So for John Calipari, bluegrass is apparently greener than the fields of M
emphis , Tennessee . On the outside looking in, the Kentucky Wildcats basketball program is a gem. Kentucky has won the most basketball games of any program in the entire country and their seven National Championships are second only to UCLA. The Wildcats record of 1988-631-1 also gives them the highest winning percentage in the history of college basketball. They have two stars currently on their roster in guard Jodie Meeks (23.7 ppg) and forward Patrick Patterson (17.9 ppg, 9.3 rpg). However, when looking past that, one can see a program that is currently in shambles.
Kentucky had no one else average in double figures besides Meeks and Patterson. The past four seasons, the Wildcats have gone a combined 84-52, reaching the NCAA Tournament in three of those years, but as no higher than a #8 seed. Not even fired coach Billy Gillespie could help Kentucky . Gillespie took just one season to turn the 6-24 UTEP Miners into a 24-8 NCAA Tournament team. Gillespie did the same thing in his three years at Texas A&M, reaching the NCAA Tournament in his final two years with the Aggies, giving the school its first trip to the NCAA Tournament in consecutive years. However, at
Kentucky , players refused to buy into Gillespie’s style of play, and because of that, the Wildcats did not play up to their full potential.
Why is John Calipari leaving a great situation at Memphis for the dysfunctional Kentucky Wildcats? Calipari reached the National Championship game last year, and his Memphis Tigers have not lost a Conference USA game for the past three years. Calipari has also recruited three ESPN Top 100 recruits to play at Memphis next season. In comparison, Kentucky has just one lined up. Calipari is leaving stability and success, and taking the huge risk of coaching in the pressure cooker known as Kentucky basketball. Sure, he has the coaching ability to revitalize the Kentucky program and return it to its glory days. However, it will not be easy and Calipari may soon yearn for everything he had at Memphis .
emphis , Tennessee . On the outside looking in, the Kentucky Wildcats basketball program is a gem. Kentucky has won the most basketball games of any program in the entire country and their seven National Championships are second only to UCLA. The Wildcats record of 1988-631-1 also gives them the highest winning percentage in the history of college basketball. They have two stars currently on their roster in guard Jodie Meeks (23.7 ppg) and forward Patrick Patterson (17.9 ppg, 9.3 rpg). However, when looking past that, one can see a program that is currently in shambles.Kentucky had no one else average in double figures besides Meeks and Patterson. The past four seasons, the Wildcats have gone a combined 84-52, reaching the NCAA Tournament in three of those years, but as no higher than a #8 seed. Not even fired coach Billy Gillespie could help Kentucky . Gillespie took just one season to turn the 6-24 UTEP Miners into a 24-8 NCAA Tournament team. Gillespie did the same thing in his three years at Texas A&M, reaching the NCAA Tournament in his final two years with the Aggies, giving the school its first trip to the NCAA Tournament in consecutive years. However, at
Kentucky , players refused to buy into Gillespie’s style of play, and because of that, the Wildcats did not play up to their full potential.Why is John Calipari leaving a great situation at Memphis for the dysfunctional Kentucky Wildcats? Calipari reached the National Championship game last year, and his Memphis Tigers have not lost a Conference USA game for the past three years. Calipari has also recruited three ESPN Top 100 recruits to play at Memphis next season. In comparison, Kentucky has just one lined up. Calipari is leaving stability and success, and taking the huge risk of coaching in the pressure cooker known as Kentucky basketball. Sure, he has the coaching ability to revitalize the Kentucky program and return it to its glory days. However, it will not be easy and Calipari may soon yearn for everything he had at Memphis .
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