Demarcus Cousins gives hard stance on John Calipari amid questions surrounding job status
There’s a war breaking out in Lexington, Ky. One side demands Kentucky head coach John Calipari is removed from his position, whether willingly or by force. Another contingent isn’t ready to give up on their beloved head coach. On Monday, former Wildcat Demarcus Cousins made it clear where he stands.
Cousins was an integral part of Calipari’s first class at Kentucky in the 2009-10 season. The group reached the Elite Eight before falling to West Virginia. Along with John Wall, Cousins was a standout, averaging 5.1 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game.
The Sacramento Kings drafted Cousins with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2010 Draft. Before long, Cousins was a four-time NBA All-Star and raking in millions annually. He was one of Calipari’s first products at Kentucky, but far from the last.
In total, while Calipari has been at Kentucky, 47 players have been selected in the NBA Draft, including 35 first-round picks. During an appearance on SportsCenter last year, the 65-year-old head coach revealed his former Kentucky players have collectively earned over $4 billion in their NBA contracts.
Kentucky is reaching a boiling point
It’s no surprise to see Calipari’s products sticking by his side. However, they may be outnumbered. Kentucky fans’ frustration reached a boiling point after the team suffered a jaw-dropping upset to No. 14 seed Oakland in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last week.
Kentucky has won one game in the NCAA Tournament in the last five seasons. Calipari certainly hasn’t found the same success he boasted with players like Wall and Cousins by his side. In turn, he hasn’t received the same support.
Since the loss, Kentucky’s NIL collective has come to a near stop, rumors have spread like wildfire and Lexington’s most prestigious newspaper misspelled Calipari’s name on the front page.
While things aren’t currently ideal for the program, they can certainly get worse. Kentucky still has No. 2 incoming recruiting class in the country, according to On3 Industry Rankings. A major draw for many of those recruits is Calipari’s history of mentoring successful NBA talent.
If that NBA talent turns its back on Kentucky in support of Calipari, things could turn ugly fast. Big Blue Nation won’t have to wait much longer to know its fate. At 6 p.m. ET, Calipari is expected to make an appearance on his weekly radio show on WLAP 630-AM in Lexington.