ARLINGTON, Texas — Ever since a record-setting five Kentucky players went in the first round of the 2010 NBA Draft, the “one-and-done” label has been pinned on John Calipari and his program like a tail on a donkey.For better or worse, Kentucky has become, reputation-wise, the place to go to play for a year and then head to the NBA after one season. Calipari, who has long maintained that he’s against the one-and-done rule but is playing by the rules, doesn’t understand why kids are criticized for pursuing their dreams if the opportunity presents itself.”Until this rule changes to two years, which I seem be one of the guys working real hard on it, we are where we are,” Coach Cal said on Monday on his weekly radio show. ” ‘Well, you should care more about the programs than the kids.’ What about if it’s your kid? ‘That would be different then? Then I want you to care about my kid than the program.’ These are someone’s children.”Greg Anthony, a former UNLV star and analyst for CBS, spoke on a Final Four teleconference earlier in the week and said he is sick of hearing about the one-and-done rule altogether. After all, UK isn’t the only program that went after the John Walls and the Anthony Davises in high school; it just so happens to be the one that landed the most.”I’m so tired of everyone talking about the one-and-done from this standpoint: Every one of those damn kids for Kentucky, everyone else would have signed them if they decided to go there,” Anthony said. “Every high-school kid coming in as a freshman would go one-and-done if they had ability for the most part.”It’s worth noting that one-and-done talent like Andrew Wiggins went to Kansas, Aaron Gordon went to Arizona and Jabari Parker went to Duke.But the one-and-done rule is a hot subject again at this week’s Final Four because of the unprecedented youth and potential NBA players Calipari has brought to Arlington, Texas. On its road to the Final Four – a path Coach Cal called a “mine field” – UK has relied heavily on its youth, starting five freshmen throughout the tournament and getting 89.8 percent of its points from freshmen. As a point of reference, the famous Fab Five accounted for 75.3 percent of Michigan’s scoring during the 1991-92 season. The Cats’ freshmen, many of whom will have an NBA decision to make after the NCAA Tournament run ends, have accounted for 81.8 percent on the season.With all that said, a young player helping a team to the Final Four and then weighing his pro aspirations at the end of the season is still perceived negatively among the masses. “One-and-done has now become a bad connotation,” Coach Cal said.And until the rules change, the negative perception is here to say, Calipari realizes. No matter how many times he says they don’t talk about turning pro until after the season, it’s going to be viewed in a dim light.So Coach Cal has a solution: a new name.”We’re going to break out something new this week to get you guys off this one-and-done so that we can think about (it) in another term, which is trying to help these kids do what they’re trying to do as college students, as where they want their careers to go,” Calipari said.The idea behind the rebranding is to change the idea that just because a player may turn pro early that he isn’t a college athlete.”Does a player have to be here four years to be a terrific college player?” Calipari said. “The last four years, our grade-point average has been a 3.0. Our (NCAA Academic Progress Rate) is as high as anybody in the country. They’re college students; they’re just not college students for four years in most cases, but in some they are.”So, Calipari hopes to unveil something this weekend – perhaps during the next media availability on Friday – that will get that message across. What it is remains to be seen, but Coach Cal did ask for answers on his radio show earlier in the week and actually received some via social media. Among the best were “Succeed then Proceed,” “Learn then Earn” “Learn and Turn.”They’re all better than the one-and-done label in the eyes of Calipari.”All I got to say to Cal is when somebody asks me about one-and-done, all I remember is when my mom would give me a pork chop or a piece of meatloaf and I would ask for another piece and she would say, ‘No, one-and-done,’ ” Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan said.Ryan is confident that if the name isn’t going to change, the rules will soon. Perhaps the bad connotation will die with it.”We’re (Calipari and Ryan) both on the board of directors with the NABC and we have talked about this quite a bit,” Ryan said. “I’m sure there’s something coming down the road that’s going to alter that. But all we know is we just want our players to get the most out of the experience and I think we both are coaching guys that understand what that’s all about.”To bring you more expansive coverage, CoachCal.com and Cat Scratches
will be joining forces for the postseason. You can read the same great
stories you are accustomed to from both sites at CoachCal.com and
UKathletics.com/blog, but now you’ll enjoy even more coverage than
normal.