel and time in London — but no one complained.

I also told Wallace that probably most of the folks at Kroger Wednesday would not have a chance to attend a game at Rupp Arena.

“And they still showed up like this?” Wallace said. “That means a lot and just shows how much love they have for us.”

6 Responses

  1. Kentucky is eat up with basketball, and rightly so. Calipari is still a big name and big draw across the Commonwealth, but he has his work cut out for him going forward. Many fans want to see No. 9 very soon, and are growing more impatient with our HOF coach every year that a title eludes the big blue. No more 1st round NCAA losses to 15 seeds. Can he X & O in 2022-23? Calipari, it appears, has a "boatload" of talent. We shall see. He can spin with the best, and that’s a given. This tour was for a good cause, no doubt about that…. credit Coach, but much of this tour was about restoring Cal’s image with the BBN if we are honest.

    All that said, It’s FOOTBALL time in the "Bluegrass" anyway….Go Cats!!!!!! Football is rising under Coach Stoops in the football crazy SEC, but UK needs more big time recruiting news from his staff about now, a lot more in this 2023 class for sure. Coaches, where y’all at? Better get a "collective" in place with NIL money, and cheat like all the big shot teams are doing in the SEC, and everywhere else or get crushed in the future. These so called "big shots" in college athletics today allowing this "pay for play" crap have ruined college sports IMO. It’s a shame. I don’t see UK surviving in football unless they pick it up and get with the program.

    1. Pup, it’s sad to say, but I think you are right about the outlook for UK football. With all of the success that Stoops has had, we are still a minor league team compared to Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Auburn, and Texas A&M being the major leaguers. The NIL has legitimized what has been going on all along…buying players. To his credit, Stoops has been above that, which unfortunately will be the reason he never wins an East division title, much less an SEC title. The soon to be added Texas and Oklahoma will only make matters worse.

  2. Larry, I just read an article on ESPN.com about Matt McMahon and LSU. With nobody left on the roster at the time of his hiring, McMahon has put together a team that will be competitive this season. This guy would have been the perfect hire for KY if we had shown Calipari the door after losing to the Peacocks…now we have to compete against him. Check out the article: How Matt McMahon assembled a roster in 47 days.

    1. I think competitive is right but not a team to win a SEC title Anxious to see how he does recruiting against the top guys

  3. With the players he brought with him and brought in, I will not be surprised if they are competing at the top of the SEC this season.

    1. I can see this team being a top 5 SEC team this year. Larry is right about the recruiting. but the transfer portal is making that less of a factor. There will always be more kids looking for more PT who are capable of producing once given the opportunity. The NIL is the wild card for both of those aspects of bring in new talent. Most of these kids don’t come from well to do families. If you throw enough money at them, the FAMILY will make sure you get the player.

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