John Calipari knows he has to do something with schedule

John Calipari understands why changes may have to be made to his scheduling philosophy. (UK Athletics Photo)

Many Kentucky basketball fans were not overly thrilled with the UK home schedule and apparently, even coach John Calipari understands why. The only marquee non-conference game in Rupp Arena will be against Louisville. The other intriguing matchup will be against High Point when former UK coach Tubby Smith makes his first return to Rupp Arena since leaving 13 years ago.

“We’re going to have to do something. But when you have a league schedule that’s that strong, you’ve seen teams around the country in those kinds of leagues, that the home schedule is the league and maybe one game,” Calipari said Tuesday.

“In our case, it may be Louisville or the Big 12, which may change. It may be another league, and that may be one and maybe one other.”

Kentucky does have neutral site games with Duke and Ohio State and a return date at Notre Dame for a game in Rupp Arena last season. It will also play at Kansas in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge — a game Calipari thought would be at Rupp Arena since UK did not get to host a Big 12 team last season.

“We’ve got Kansas, we’ve got Duke, we’ve got Ohio State, we’ve got Louisville, we’ve got Notre Dame. We’ve still got those games, and I was told two weeks ago our league, by people that would know and some in the league — not coaches but — this may be the best our league has ever been top to bottom. Never been better,” Calipari said. “So, we will be challenged, but we’ll have some games too that we can learn from.”

Calipari understands the solution to the home non-conference schedule might be walking away from neutral site games, something he likes to use to challenge his team and prepare for postseason play.

“We’ve got to give somewhere. We can’t over-schedule and throw it at these kids for something else. We’ve got to make these schedules where these kids get a chance to grow and get better and learn and learn about each other versus just throw a gauntlet at them because we need another game here,” the UK coach said.

“This should be and always has been about these kids. So that won’t change in my mind as I do scheduling. But if it affects how we’re doing something that do you walk away from the game that’s become big or the CBS Challenge? Do you walk away from being able to play in an area that becomes a big game? We’re going to end up having to give up something.”

He did say next summer he hopes to go back to bringing in a foreign team to play his team like UK did in the Bahamas before.

“Something in the works that we want to do going forward,” Calipari said.

The Kentucky coach would like to find a “great team” to play UK at home and then in a neutral site near their home location.

“If you really want to play us and you’re a good team, play us in Rupp, and we’ll play at a neutral site near you,” Calipari said. That’s the best way to do that. Maybe we can do that. Maybe we’re not able to.”