Calipari faces the heat

As expected, John Calipari was the center of attention at SEC media days. The Kentucky coach was quizzed on everything: The high expectations this year at Kentucky, his relationship with Bruce Pearl – and yes, those vacated Final Four appearances.

I’ll go in order of how the conversation went. First, those high hopes.

Calipari, who had an unsuccessful stint in the NBA, coaching the New Jersey Nets, had an interesting comment about playing that league: There are 82 games, and in 25 of those most players aren’t up for it.

“The stars are ready for the 25,” Calipari said, adding it was a lesson for his Kentucky team this year, to be up for the game because they will get the best from everybody.

It was like that at two previous stops for Calipari, at Massachusetts and Memphis. He feels that readied him for being Kentucky’s coach.

“So now we walk into this, it’s no different,” he said. “It doesn’t matter who’s hurt, who’s in the uniform, we’re everybody’s big game and that’s how it. I think mentally I’m ready for it, but now I’ve got to get my team ready for it. Especially my younger players. They’re gonna be like, ‘Why are these guys playing so hard?’ … It’s not funsies anymore.”

There’s been some tension with Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl, who fought with Calipari on the recruiting trail in that state. Calipari sort of acknowledged the tension, attributing it to hyper-competitive zeal.

What good does it do for me to go to Knoxville, other than to play in front of 22,000 in orange, that I can’t stand the color.”“He was trying to take over the state, and I wasn’t going to let him,” Calipari said. “I conceded the rest of the state other than Memphis. And I publicly conceded, (saying) ‘You can have the rest of the state. Have it all, but you’re not having anything to do with Memphis.’ And that’s why I wouldn’t play him in a home-and-home. Why would I let him come into Memphis? I’m not recruiting Knoxville. You’re recruiting Memphis.

Calipari stopped and smiled for a second.

“Was I not supposed to say that? People are covering their mouths.”

Then Calipari added the requisite praise for Pearl and the job he did at Tennessee, and the fact the Vols came into Memphis and beat them when they were the No. 1 team in the country.

“I respect him. But we’re competitors,” Calipari said. “I’m never gonna paint my body. Not gonna wear a white suit.”
Because Calipari seemed in such a good mood, a reporter decided it was a good time to go for the jugular: What does it feel like to be the only coach to have two Final Fours vacated.

“There’s a couple parts to this,” Calipari said. “One, I’m not the only coach to ever have games vacated, and there are other coaches who have won national titles and have had games vacated. They just didn’t have them vacated that year.

“But the point of this for all of us coaches is we’re all responsible. And I’m responsible for everything that goes on in my program. But it’s hard to be accountable or be held accountable for everything and everybody else and what they do. But guess what, some of the rulings say that we are. And so you live with it.”

He’s not happy about it, Calipari added. He pointed out that Memphis is appealing the NCAA ruling, and he hopes it’s successful.

In the meantime …

“I’m at Kentucky,” Calipari said.