4-Point Play: Coach Cal and Coach K fix college basketball's problems

What happens when you get two Hall of Fame coaches with 2,046 combined career wins together on a podcast? They solve college basketball one issue at a time. That was the case when John Calipari joined Mike Krzyzewski’s show, “Basketball & Beyond,” this week.

They talked about why college football doesn’t need the NCAA and why basketball could do the same thing because “there’s no control, no transparency” anymore, Coach K said. What does that mean for the postseason, though? “Don’t screw up the NCAA Tournament, whatever you do,” Coach Cal added.

And then there is NIL, which Calipari says “if the NCAA did what they said they wanted to do, kids would make more in high school than going to college.” At that point, “why wouldn’t they go G-League or Europe?”

“We need to protect college basketball,” he said.

A couple hundred dollars is holding up Big Z’s eligibility

On that note, Calipari addressed the 7-2 elephant in the room with Kentucky in Zvonimir Ivisic. Arriving back in October, the freshman forward has yet to hear a final answer on his eligibility from the NCAA now 14 games into the regular season, going on 15.

And now we know why, the most specific answer we’ve heard on his case up to this point.

“We have one we’re waiting on,” Coach Cal said of Z. “He made a stipend and you’re saying it was too much of a stipend? Juniors in high school and seniors in high school are making hundreds of thousands and you’re talking about his $200? A stipend $200 too much or $300, whatever it was? We’ve got to move with the times and what’s going on right now.”

Small-picture hang-ups are a product of big-picture issues with the NCAA right now. And if they’re not careful, basketball will look to do its own thing the same way college football did with bowls and the playoff system. March Madness is the entity’s baby, the money-maker. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.

“The leadership of basketball, who is it? Basketball pays for all of the NCAA bills,” Calipari said. “So who is leading? That is really the most important thing. In football, you’re seeing what they did.”

Coach Cal says Duke stole Kentucky’s one-and-done model

While we’re talking big-picture items, we finally got Calipari’s jab at Coach K and Duke for stealing Kentucky’s one-and-done model. Coach Cal hinted at it earlier in the week, saying he told Krzyzewski he “copied us” after previously recruiting and developing multi-year guys.

“Now Coach, you’ve got 25- and 26-year-olds playing now, 27-year-olds playing now. We’re playing with 19-year-olds,” Calipari told Krzyzewski. “It’s different than it was when you were doing it and I was doing. I did it before you and then you copied me, but when we were playing young guys — what? Did somebody say something? They were against 22-year-olds, 23 maybe. Now it’s 25, 26, 27.”

Coach K’s response?

“We didn’t copy you, we recruited the same guys,” he said. “The NBA just took ’em like they were taking your guys. We were the only two that did that, they said, ‘Kentucky and Duke, they’re the only one-and-done teams.’ Now everyone is a one-and-done with transfers.”

Right.

Coach K likes the Cats

On a lighter note, Krzyzewski has watched several Kentucky games this year and is a big fan of Calipari’s group. Like the rest of us, he appreciates the Wildcats’ unselfishness and positional versatility.

“I want to tell you, I’ve watched your team a few games and I like your team. You’re doing something different with this team,” K told Cal. “The fact that you share the ball without turning it over and somehow you’re using your bigs different. You’ve always done a great job with the perimeter guys, giving them freedom.”

He can feel Calipari’s enthusiasm, too, which helps.

“And you’re excited about your team, which is really cool. At this time of the year, a lot of coaches aren’t that excited about their teams [laughs],” Krzyzewski said. “What I enjoy doing — I know you’ve done the same thing, and you’re doing it right now — you have this really good group that can do all of these things, but they share the ball. Six double-figure scorers.”

Krzyzewski’s favorite player? Reed Sheppard

It’s easy to fall in love with this team from top to bottom, but there is one player sticking out in Coach K’s eyes. The answer will not surprise you.

“You have my favorite guy in Reed Sheppard, who is like a wind-up doll that never makes a mistake,” Krzyzewski said.

“Except he fouled a 3-point shooter with four seconds to go in that game!” Calipari jumped in. “What in the world was he thinking?!”

“He had to show that he was human, because up until that point, he was not human,” he responded. “And then the look on his face, like, ‘Am I a dummy or what?’ And I love it, I love that. But I know you didn’t love that [laughs].”

Sheppard is just one of many players bringing the best out of his teammates in Lexington. Calipari’s got a roster full of them.

“What I see is that your guys are making each other better. Talent makes talent better if talent is not selfish,” he said. “And that’s what I see in your team. As a result, you’re seeing different talents grow individually. I really liked your team a lot.”

And then the quote all high-profile guards rising up the ranks should keep in their back pockets.

“Obviously, without the big guy (Oscar Tshiebwe) in there, you have more room to drive, but you’ve always been really good with the perimeter guys,” Krzyzewski told Calipari. “I mean, who has more good perimeter guys in the pros?”

The answer is no one — including Duke.