Mitch Barnhart on unique set of issues: 'Everybody else is not Kentucky'
There has been unmatched uproar at Kentucky over the past week in regards to the state of their basketball program. Still, according to AD Mitch Barnhart, the uniqueness of their circumstances in Lexington are also unparalleled, which is why, at least in some ways, the Wildcats deserve some slack.
Barnhart sat down with John Calipari for an interview regarding the direction of their basketball team on Wednesday. In that sit-down with BBN Tonight, he explained how the current conditions at Kentucky in this new era of collegiate basketball make it specifically challenging for them to compete at the level that many expect them to.
“Everyone else is not Kentucky,” said Barnhart.
“They don’t have the unique set of issues that we have with the skillset of guys coming in that have the ability to go to the NBA and then deal with the transfer timelines and the NBA Combine like we do,” Barnhart said.
The machine that Calipari has run over the past decade and a half as been unlike anything in the sport. He has developed and sent out 45 selections in the NBA Draft since 2010. Among those picks, several have gone on to earn major accolades over their time in the association.
Still, in terms of Kentucky, that has created challenges in how the team builds a roster each and every year. It leads to a new crop of freshmen coming in each year trying to achieve the same, one-and-done success as the class before them. That’s not even including any other older Wildcats who decide to test the professional waters too.
However, the transfer portal now further complicates that roster construction. Not every player at Kentucky ends up being an NBA-ready prospect after one year in the bluegrass. While most used to stay and develop when that was the case, they aren’t necessarily anymore because of the portal. That’s all while the program is also scouring for new, transferring contributors themselves to help mitigate the losses from those who left after the season.
With 410 wins under Calipari in his 15 years, no one is going to shed a tear over what comes with Kentucky that complicate their operations unlike anyone else’s. Barnhart just doesn’t want that fact to be lost on anyone, though, as the program continues to try and climb from its recent rut.
“Ours is unique and for no one to recognize that is baffling to me,” said Barnhart.