John Calipari discusses difference in dynamics between SEC, NCAA tournament

Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari met with the media this week ahead of the team’s first-round NCAA tournament matchup versus 15-seed Saint Peter’s. The Wildcats are preparing for a much different tournament than the one they just got through with their SEC peers last weekend, as Calipari explains.

“It’s not going to be back-to-back games,” Calipari said. “We’ve been consistent all year. What I like, as I’ve said, is we’ve got a lot of guys if a player or two isn’t playing well, we can replace them with players who have helped us win this year… Now, it’s, ‘what’s your role going to be with us going forward?’ ‘What do you have to do to help our team win?’ ‘What do you star in?’ It’s got to be what this team needs you to do.”

With the No. 2 seed in the South region, Kentucky has the third-best odds to win it all in New Orleans this year. The team’s 26-7 record, No. 4 offensive efficiency, and No. 25 defensive efficiency all point towards the Wildcats making a run at the Final Four.

Led by All-American Oscar Tshiebwe, Calipari’s roster runs deep. While Tshiebwe is averaging 17 points and a double-double per game, Kentucky has 11 players contributing six+ minutes per game. A deep roster is one key ingredient for success at the Big Dance.

Tipoff for Kentucky-Saint Peter’s is at 7:10 p.m. on Thursday.

Calipari calls out NCAA selection committee over SEC snubs

There are six teams from the SEC that earned bids to the 2022 NCAA Tournament. But many, including Kentucky head coach John Calipari, believe Texas A&M is a notable snub from the field.

“Well, the Texas A&M thing I was really stunned at,” Calipari said. “I just guess before our tournament started, they weren’t close. Now that’s hard for me to believe. They were 9-9 in our league, and down the stretch, they played their best basketball. That’s what I call the eye test.

“But I mean it must have been that. It couldn’t have been any other reason because they played as well as anybody and they had an extra game. Wasn’t it their fourth game? The final game was their fourth game in four days. You knew they were going to let go of the rope at some point.”

Texas A&M entered the SEC Tournament as the eighth seed after going 20-11 overall and 9-9 against SEC opponents during the regular season. The Aggies then rattled off wins against Florida, Auburn, and Arkansas over their first three games in the tournament before falling to Tennessee in the SEC Championship Game.

But instead of Texas A&M making the NCAA Tournament, the Aggies were left out. They did make the NIT Tournament as a one seed.

On3’s Jonathan Wagner contributed to this report.