Kentucky Basketball has a trust problem

On Friday, we heard from John Calipari for the first time in a month. Normally, Kentucky fans would hang on to Calipari’s every word coming off a season with national championship hopes; instead, I noticed a very different reaction as we churned out posts from Cal’s 20-minute conversation with Dan Issel and Mike Pratt. Instead of “Go get ’em, Cal” and “In Cal we trust,” there were eye-rolls and derision. Thumbs up and hearts were replaced by thumbs down and laughter. Comments sections always reflect the most extreme emotions, but there’s no denying the Big Blue Nation still has a sour taste in its mouth following the disastrous end to the season. When I asked my husband if he listened to Cal’s interview, he responded, “What’s the point?”

Entering season fourteen of John Calipari’s tenure in Lexington, Kentucky Basketball has a trust problem. The roots of it extend far past the first-round loss to Saint Peter’s — although that certainly didn’t help. For the past several years, Kentucky’s lack of postseason success has made fandom weary, a far cry from the early days. Calipari’s arrival in Lexington in 2009 was a perfect storm. He injected a fanbase desperate for success with life in the form of superstars. John Wall will forever sit alongside Jamal Mashburn in the pantheon of changemakers. He, Calipari, and DeMarcus Cousins achieved in just a few months what most programs strive for in decades. Suddenly, Kentucky Basketball was cool again and life was good. The loss to West Virginia in the Elite Eight stung, but simply being back in the conversation was enough. A Final Four the next year and a championship the year after that solidified our hopes. Until the loss to Wisconsin in 2015 — Icarus getting too close to the sun — there was no reason to question Cal’s system because it worked.

The old system feels broken

One of Calipari’s most impressive achievements is getting Kentucky fans to buy into the one-and-done system. The most passionate fanbase in college basketball (arguably all of sports) likes to know its players and cheer for them year after year. Landing the top recruits is always exciting. Watching them play is often magical. But having to say goodbye after one season? That’s still a tough bargain for many. Over time, fans got used to the annual exodus and reload. While we may not know players as well as we would like, winning is fun. So, when it’s time for them to chase their dreams in the NBA, it’s “Thank you” and “Good luck.” In fact, one of the things we should laud Calipari for is the reminder that at the end of the day, these are just kids trying to change their families’ lives; from that perspective, the fact that it comes at the expense of just one season in Lexington is trivial in comparison.

Somewhere along the line, something changed. Recruiting’s still good — albeit not quite as good as it used to be. Players are getting drafted, but not as high or as often as they once were. The biggest difference is postseason success. Kentucky hasn’t won a championship in ten years, been to a Final Four in seven or an Elite Eight in three. If not for Luke Maye and a few free throws vs. Auburn, that gap would be much smaller, but the ultimate measuring stick for success is winning and it got a lot longer with the first-round loss to Saint Peter’s. When you’re at the top, it’s easy to buy in; when you’re not, doubt grows.

To add insult to injury, the system that Calipari created doesn’t seem to be working here anymore, but it is working elsewhere, specifically at Duke. After Kentucky won the title in 2012, Mike Krzyzewski adapted to the one-and-done model and won his own title in 2015. Since then, the Blue Devils have done one-and-done better than Kentucky. Even though Coach K is retiring, his successor Jon Scheyer is bringing in another stacked recruiting class and it doesn’t feel like the momentum will swing back anytime soon. The mantle of “cool basketball school” passed from Lexington to Durham with Zion Williamson. When will it be back?

Changes haven’t led to success — yet

To his credit, Calipari showed a willingness to change a year ago. Coming off a historically bad 9-16 season — which he chalked up to the pandemic — Calipari shook up his staff, bringing back longtime friend and former assistant Orlando Antigua and his colleague at Illinois, Chin Coleman. Jai Lucas, who came on board in 2020, took on more responsibility, while Bruiser Flint shifted to an advisory role as associate to the head coach.

Always one to seem ahead of the curve, Calipari used the transfer portal to rebuild his roster. Kentucky’s backcourt was instantly infused with experience in Sahvir Wheeler and Kellan Grady to go alongside freshman phenom TyTy Washington. Oscar Tshiebwe, who transferred to Kentucky in January 2020, became a machine in the middle. With plenty of returners and upperclassmen on the roster, Kentucky fans could no longer complain about youth. Last season’s team was the oldest/most experienced in program history.

…But still, they lost in the first round. At times, Kentucky looked unstoppable, most memorably against eventual national champion Kansas in their own house. Injuries are the primary reason Kentucky slid in the final stretch; however, losing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament when just two months prior you looked like you’d win it all was brutal. Saint Peter’s may go down as the most under-seeded team in tournament history, but for the second straight March, Kentucky fans had to watch the NCAA Tournament knowing their team wasn’t going to win it, salt in the wound after such a promising regular season.

Tired Rhetoric

Remember how much we used to love Swaggy Cal? During the height of Kentucky’s success, it felt like Calipari could do no wrong. He’s a Hall of Fame coach, but he’s an even better marketer; that’s why he’s perfectly suited for the job. Kentucky Basketball doesn’t just need a coach; it needs someone who lives, breathes, and eats the sport and everything that comes with it. For most of his time in the seat, Calipari has done that better than anyone. Every appearance on SportsCenter was a must-see. Every tweet was notification-worthy. Every wink, laugh, and smile was immortalized as a meme for future generations. I should know; I’ve got folders full of them.

Somewhere along the line, that changed too. The lines we used to laugh at curdled into spoiled milk. As media members, we’re accustomed to Cal-speak, but it spilled over to his remarks to fans too. Why did that play break down? Why no timeout? Why are we still using this offense? Only those he deems “Basketball Bennies” will understand. Calipari’s promises to play Daimion Collins, Bryce Hopkins, and Dontaie Allen more in the second half of the season went unfulfilled, even as his team dealt with injuries. Speaking of injuries, no one expects a coach to divulge private health information or break down MRIs, but Calipari says “haven’t seen him” so often we’re starting to wonder if he ever does see him. The phrase became a running joke amongst Cal and the staff, except the BBN wasn’t laughing.

The Shaedon Sharpe situation

If the loss to Saint Peter’s was a boiling point for fan frustration, the Shaedon Sharpe saga is the point where the foam spills over and creates a mess on the stove. Sharpe was Kentucky’s first No. 1 recruit since Skal Labissiere in 2015; that alone spelled promise. When he decided to enroll early to prepare for the 2022-23 season, it seemed too good to be true. Any skepticism or fears he would bolt for the NBA were soothed by the words of his mentor, Dwayne Washington. Washington, who also guided Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, vowed that the plan for Sharpe was to sit out the 2021-22 season and play in 2022-23. Even if he was eligible for the 2022 NBA Draft, there was no way he’d enter because he was coming back to Lexington, no question. If you thought otherwise, you might as well be headed to Mars, Washington said.

Less than four months later, I guess we’re all going to Mars. Sharpe declared for the NBA Draft last week but is maintaining his eligibility while he tests the NBA Draft waters (even though there are still reports he will keep his name in). Calipari — who seems to have been misled in this debacle as well — says if Sharpe is guaranteed to go in the top six, he’ll encourage him to stay in the draft. To be clear, if that’s the case, Sharpe should go — life-changing money! — but the annual “Thank you” and “Good luck” is a little harder when one-and-done becomes none-and-done.

The blame here doesn’t totally lie at Calipari’s feet. If the No. 1 player in the country wants to come to your school, you take him, especially when he and his camp claim it will be for a year and a half. Calipari’s misstep with Sharpe was the messaging. From the minute Sharpe stepped on campus, there was speculation on whether or not he would play in the 2021-22 season. For two months, Calipari didn’t close the door on it, even encouraging fans to come to games early to watch him warm up. If the NBA decides Sharpe is indeed eligible for this summer’s draft and he goes, it won’t be Cal’s fault; however, there is justified frustration with how it was managed.

Where do we go from here?

That’s the question I asked myself driving home from Indianapolis a month ago and I’m still not sure I have the answer. Kentucky’s saving grace right now is Oscar Tshiebwe. For reasons we’ve discussed ad nauseam, Oscar coming back for another season is massive. Not only is the reigning national player of the year the cornerstone of next year’s roster, he’s keeping the fanbase on board. Both Oscar and Calipari spoke on Friday. Whose comments did you enjoy more? Oscar is a PR dream. The best thing Kentucky can do is build next year around him, starting with Big O Bahamas.

In the past few days, Calipari has reemerged, not only on the recruiting trail but also in the public eye. He and the team went to Dawson Springs to visit children affected by the deadly tornadoes in December. That’s a good start. He’s been more active on social media too. A cooling-off period between Kentucky fans and Calipari was needed following the season. The excitement over Oscar’s return showed the Big Blue Nation still has a pulse. I think most fans have accepted Sharpe is going to the NBA, even if there is bitterness over how it played out. Bring in a few solid pieces for next season — hello, Antonio Reeves — and keep DJ Wagner from going to Louisville in 2023 and the panic will subside; however, equally as important in this relationship is trust. After two embarrassing postseasons and communication that frankly, feels tone-deaf at times, there are bridges to be mended. Winning will take care of that, but there is more work to be done. Pull up a seat at Wheeler’s and let’s do it because this can still be great. The only thing worse than frustration is indifference.