Transfers like Olivier Sarr likely won't have to wait for waivers to be eligible next year. (UK Athletics Photo)
Kentucky coach John Calipari seems to always be out in front with innovative thinking whether it is having his own NBA Pro Day, hosting a charity telethon or adding Jai Lucas as a recruiting coordinator. Now Calipari and his staff are trying to get in front of what will likely happen next year when players can transfer and be eligible immediately one time.
That could mean UK will be able to pick and choose between proven college players to go along with five-star high school talent.
So what is UK planning already?
“It’s difficult right now. We’re still trying to figure that part of it out because it’s hard because you don’t want to tamper or be in communication with anybody when they’re playing for somebody else or any other team,” said Lucas, who is now a full-time assistant coach with on-court responsibilities and the leeway to recruit on or off campus (if that is ever allowed again).”
Lucas knows there likely will be no shortage of potential transfers interested in coming to Kentucky. It might be to fill a UK need or because a player simply showed he was under recruited to start his college career.
“It’s really just wait-and-see mode. You kind of have to pay attention to what’s going on everywhere and just see what happens after the season is over and see who becomes available,” Lucas said.
“You just kind of have to keep an eye and a pulse on all of college basketball to kind of see what’s going on out there and who is performing well.”
Lucas knows this year that transfers Davion Mintz and Olivier Sarr, both seniors, are going to provide valuable experience and leadership for Calipari’s young team. He says one plus is having them just tell freshmen how to practice daily.
“That may be one of the biggest things. When you have younger kids and younger teams, some of the stuff from high school takes a while to get rid of,” Lucas said. “That’s the one thing I don’t know how this staff and coach Cal have done this for so long with coaching so many freshmen and so many underclassmen every year. It is something completely different than what I have been used to.
“But I think the one thing that those two have done is just been able to kind of add that sense of seriousness, if that’s the right word, to getting prepared for practice and what we’re trying to do and what we’re trying to accomplish for that day.”
