July is an important month for new Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari but it won’t have any bearing on the upcoming season.
It’s the month that coaches hit the road to see the various basketball camps where the top prospects gather and we’ll see if coach Cal can continue his impressive start on the recruiting trail at UK.
There’s no reason to think there will be any letdown and with the way the game is structured these days, coaches just cannot afford to relax. Kentucky may have the best point guard in the country next season, but he will likely be gone after one year. Coaches at programs like Kentucky have to constantly reload their rosters and Cal and his staff seem to have the right mindset for that challenge.
If you’re Calipari, you have to recruit with the thought that Wall, Patrick Patterson, Demarcus Cousins and perhaps even Eric Bledsoe and Daniel Orton will be gone. The exodus probably won’t be that great, but you have to assume the worst so you don’t get caught with a short roster that doesn’t matchup with the schedule he wants to play at UK.
-Tom Leach
I would say, “just be patient.” It’s a little early for a lot of players to commit right now. You’ll see plenty of them–and Cal will get his share–as we get closer to the November signing period.
-Tom Leach
With the success Calipari had for 2009, why is he not closing any 2010 or 2011 deals?
Tom, You may not remember me but, in our younger days we play little league ball together in Paris. Your dad and Tom Sosby were my 1st coaches. We were maybe 6 then and I ended up getting traded to Junebugs team which was his dads team because my brother was on that team. We also played against each other in High School and softball. Any way i just wanted to say that you do a great job with UK Basketball and I always have to tell everyone that i once played ball together. We live in Asheville NC and usually get back to Mt. Sterling every Christmas.We plan on maybe coming to another game this winter now that we can have some bragging rights here in NC. It’s time for the tarheels to go down. Tell all the old ballplayers that I said hello. I hope I didn’t bore you too much. Joe Crow