John Calipari explains naming Jacob Toppin, Lance Ware team captains

John Calipari named veteran forwards Jacob Toppin and Lance Ware as his two team captains ahead of Kentucky‘s NCAA Tournament slate, he revealed Sunday.

“I named Jacob and Lance captains,” Calipari said after learning of Kentucky’s NCAA Tournament seed. “Now, I never named captains, as you all know, but this, this is going to fall on enabling them to lead each other. And to hold each other accountable.”

Calipari explained why he chose Toppin, someone who has been a key asset to Kentucky’s efforts this season — and Ware, someone who doesn’t play major minutes on a game-to-game basis.

Ware played a lot earlier in the season while Calipari tinkered with his lineups. He went on see action in every SEC game UK played this year, but logged more than 10 minutes just three times and only once since Jan. 21. He played all of one minute in Kentucky’s SEC Tournament loss to Vanderbilt last Friday.

“It’s really simple why I did it,” Calipari said. “Because he is one that everyone listens to. And my thing to him is when they know a guy is leading and may or may not play, yet he’s been the same, they will follow. They will follow. 

“So now instead of the inward thinking, you’re a leader, it’s outward thinking, it’s about the guys — ‘what do I have to do?’ ‘How do we got to do this?’ And I think those two will hold guys accountable, but we got a great group of young people. I’m just telling you.”

With Toppin and Ware at the helm, 6-seed Kentucky will take on 11-seed Providence in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Tip-off is scheduled for Friday at 7:10 p.m. ET on CBS live from Greensboro, NC. Kentucky has opened as four-point favorites over the Friars, per Caesars Sportsbook.