John Wall's advice to Calipari: "Let them play loose, let them play"

John Calipari still trusts two of his best Kentucky point guards long after their Wildcat careers ended. There is Tyler Ulis, the 2016 SEC Player of the Year and Consensus All-American, who is part of the daily operations this season as a student manager on Kentucky’s staff. Ulis is a vital part of the program in his current role, offering a unique perspective as a former player not far removed from a prolific playing career in UK’s backcourt, but still one of the coaches. He is loved throughout the building and fan base.

Then there is Calipari’s first Kentucky point guard, John Wall, another fan favorite. New to NBA retirement, Wall has made multiple appearances at Kentucky games this season, from sitting with Ellen Calipari in Rupp Arena to high-fiving Rob Dillingham during Dillingham’s breakout performance against North Carolina at the CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta.

In addition to his fan support, Wall offers coaching advice from his seat in the crowd. Before the Florida game, he reached out to his old coach with a suggestion on how Kentucky’s young backcourt should play in the SEC. Calipari told the brief story in his postgame comments in Gainesville, saying Wall told him before the game, “Hey, let them play loose and just make sure they know this team’s better, so they may have to have the next play, but let them play.”

Wall speaks from experience. When he was the young freshman in UK’s backcourt, he lost only two SEC games, won the league and league tournament, and swept Florida. Ulis, too. Ulis went 5-0 against the Gators in two seasons.

And they are still beating Florida in 2024 from new perspectives.

BBN is so lucky to have these two.