John Calipari's wish list for a new practice facility would include a way to showcase the accomplishments of former players like Jack Givens.
John Calipari made headlines in the Bahamas Thursday with his quote about Kentucky “being a basketball school” and hoping the football team can win 10 games — which is not the goal the football team has set for itself this year.
It’s too bad Calipari said that because his biggest message was needing a new practice facility — the current UK facility is 14 years old — combined with something to showcase the history of the Kentucky basketball program.
“Where do you find the history of this program? Where? Do you go in a book and read it? How about, the history, where people from East and West can come and there’s the history of this program?” Calipari said during a 30-minute media session in the Bahamas that was posted on YouTube by Kentucky Sports Radio.
The coach said he was not talking about a UK Hall of Fame but rather an interactive area where fans could take pictures and hear/see interviews with past UK stars.
“This state deserves that. This basketball program has been what it’s been for 100 years. It ain’t changing. But that’s part of it,” Calipari said.
I like every part of that idea because there needs to be a place that showcases the history of UK basketball year-round that is accessible to fans. However, Calipari also said he wanted the facility to be “20 years ahead” of its time.
“Our baseball facility might be the nicest in the country. And I’m happy about that. Our football facility, we spent $200 million. Soccer? We’ve got an unbelievable (facility). I’ve been there, watched the soccer. You’re talking now, the track? I loved it,” Calipari said.
Calipari did lead a fund-raising effort to renovate the locker room at Rupp Arena that he says remains one of the best in the nation for pro or college teams. Calipari said he now wants more than a gym for the “gold standard” of college basketball to showcase its history.
So what does he want for a bigger basketball facility?
“People should come in and see this and say, ‘Whoa.’ But this is Kentucky basketball. The gold standard in the country. This university, this state, basketball. So now, it’s time to say, this is what we want to do. I think again, yeah, I’ll push the needle. Let’s go,” Calipari said.
He hopes maybe the state government will help with funding.
“I think you would have people give to it. That’s one thing people in this state will give to: men’s basketball. Oh, they’ll give,” Calipari said.
One Response
B.S!!! He so full of himself all he wants is something with his name on it to show off what he feels is his biggest achievement and that’s getting 50 and counting kids to NBA. That has been his only goal since arriving in Lexington is to get as many kids to NBA as fast as possible no matter the cost to Kentucky basketball never has it been all about winning . It’s been how many guys can I get drafted this year and if we win some with them it’s a bonus. I think he knows his time about up in Lexington soon and he afraid if his name not on something associated with Kentucky basketball like how rupp is then people may forget about him . There should of been no mention of the football program or there goals for the season to ever come out of his mouth to get his basketball facility with his name on it .