If might be mid-August but it’s never a bad time for Kentucky coach John Calipari to talk basketball and he did that Tuesday on ESPN Radio’s “Keyshawn, J-Will & Zubin” with hosts Keyshawn Johnson, Jay Williams and Zubin Mehenti.
The trio talked with Calipari about several subjects, including the projected start for the college basketball season.
Give Calipari credit. He didn’t try to do anything but be honest when he said he didn’t know if the season would or would not start on time. Only honest answer any coach or administrator can give.
“I’m gonna tell you, players want to play and coaches want to coach. It’s August 18, my thing is we just have to keep moving slowly,” the UK coach said. “The NBA and WNBA have given us a pathway.”
He’s right about that but then Cal was Cal and went on a very pro-UK tangent.
“Let me just say, we have an ultimate bubble. We have the (Wildcat) Lodge where our kids live. They have a single room and single bath. They have a cook in the building. There’s no one else in the building except them,” Calipari said.
“Right across the street is our practice facility, no one in the building, no offices are being occupied. We have the ultimate bubble to keep our kids safe.
“But we are still moving slow, we’re still not doing body to body (practice). I don’t feel comfortable enough yet. So everything we’re doing is five guys at a time, six guys at a time, with social distancing if we can. But there’s no body to body, no setting screens, no defense. I’m still a week or two away from that.”
Calipari hopes the new saliva COVID-19 test that is easier to administer, cheaper and has quicker results can change things in the right way.
“I do know these kids want to play and we want to coach, safely,” Calipari said. “I think the NCAA and our league (SEC), (commissioner) Greg Sankey has done a great job. I’ve been mad at Greg at tines because I’ve thought he was moving too slow, but he was doing it at the right pace. He’s just trying to say, ‘Where is this going to go?’”
And that’s even a question Calipari can’t answer.
