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Mark Stoops on John Calipari's 'basketball school' comments: We won't be derailed

Barkley-Truaxby:Barkley Truax•08/13/22•

BarkleyTruax

Mark Stoops
Andy Lyons | Getty Images

The Big Blue Civil War has only just begun, it seems. Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops addressed the situation publicly for the first time since John Calipari’s comments that UK was a “basketball school.”

During a press conference Saturday afternoon, Stoops said that he’s “done” with the situation and has addressed it with his players, though he hasn’t talked to Calipari directly about the situation. Now, his number one focus is getting his team ready for the season opener on Sept. 3 and nothing will derail the Wildcats this late into the offseason, especially right in their own back yard.

Still, Stoops found a second to throw in a back-handed comment, “some may, but this program didn’t wake up on third base.” The football coach is seemingly referencing the basketball program’s blue-blood status, while UK football has been a historic SEC bottom-feeder.

JD PicKell: Comparing Kentucky football’s situation to skydiving jump

Mark Stoops has grown the Kentucky football program from the ground-up since taking over the program a decade ago. With one victory to go until Stoops ties Bear Bryant’s all-time wins record at Kentucky, On3’s JD PicKell believes the Wildcats have the pieces in place for a magical run in 2022.

“How I think this fan base feels can be summed up in these three words: Do it now. When you jump out of an airplane to skydive, you don’t pull that parachute right away. You don’t pull it too late. You don’t pull it too early,” PicKell said. “You pull it at around 7,000 feet – that’s when they tell you ‘Hey, pull that thing because you’re gonna go splat if you don’t.’ Right now, Kentucky is in that spot where they’ve got to pull the parachute. They have got to find a way to get it done.

“Regardless of how you feel about [Will Levis] when it comes to the NFL Draft, he’s one of the most exciting quarterbacks they’ve had there in a really long time, and a lot of things are lining up, similar to what I just said. If not now, then when for Kentucky?

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