Wanted: Picture of Calipari and Ashley Judd
Cal going to Lexington, according to everyone on ESPN, is a good fit. He recruits, he coaches defense and he’s charming. He’s perfect to handle the Blue Grass pressure cooker and the future is bright for bringing his dribble drive motion offense to Kentucky as well as his Memphis steakhouse. In-state fellow Italian rival Rick Pitino (if he stays put in Louisville) is a natural. Can Cal’s foray into horse ownership and double dating with Ashley Judd and Dario Franchitti be far behind?
He will abandon, most notably, Tyreke Evans, after his freshman year. Evans could also leave Graceland for the NBA. There are no heir apparents on Calipari’s current Memphis staff, John Robic has head coach experience at Youngstown State but doesn’t figure as a replacement. Orlando Antiqua and Josh Pastner are green but Pastner, with his Lute Olsen pedigree, would be a 31-year old incumbent (cheap) solution. It will be interesting to see where Director of Basketball Operations, Rod Strickland, ends up (likely to follow). Mike Anderson, whose Missouri Tigers bounced Memphis from the NCAAs, was a leading name on the wish list but he re-upped. Former Calapari assistants, Tony Barbee (UTEP) and Derek Kellogg (UMASS), know the Bluff City recruiting ropes. Other names mentioned are Clemsons’s Oliver Purnell, Ole Miss’ Andy Kennedy, USC’s Tim Floyd, and NBA vets Reggie Theus and Avery Johnson. An ironic reach would be Billy Gillespie, who’ll draw something like $6 million from UK without doing a thing.
The interesting backstory will be the recruits that Calipari had lined up. Will they bail, or possibly follow him to Kentucky to create an instant power? Number 1 recruit, PG John Wall had narrowed to Kansas and Memphis. Number 2 recruit, C Demarcus Cousins was also leaning Memphis’ way as was verbal number 3 recruit, SG Xavier Henry. No committments are locked until the official signing period in April.
