John Calipari Leftovers: Mowing, Vegas, And More

DrewFranklinKSR

John Calipari On Zvonimir Ivisic

Before Kentucky Basketball plays its first exhibition game in Rupp Arena, we still have more from the preseason conversation with John Calipari earlier this week. UK’s head coach spoke for half an hour on Wednesday with newsworthy comments about the Wildcats and the season ahead, among other college basketball matters.

For instance, he offered his approach to Name, Image, and Likeness, saying there needs to be more leadership at the top. Calipari also had plenty to say about his players, including Zvonimir Ivisic. It sounds like recruiting is going well for the future, too.

In addition to those talking points, other parts of the conversation won’t make headlines. Still, the Big Blue Nation may find them interesting.

These are five Calipari Media Day leftovers as we count down until the first tip-off.

Vegas Knows Best

When the AP released its preseason poll, the Wildcats received their lowest preseason ranking in John Calipari’s 15 years as head coach, ranking No. 16 in the first Top 25. He insinuated the voters don’t know what they’re talking about; Vegas does.

“I never paid attention to it anyway. It doesn’t matter. Right now, with the transfer stuff and kids leaving programs, and their whole team leaving, or they get a transfer that they’re saying is the greatest of all time and the guy is a dud, you don’t know who’s who. So last year, none of those teams were picked in the top 25 and then the final game in Connecticut wins it.

“Where do I look? Vegas.”

Kentucky has the fifth-best odds to win the title in the desert, not the 16th.

A Malik Monk Memory

Speaking of Vegas, Calipari recalled Kentucky’s trip out there in 2016 to play North Carolina in the CBS Sports Classic. Malik Monk had 47 in a win. You remember.

Calipari brought that game up at Media Day ’23 when talking about Rob Dillingham, who has similarities to Monk in how he will sometimes go off-script.

“I can remember yelling at him we are playing North Carolina in Las Vegas, and he drives down beside me, and I say, drive the ball, drive the ball, don’t you shoot it. And he pulls up and shoots it and it went in, and I said good shot. Way to go kid.”

2020 Still Sucks

Another one from the past. Calipari admitted there is still some pain from not seeing the 2019-20 season all the way through.

“We had Maxey, Quickley, and that group,” he said. “It makes you want to — that’s why they cried on the bus on the way back from Nashville. They knew they could’ve won it all. They still talk about it now.”

Weedeater Gate

Until it was recently updated, a Zillow listing in Calipari’s neighborhood alleged Calipari borrowed a weedeater and never returned it. Now, anyone who knows John Calipari knows he isn’t doing his own weed-eating. Still, the listing got enough attention that it warranted a joke from Calipari during his Media Day comments.

He cleared the record, saying, “You all know me. Come on. Never cut grass in my life. Well, I did when I was 15. Almost cut my toes off, so no. I’m not that guy.”

Jordan Burkes, Reed Sheppard Getting NBA Attention

Now, some actual basketball talk. Calipari said Reed Sheppard and Jordan Burkes are benefiting from not having the NBA draft expectations of some of their freshman classmates. They’re playing free and without anything to live up to right away, and it’s led to those two playing really good basketball–so good, the NBA is starting to notice.

“The Pro Day… every pro scout loved Jordan. Part of it is because they’ve never seen him before. They look at the 6’8″ guy there saying, ‘oh, my gosh this kid here.’

“The other one was Reed up in Toronto. They love Reed.”

On SEC Competition

The Southeastern Conference is going to be tough again this year, and Calipari knows it.

“I can tell you our schedule is one of the toughest in the country,” he said. “I can tell you right now our league is projected to be one of the toughest in the country. And, you know, my first couple years, there were two or three teams you worried about. Now, there’s nine or 10. It’s totally a different setup.”

Kentucky will play all six games against a preseason Top-25 team: