Cal strikes back at World Wide Wes/third-party recruiter implications

@MrsTylerKSR

Who needs a third-party recruiter when you've got a National Championship trophy? Yesterday, we told you about Gary Parrish's article about Central Florida and third-party recruiter Ken Caldwell, whom Parrish likened to World Wide Wes. Wes has been considered by many to be third-party recruiter for Calipari over the years, and Parrish said the only reason Caldwell is in hot water and Wes is not is because Wes is smart and plays the game right, whereas Caldwell got caught. As you can imagine, John Calipari didn't like that comparison one little bit. True to form, Cal struck back in timely fashion in this morning's USA Today in an article by Eric Prisbell:

No coach in the modern era has had more success recruiting elite prospects than John Calipari, who has also fought the perception that his longstanding relationship with influential power broker William Wesley helped him land top-rated recruiting classes at Memphis and Kentucky. Wesley often sits in the stands behind Kentucky's bench and at times was given access to the Memphis locker room when Calipari coached the Tigers. When asked if the presence of third-party recruiting influences has become more common, Calipari said: "If I were where I used to coach, it probably would be more of an issue for me, you know what I'm saying? There's always been more than just the high school coach or the kid you're talking to in recruiting to figure out who is who. I'm at Kentucky now. When I was at Memphis and Massachusetts, it was a lot harder than it is now. Fifteen NBA draft picks the last three years, it's gotten easier."

Once again, Cal shows why he's a media mastermind with this response. Instead of letting Parrish's article and allegations fester, he gets a rebuttal in immediately. Cal knows how to change the conversation and make himself look good in the process. Secondly, Cal makes the incredibly logical argument that he doesn't need third-party recruiters anymore; he can let his resume talk for him. A National Championship and fifteen draft picks in three years? That speaks for itself, guys.