John Calipari (UK Athletics Photo)
Kentucky basketball is going to be doing something this season that John Calipari has never had a team do based on what the UK coach told Paul Finebaum on the SEC Network/ESPN Radio last week.
“When we travel — you ready for this — Paul, for the first time in my career, we’re traveling on game day,” Calipari said. “Why spend an extra day to bus, a plane, a hotel, meal, rooms, all the stuff, the touch points? Let’s get in, safely, mask on the plane, N95s, maybe even eyewear, get there, play this game for these kids.”
Calipari said not to doubt that his players want to play even with the restrictions and changes due to COVID-19.
He did warn about the problem of keeping officials COVID-19 free as they travel from game to game and how a team with a short roster could find itself in big trouble if too many players foul out of a game.
Calipari praised SEC commissioners Greg Sankey for what he’s done already to try and have a season and he trusted decisions the commissioner will have to make.
“His thing is, how do I get two teams that are safe and healthy on the court with officials that are healthy,” Calipari said.
The Kentucky coach also discussed the recent NBA draft with Finebaum. UK had two players — Tyrese Maxey and Immanuel Quickley — picked in the first round and another one — Nick Richards — in the second round. Calipari said all players had about seven months of anxiety waiting for a draft in November that normally is held in June.
“Could you imagine the anxiety? Can you imagine the thoughts going through a young person’s mind? Well, it brings back back to my own team. All of us better have psychologists, sports psychologists and we better not overlook what our kids are going through mentally,” Calipari told Fienbaum. ” I’ve talked to our parents, I talked to our team.
“I respect every one of these college players and what they’re trying to do and how they’re trying to be. No one in the history of college sports has gone through what these athletes have gone through. The pressure of playing, the anxiety of playing, they’re not mentally … they’re still young people. And then to go through this pandemic? Hats off to them and all my respect and that’s why we have to play: for them. These kids need to get on that field and get on that court, safely.”
