Will Martin: Recruits, transfers would be ”crazy” not to play for John Calipari

Missouri Western head coach Will Martin got his start at Kentucky, serving as a basketball team manager for four seasons from 2009-12 — his final three under head coach John Calipari. In those three years, he was a part of three Elite Eights, two Final Fours and a national title.

A decade later, Martin now has his own program, bringing the Griffons to Rupp Arena for a homecoming matchup to open Kentucky’s exhibition slate. Two of his assistants, former Wildcats Jon Hood and Perry Stevenson, made their returns to Lexington, as well.

Martin came in looking to make a statement. Not in the form of a historic upset or mind-blowing individual performance, but simply that his team belonged on that floor. He wanted it to be an opportunity both teams learned from and those in attendance left respecting the Griffons’ effort.

“I hope that they see a team that’s resilient,” Martin told KSR leading up to the matchup. “And I hope that people see a team that responds well to adversity — obviously, we’re going to be outmatched in that game. … When we walk out of that gym, I hope that — yeah, 20,000 people will forget about Missouri Western, but I hope for at least 30 minutes or 45 minutes of their night when they’re driving home they’re like, ‘That team is connected, they love each other and they play hard.’

“I hope that both teams walk away from that game from their own vantage point saying, ‘Look, we got better because of this game.’”

Mission accomplished. Kentucky would go on to finish with the fewest overall points in a full exhibition game since 1948, grinding out a 56-38 win. Missouri Western held the Cats to just 40.4% shooting overall and 31.8% from three, with only two players finishing in double figures.

“Man, did they play hard, and did they compete. They out-rebounded us,” John Calipari said. “… I think that team played us physical. You would think at one point they’d go away, and they didn’t. They didn’t. They played until the horn went. They just kept coming.”

It’s exactly what Martin looked for when the game got scheduled, a reaction he hoped for from the man who helped him get his start in the sport. Both sides improved and learned while those in attendance drove home appreciating the Griffons’ effort.

The MWSU head coach found himself emotional after the game discussing the matchup and what the evening meant to him, his coaching staff and the program as a whole.

“I am beyond words when it comes to what this game meant for me and my staff, and if I learned anything from Coach Cal, it’s that it’s always about the players,” Martin said. “So anytime anyone in the media has asked me any type of question about me coming back after being a manager, or Coach Hood or Coach Stevenson coming back, I’ve always focused on our guys. But I’ll say this, for me personally, the feeling of humility and gratitude that Coach Cal would have us back.

“Everything that I am as a man, as a coach, is because of Coach Cal.”

Martin’s love for the Kentucky program and deep respect for Calipari remains, even after ten years away from Lexington. That passion came through at the podium, as the third-year head coach stressed that any high-profile recruit or transfer would be “crazy” to turn down the opportunity to play for Coach Cal.

“If you are a top 100 player in the country or a top transfer, you’re crazy. You are crazy for not coming to the University of Kentucky to play for Coach Cal. He is player-first,” Martin said Sunday. “And what does that mean? It’s not just that he puts his players first and he takes care of them. He holds him accountable. He makes sure that they become better men in the community, in the classroom. And that’s everything that we try to do here at Western.”

He obviously doesn’t have the same resources at MWSU, but the philosophies and approach to the game he learned under Calipari are nearly identical. It starts with putting players first and holding them accountable.

“We don’t have the resources that you all have here in Kentucky, but everything that we do is because of Coach Cal,” Martin said. “And I try to love my players. I try to hold my guys accountable. The same way Coach Cal is good not just for his players, but for his staff. I wiped up sweat here for four years. And I got an opportunity to coach here with two guys that I love. Perry Stevenson and Jon Hood played here. That just shows coach Coach Cal’s character.

“I’m proud of our guys. … I can’t thank our university enough. I’m just super grateful and I am super humble.”

Calipari is proud of his former manager and players, as well. The Kentucky head coach singled out Martin for his brilliant basketball mind and will to win, adding that the MWSU staff as a whole outcoached him on Sunday.

“Well, they did better than me if you watched the game, and I was proud of all three of them,” Calipari said. “I told Will, ‘You know what’s great? You get a job and you reach back and you take care of a couple of guys that want to get into coaching and do it.’ They love Will, and when you hire people, the number one thing is they’ve got to love you. All the other stuff, I’ll teach.”

Martin’s return to Lexington brought back a few other former Wildcats, namely Darius Miller and Daniel Orton. Calipari raved about the former manager’s ability to connect with players during his time at UK, and between those who joined his staff and those who came to support him at Rupp Arena, that’s clear.

“Yeah, he was a great teammate,” Calipari said. “You have guys around the program that keep an eye on these kids because I’m not going to be there and our staff — but he was one that really — the players loved him. You saw Daniel was there. You saw Darius was there. I told Darius about — he says, I can’t come, I’ve got this, my kids, but I’m going to be at that, and Darius’s mom and dad, we all appreciate him.

“What he’s done here and the mark he’s left, and on top of that, he’s a heck of a coach. Heck of a coach.