Former UK star Devin Booker believes Mark Pope was the right hire at Kentucky. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Former Kentucky star Devin Booker was more than just a little surprised when John Calipari left UK where he spent 15 years to take over at Arkansas.
Booker was one of many current NBA stars who played for Calipari at Kentucky. Booker told “The Spun” in an interview he was “100 percent) surprised by Calipari’s move.
“I never thought I’d see the day. Some people asked me during the season as if they knew it was coming, but I just kept thinking that I couldn’t see him leaving Lexington,” Booker said. “It’s strange, man. It’s something that I didn’t expect, but I hope it’s a great situation for him and his family.
“I saw Arkansas posted a picture of him on campus. It’s a different dynamic seeing him in red, but I wish the best for him.”
However, Booker also wants the best for new UK coach Mark Pope, another former Kentucky player.
“I think that’s a great situation,” Booker said about UK hiring Pope. “He’s someone who is familiar with Lexington and Big Blue Nation. I don’t know much about Mark, but maybe I’ll reach out to him.
“I want to stay connected to the program. He seems like the right guy for the job, so fans should give him a chance. He has big shoes to fill, but maybe he’ll bring new energy to the program.”
20 Responses
Devin should want to stay connected to the school.
He went to the University of Kentucky and not Calipari University.
If Pope gets Kentucky pass the first round he’ll have his tenure off to a great start.
Exactly 💯 Was tired Of hearing Cals same speeches that he’s now regurgitating and selling to Arkansas. Wish he’d went back North where I didn’t have to see him anymore.
He won at KY but was Not KY.
5 years of excuses was enough. Even he says so
Agrees
It amazes me when fans think players choose schools over the person who recruited them. When will the fans understand an athlete can go to any school he wishes? Coach Cal had his faults (like most coaches) but he did recruit the best kids in the country and ushered them to successful NBA careers. I wish Mark, the best and hope he continues to recruit the best young talent in the country like Coach Cal. But remember past Coach Tubby Smith, was replaced because he didn’t go after the top talent in the country. He recruited players who would stay for 2 or 3 years and the fan base had him replaced with a worse coach. So until the BBN, fan base understands that players stay loyal with the coaches that recruited them and leave once that coach moves on in today’s culture. We will never move past keeping good coaches for life-like Adolf Rupp, Coach K of Duke, and Coach Self of Kansas. Go Kats that built dynasties at their prospective schools.
Let’s hope Pope is that guy A K-men
Man I definitely don’t want to see former players from the Calipari era to never have anything to do with or never come around or support the program anymore. This gives me hope for other players from that era. Love to see it!
Once a cat always a cat. Know matter who your coach was you should always be proud of the name on the front of that jersey and you are always a part of the UK basketball family and your always welcome and are connected to UK for life.
Booker (& Tyler Ulyss) were the proven guards with the ability to lead UK to 40-0 after reaching 38-0. It was not Booker who cost UK that Title, but the bum who cheated many players & the BBN out of that important game which needed to be a win as well as many other key games starting with the super talented 2010 team not even getting to the FF.
A new era is already blossoming as UK is laying a solid foundation under Pope’s leadership which is already drawing past greats into reaching out to UK.
Oh stop, I’m so tired of the ‘only one title is a failure’ crowd lmao…he also took an 8 seed to the championship game and nearly won, forget about that? Beating an undefeated team in the process that nobody gave us a chance against. There is an extremely short list of coaches to win a title at UK, and he’s one of them. You know Tubby Smith never made it to another FF after the title he was literally gifted to by Pitino lmao….like it or not, He is in the rafters at Rupp and only a few people can say that. If your a true UK fan, how can you not respect him for that? Only Rupp won more than 1 title at UK, so despite having freshman with NBA ‘potential’ (they aren’t NBA players their freshman season) it’s still EXTREMELY hard to win. But go off bud, im sure you’ve done more UK & the state of KY than he has.
We love our veteran wildcats and true blue fans will always support them wherever they play. 💙. Go Devon Booker!!
I am glad Devin wants to stay in contact with him. I hope Pope reaches out with past players and not let Calipari use them for himself and Arkansas. It was Calipari that left him sitting on the bench when he should have been playing instead of a few others. I screamed at my TV so loud about that back then.
Calipari kept playing the Harrison twins instead of Booker and that caused them to lose! Look at that lineup and we didn’t win the Championship!!
That is on Calipari!!
Tough call to make at the time
I mean Aaron Harrison literally took KY to a title game on his back in 2014 lmao, those shots were insane…..So justify putting him on the bench
We can not change the past, but we can sure work on the future. Let’s just have fun, and enjoy the ride.
It’s not fair to begrudge those players who left school early to claim multi-million dollar bonuses and half-billion dollar careers. Calipari is the man, along with Keemasabee Barnett, who eroded the culture by failing to win, and setting up the NBA. I sure hope no college coach would ever take paola from an NBA arrangement to act as a procurement connection. It probably cost Oscar Sziebwe a hundred million dollars for staying an extra year.
Devin Booker is a class act. He opened the door for Coach Pope to walk through . Coach Pope should contact all the former UK
Players that are NBA players, now or in the past. He could invite the to a preseason event maybe Midnight Madness. Why not have the NBA players dressed in UK uniforms, or plain blue or white uniforms. Coach Pope could chose two of the men to be captains for a scrimmage game, Coach included! Something different added to the tradition program would double viewer and have Rupp Arena jam- packed too.
That is awesome indeed, just as they did coming off the bus when coach Pope was re-introduced back in the line up. It is like family here and the reunions are wonderful.
You got that right Gail
That would be great!!!!
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