Kentucky players liked what they saw on this play against South Carolina but the game still ended with another UK loss. (Vicky Graff Photo)
ESPN’s “Pardon of Interruption” is a popular nationwide show where co-hosts Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser share their views on a lot of sports subjects.
On Wednesday they came to the defense of Kentucky coach John Calipari because fans were upset following UK’s 71-68 loss to 19-point underdog South Carolina in Rupp Arena that dropped the Cats to 1-3 in Southeastern Conference play.
“John Calipari could walk on the floor in Lexington — he won’t do this; I would do this — he could give people the double-bird if he wants,” Wilbon said. “He could say, ‘I’ll walk right out of here. I’ll take half these kids with me.’”
He could walk away and take players with him. No doubt about that.
But why give the double-bird to fans who thought his team could be a South Carolina team that just lost by 43 points at home to Tennessee, the team UK plays in Knoxville Saturday.
Wilbon wasn’t done speculating about whether this could be Calipari’s last year at Kentucky.
“I think it could, but more important than seeing it as his last year, I just privately — or not privately because I’m saying it — I hope it’s his last year,” Wilbon said on ESPN.
“John Calipari, with the transfer portal being what it is, and how it reshapes college sports particularly in college football and basketball — in other sports but particularly those — John Calipari, as great a coach as he is, as great a recruiter, attractor of talent, John Calipari is like a pop-up store.
“He could go any damn place in America, and he’s a northeastern guy largely, he could go anywhere and set up shop and in one season be in the tournament and be a threat to win the tournament.”
Really? Too bad he didn’t set up shop at UK two years ago when the Cats went 9-16 and missed the NCAA Tournament. Or how about if Calipari just gets the team he is coaching now into the NCAA Tournament — which doesn’t seem like a big ask considering UK was a top five preseason team.
Wilbon acted like Kentucky has an elite roster and has been in the Final Four every year recently. Remember UK’s last Final Four trip was 2015. The Cats have had chances to get back and compete for national titles since then but have not.
This team is 10-6 and going the wrong way with a 26-point loss at Alabama, 3-point win over LSU at home and 3-point loss to South Carolina at home in its last three games.
“At Kentucky, where they go crazy over any little development, they could go crazy over seeing Cal and his pop-up store somewhere else,” Wilbon said.
They could but right now that pop-up store he has at Kentucky just is not working all that well.
7 Responses
Well if you haven’t heard yet, Barnhart has come out this morning saying that him and Cal are doing good and talking. Yeah he admitted there’s time he sees it one way and Cal see’s it the other way. but he didn’t characterize there relationship was in bad shape in any form and still believes Cal can turn this team around.
Oh the article is in KSR website
Brainfart had no choice to come out and try doing damage control. He can’t come out and say the coach i gave a lifetime contract to sucks and we don’t have a relationship.
Brainfarts seat must be getting hot too as it should be.
Michael Wilbon is not nearly as intelligent as he thinks he is.
Neither is Cornheiser.
I watched the Marshall versus Georgia Southern basketall game last night on ESPN+ and the way Marshall played the game reminded me a lot of when it was fun and entertaining to watch UK Basketball with constantly pushing the ball, shooting when open, dunking, and playing some defense instead of the recent teams wasting 20 to 25 seconds per possession practicing their dribbling skills.
I recommed you take a peek if you have ESPN+ and check it out.
We are at 10 – 6; I see the regular season ending at 15 – 16, with many very ugly losses. Add the SEC tourney first round loss to make it 15 – 17. Will that be good enough for an NIT bid, maybe or it could be that the other tournament, I can’t recall its name, but at best, it would yield another win and loss for a final record of 16 – 18. Would Texas hire him at that point…maybe, maybe not, he has recruited Texas kids very well. I am sure there will be another team somewhere that would take him with some of our players and he better take it. He will never win back BBN even if he were to make another Final 4. We have surrendered the all time win lead to Kansas and the all time NCAA tourney wins to North Carolina, and we have become a punching bag in the SEC. He has embarrassed BBN with a first round NIT loss as well as a first round NCAA loss. We no longer beat ranked teams and he is afraid of playing in the big name holiday tournaments where Alabama and Arkansas are making names for themselves. No team fears playing Kentucky; not even in Rupp Arena. Surely Calipari can set his ego aside and admit that there is no path forward for him here at UK. He will find another school, he already has more money than his grandkids can spend, and he can start fresh while Kentucky starts fresh and see who excels first. He and Dick Vitale can badmouth BBN all they want; all BBN wants is to be given the chance to regain the blueblood status that Calipari has destroyed.
Great post Barry.
Comments are closed.