John Calipari will not push players out, hints at returning key talent

This offseason will not be like most for John Calipari. He’ll have the same individual player meetings with the Wildcats he has every year, sure, but there will be no hesitation or pushback on kids who may be heartbroken about Kentucky‘s first-round loss to Oakland.

He’s ripped up scholarships in the past for guys who considered a return to Lexington or his previous stops, but needed to turn pro. That will not be the case this time around for those interested in a revenge tour.

Calipari broke down how this week’s meetings will go and why things could be different this time around during his call-in radio show, starting with the initial approach.

“They walk in and I stand up and hug them hard, tell them how much I appreciate what they’ve done for all of us and for me personally. Then I tell them, ‘I love you and I’m with you until the wheels fall off. Now talk to me, how are you feeling about it?’ And they’ll probably — I want them to get some of that grief off and I want to take it on myself,” he said. “If any of them try to take responsibility, ‘Don’t, stop right there. We would have never been where we were without you, so just leave it alone. It’s time that we’re marching on. And then I’ll say, ‘How do I help you going forward? Do you have a plan? What are you thinking about?’ I’ll go through each guy that way, but then I’ll hug them on the way out. I’ll say, ‘I love you, I’m here for you.'”

From there, he’ll ask about their current plans and whether or not they need help. He won’t make the choices for them, obviously, but he’ll provide guidance if the players are looking for it.

And if they indicate a return is on the table, Calipari will welcome them back with open arms.

“There may be some that when it’s time to talk, ‘What do you think?’ I’ll do that with them. I’m not ever telling anybody you have to leave and I’m not telling anybody they have to stay, because at the end of the day, they’ve got to make that decision. Then they’ve got to live with it,” he said. “You know what I’m thinking right now? If someone says to me, ‘I’m coming back,’ I’m saying, ‘Under eight months and we’ve got the first game of the year. Let’s go. Just under eight months and we’ve got the start of next year.’

“Because I want this taste out of my mouth. I want it to go forward. So if any of them say that, that’s what my comment will be to them.”

Jack “Goose” Givens was asked about the importance of point guard play and how he’ll prioritize that going into the offseason. Calipari’s response? There may be a few current guards on the team interested in running it back next year. And that will be the priority before worrying about adding pieces in the portal.

“We’ve got one or two that could come back and solve that issue for us because of what they’ve been through. And then if not, then we’ve gotta look who’s out there,” he said. “If you’re a point guard and you’re near draftable, why wouldn’t you come here? That’s where the NIL plays a part of it. If they’re really good, it’s not like recruiting freshmen. It isn’t. It’s totally a different situation. It’s either we get one or two of the guys that were playing some point to be back if that’s what they choose to do, or we go find one.”

At the end of the day, Kentucky needs to get older while maintaining the same level of talent.

“We’re talking older players, we’re talking older talented players. The players that we brought in here have been talented, the older players were talented,” Calipari added. “We need it to be that physicality, the talented and even maybe, depending on what team returns you may have to do some leadership stuff. You’ve got to do a little bit of that too because the team has to be empowered. They gotta be able to talk to one another.”

Reed Sheppard is the obvious name to keep a close eye on. Beyond that, though, could DJ Wagner be someone who decides to run it back for year two in Lexington?