by Kent Sterling
That this qualifies as humor in Kentucky is another reason to love Louisville tonight.
With every word out of John Calipari’s mouth at the Midwest Sweet Sixteen in Indianapolis, I lost more faith in humanity. During a time when honesty matters less and less in government and business, Calipari is setting a course for the sub-basement where truth is not acknowledged as a concept.
His assessments of his predilection for one-and-done players and whether their draft status after one year is foreseeable was ludicrous. The role academics plays for those athletes was laughable. Calipari can crow about grades all he wants, but logic takes reasonable people toward a different conclusion about the focus on studies for people who know that whether or not they attend Intro to Sociology classes they will make millions in six months.
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I have no problem with Kentucky being what it is – a de facto NBDL franchise that excels at attracting players who likely would have been drafted in the same position a year before if NBA rules allowed 18-year olds to be drafted, but Calipari should proudly represent what he has built instead of pretending Kentucky hoops has anything to do with the University of Kentucky other than as a marketing arm.
Calipari is not the only guy trolling for one-and-dines, but because of his success in luring them to Lexington, he has become the poster boy for the dubious practice. Hell, Indiana welcomed Noah Vonleh last season – a kid who re-clssed in high school so he would be able to enter the draft that should have immediately followed his graduation from high school.
Louisville is different, and has always been different. Whether coached by Denny Crum or Rick Pitino, they have always achieved greatness without the pedigree Kentucky fans point to with such pride, despite decades of deceit and NCAA tariffs. To Calipari’s credit, his Kentucky teams have not been cited for a serious violation, but whether that credit is because there have been no violations or Calipari is very adept at distancing the program from skullduggery is a worthy debate.
Louisville has never had a one-and-done play, and only one two-and-done has left the program to be drafted – Samaki Walker in 1996. Calipari has seen 11 players come and go in under a year from Lexington in just four drafts. Add the three projected in mock drafts for this year (Andrew Harrison, Julius Randle, and James Young), and answering how an eight month stint at UK fulfills the promise a university extends to athletes like those 14 who are responsible for generating untold millions is for more conveniently pliable minds than mine to explain.
If college basketball is going to serve as a minor league for the NBA, and Kentucky is going to employ pros-in-waiting year after year to hang the banner the school holds so dear, the last that should be done is pay them. Not that agents and boosters slinging a little cash to players and their families is beyond the imagination or historical experience of those close to college basketball, and not just at Kentucky.
Tonight, as Louisville plays Kentucky, the stakes won’t simply be for commonwealth bragging rights, but as an endorsement of either a morally vacuous philosophy of win-by-any-means basketball, or the virtues of attracting young men intent on earning a degree while they learn about overcoming the adversity that only high-end athletics can provide.
This post is for those of you outside the state of Kentucky who need a little context to make a decision about whether to wear blue or red tonight. Wear red if you are pure of heart and hope that good will find a way to be rewarded. Blue is for those of you who admire Richard Nixon and think Bernie Madoff was wrongfully convicted.
Boom! Suck on that fans of Calipari!
Golly Gee, Kent!
Red = Good
Blue = Evil
You’re reminding me of those people that wear those signs around their necks that says “The End of the World is Here !”
I suppose if Kentucky wins this game, it’s the final sign of the Apocalypse and we’re all doomed. It really must say something about me that I’m wearing all blue! 🙂
Here’s to the end of the world, my friend!
Go Big Blue!
Have to write something to make the game a little more fun, and 14 one-and-dones to zero is a good place to start.
UK 74
Louisville 69
THE CATPOCALYPSE HATH COME !
Nice life. Damn shame it has to end now. 🙂
LOSER !!!
I see you haven’t lost your touch, Kent.
Your proclivity for spewing garbage appears to be intact.
This is all very bitter oats. You honestly think Pitino doesn’t go out and recruit the same guys, level of talent. Should I remind you, sir, that Marquis Teague was all but signed to UofL before he changed his mind and hopped to UK. Have you seriously forgotten that some of Calipari’s supposed one-and-done recruits stayed 2 years – T. Jones, D. Lamb, Cauley-Stein. How is that any different that Antoine Walker, J. Mashburn, Ron Mercer. It’s hypocritical. Calipari recruits an elite athlete and he’s crucified. Pitino, Coach K do it and get a free pass. Wise up, knucklehead. And, please, take a few grad courses in writing. There is a reason why you pining away here – and not at ESPN. Oh… GO BIG BLUE!!!!
Kentucky has moved 11 one-and-dones through its program since 2010. Duke and Kansas – three each. Louisville – zero.
The difference is that Kentucky’s success under Calipari is entirely due to the existence of the one-and-done rule, which mandates a total uselessness of the supposed compensation provided them through the ‘student-athlete’ experience. And Calipari gets paid $5 million-plus for exploiting both the rule and the kids. That the kids aren’t wise enough to realize they are being exploited makes it no less true.
Kent, You whine more than a two-year old.
But my whining is filled with a polysyllabic vocabulary most two-year olds can only dream of.
I love hearing and reading about your hate for Kentucky/John Calipari…..it must kill you to know that so many players stayed as well as a fresh crop of “one and dones” and a great chance at their 3rd final appearance in 4 years and 2 championships in 4 years. If the other coaches could recruit the talent Coach Cal does they would….but they can’t so they are forced to deal with the same B and C players for 4 years. This upcoming season is going to make you sick. I never heard of you until I saw an article on Kentucky haters and your quotes and comments were not only inaccurate half the time but poorly written. Your disdain for Coach Cal is the only reason I know who you are Ken….or is it Kent?
Calipari is not the only guy trolling for one-and-dones, Any coach the nation would take some of the kids playing at Kentucky. And Pitino’s trolled too. They just chose not to play for him.
Yeah , Louisville has a lot of class. . . . Look at how they fired Ricky P after his tango at Porcini’s.
Louisville profits more from college basketball than ANY school in the Nation and winning had nothing to do with keeping him ? Tom Jurich and James Ramsey actually supported him through that trash . . . . How’s that for morally vacuous philosophy ?
Do you think if he were their golf coach he would still be there ?
Kent we appreciate you wearing a little blue this morning after Kentucky winning last night. But it good to see you still supporting the Cards with the red butt you must have.
Sorry if its chaffing.
Now that’s a good comment. Funny, a little crude (in a good way), and specific in its condemnation of Pitino.
Yes, any team would take these kids individually, but none would take them collectively. Duke and Kansas have each had three one-and-dones back through 2003, when Self landed at KU. UK has had 11 since 2010. The reason for the gravity toward Lexington for these kids is unknown – at least to me – but the point is that they get absolutely nothing for their work, while Calipari gets over $5-mil every year.
Excellent article. Cal is as dirty as the day is long. He is just very adept at hiding it.
Breaking news kent sterling trying to get hits by trolling. What’s new coach k at duke and coach self at Kansas have one and dones and will this year and they recruit them year after year but it’s no big deal. Where is your article attacking them and the nba? First of all calipari has said several times that he wants them to change it to a two year rule. So I guess when they change it to a two year rule and kentucky and Kansas and duke have players like wiggins, Parker, randle and other top players for 2 years your still going to troll. Look it’s not calipari’s fault or any NCAA coach that the one and done rule exist . It’s the NBA that has the rule so if you want to attack someone attack them and maybe in a year or two players will have to stay two years or three.
If the three freshmen at UK projected to be taken in the 1st round jump, that will gave Calipari 14 one-and-dones in five years. Self has had a total of three from his arrival in Lawrence through 2013. Krzyzewski has had three back through 2000. That’s why Calipari is a much better representation of the evils of the rule. Cal makes $5 mil per, and the kids get nine months of a non-education. Not sure how he sleeps.
You are an idiot sir. Those same kids would jump to the league after 9 months at any of the other schools you mention above…the difference is they choose not to play at those schools. How does he sleep? He probably sleeps very comfortably knowing how many kids he has transitioned to the next level as professionals and hearing from his former players often long after they have left Kentucky shows their love for their former coach. How do 2 Juniors and 6 Sophmores who all had significant roles last year fit in your “one and done” theory? It’s going to be a long season for you sir. I imagine you will not have much to write about wearing your Louisville Red and Duke Blue this upcoming season.
If you believe for a minute that Calipari has “transitioned” those players to the NBA, you are quite the idiot yourself. Most of those players would have been drafted at least as high the year prior if NBA rules allowed. Ca;lipase’s success is the product of mastering a flawed system, not effectively leading players.
Yeah, U of L is so morally and ethically superior… that’s why they keep Petino after an embarrasing scandal and rehire Petrino after he left the program and showed what a classy guy he is. And you’re so classy too, trying to take away a huge victory from a team that has fought through adversity to mature as much in months as some guys do in years. Yes they were supposed to be unstoppable and fell on their face almost right at the starting gate, now they are playing like a team and fighting tough and you belittle them with your little tantrum… yeah you would be a better role model for teenagers.