Coach Cal Taking ‘Day-to-Day’ Approach to Supporting Players
John Calipari expected to be preparing for the Sweet 16 this week. Considering his teams had reached that stage in eight of his first 10 seasons at UK, it was a reasonable expectation.
His 11th UK team was well on track to reach that stage, but that all ended when the NCAA Tournament was canceled.
So, instead of being on the road with his team, Calipari – like everyone should be – is sitting at home.
“I haven’t been in my home for this many days—I can’t remember,” Coach Cal said Tuesday. “Like, you can only clean the garage so many times.”
Of course, Calipari is too good at coming up with things to do to get bored. He’s lending his voice to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and supporting various related causes, from the Basic Needs and Persistence Fund to Fayette County Schools to ordering takeout from local restaurants every day, but – as you would expect – his primary focus is always on his team.
“This is hour by hour, day by day,” Calipari said. “We, as a staff and as a coach, are not allowed to work our players, are not allowed to have one-on-one meetings. If we have a group meeting, we’re not supposed to talk about basketball.”
Rules on that front are in a constant state of flux as the situation evolves, but Coach Cal is staying in close contact with his guys.
“I have not done a group call mainly because I have more questions than I have answers for them right now,” Calipari said. “So, most of the stuff I’m doing is texting to stay in touch.”
Many of the questions to which Calipari is seeking answers have to do with the decisions his players will make regarding the NBA Draft. Coach Cal said he expects “four to five” of them to test the waters, but what that will mean remains unknown. With so much up in the air, Calipari is simply trying to be an advocate and a resource for his players.
“So now I think these kids should have more time making that decision,” Calipari said. “My worry is for guys—OK, let’s just talk they’re working out right now. If they spend two months and don’t do anything and they try to go work out for an NBA team, it ain’t going to work for them. So, there are no gyms, there are no health clubs unless they have a gym in their house. None of them do. Unless they have a health area, a workout area within their home. None of them do. How is this—how are we doing this? So, my worry is more about that. We’re getting information to the kids.”
Specifics about the draft process – from contact with NBA teams to deadlines to whether the draft itself will even take place as scheduled – will come. In the meantime, there’s an even more important message that’s relevant for both those who will consider turning pro and those who will return.
“Well, I’ve been telling them, ‘You better be conditioning in some way because your body is your castle and your career is going to be dictated on how you take care of your body,’ ” Calipari said. “Messing around with a basketball to make sure you’re keeping your feel, it’ll be like riding a bike, the rest of it. But I would be saying, even if you’re in the house, sit-ups, pushups, running in place, doing anything.”
Calipari might not be able to play an active role in that with everything that’s going on, but he’s never going to sleep on his responsibility to his players. His primary goal on that front right now? Imparting to his players that they can’t sleep on their responsibility to themselves.
“These kids have a genius,” Calipari said. “Their genius is basketball and the only way they’re going to be able to master their craft is if they can figure out a way of staying in shape. You ready for this? Just like all of the other Americans, first thing that you’re responsible for is yourself.”
