Cal Is College Basketball's Best Coach

Calipari is college basketball's best coach




Tom Sorenson
Charlotte Observer Columnist

NEWARK - Watching Kentucky beat Ohio State and then North Carolina, I had one overriding thought: John Calipari is the best coach in college basketball.

We think of Calipari as a recruiter. He goes after players others might not, the players for whom college is recess, a one-year break between high school or prep school and the NBA. He rolls out the ball and tells his players to do NBA stuff. When they leave, he recruits another batch of one-and-dones to take their place.

But did you watch the Wildcats work this weekend? How many bad shots did they take? How many good shots did they get?

They took 22 three-pointers against the Tar Heels and hit 12. How many were contested?

True, the open threes were a testament to North Carolina's defense. The Tar Heels have struggled all season to stop the three.

So Calipari exploited the weakness. Every time North Carolina made a late second-half run, and the Tar Heels made several, a Wildcat shut it down with a pretty shot from long range.

Duke's Mike Krzyzewski and North Carolina's Roy Williams are among the best in their sport.

But if there's evidence that either is better than Calipari, I don't see it.

True, the man has sidestepped scandals without a single hair falling out of place, a testament to leaving at the right time and industrial strength gel.

Since he took the Kentucky job, he's avoided being tainted by the unsavory, and he's been there two entire seasons. He's recruited and coached beautifully. And his team probably is going to win the NCAA tournament.

THIS YEAR IS ONE OF THE BEST COACHING JOBS I HAVE EVER SEEN.

I don't think this team is done, but if Cal isn't coach of the year, it will be a crime. What did he have coming back? 13-14 PPG? Coach Dumb Dumb has done a smoke and mirrors job this year.

I agree, this is one of his best coaching jobs. I have seen some good coaching at UK and one that stands out was in 1998. I hate to say it but Tubby coached his butt off that year. That too was some great coaching. Too bad Tubby could not keep it up. I love Coach Cal and the way he goes about everything. He is the perfect fit for Kentucky Basketball.

BK

Really? I'll be nice. The decision to press in the second half against Duke was not Tubby's, it was Padgett's. Tubby said no, but they did it anyway. Tubby was in the dark, and the first TV timeout was more than a little "awkward". Tubby would have plodded along playing Tubby ball if Padgett hadn't acted and told the team to press.

Tubby won that title with Rick's players, and one of Rick's players called that shot based on the way they had played under Rick. Tubby was a spectator on that one.

Californication wrote:Really? I'll be nice. The decision to press in the second half against Duke was not Tubby's, it was Padgett's. Tubby said no, but they did it anyway. Tubby was in the dark, and the first TV timeout was more than a little "awkward". Tubby would have plodded along playing Tubby ball if Padgett hadn't acted and told the team to press.

THIS POST IS COMPLETELY TRUE!!!


Yes I posted that with all caps because Scott Padgett told me so on mulitiple occassions during fantasy football drafts, parties and what have you. I'm proud to say that playing in 4 fantasy football games I am 1-3 against him lol. Awful record for me but hey I'm ok to lose to a champion.

Uhhh, no. Sorry. But Coach K is college basketball's best coach. He's won what? Four National Titles? And he does this at a private school with ridiculously high academic standards, eight miles from one of the top three or four basketball programs in the country, and his team plays in a 9,000 seat crackerbox.

Seriously, Cal is a good coach but let's not forget, he's the coach of the Kentucky Wildcats. You and I could go to the top recruits in the nation and say "Hi my name is Bubba and I'm with Kentucky. We'd like to offer you a scholarship" and we would still haul in a top 20 class. Let's see him win at least one national title before we proclaim him the guru of college hoops.

jagator wrote:Uhhh, no. Sorry. But Coach K is college basketball's best coach. He's won what? Four National Titles? And he does this at a private school with ridiculously high academic standards, eight miles from one of the top three or four basketball programs in the country, and his team plays in a 9,000 seat crackerbox.

Seriously, Cal is a good coach but let's not forget, he's the coach of the Kentucky Wildcats. You and I could go to the top recruits in the nation and say "Hi my name is Bubba and I'm with Kentucky. We'd like to offer you a scholarship" and we would still haul in a top 20 class. Let's see him win at least one national title before we proclaim him the guru of college hoops.

Well Tubby was at UK and he couldn't get the recruits like Cal has. This is just Cals second year with UK and has an elite 8 and a final 4 to show for it. Thats pretty damn good. Ithink if Cal sticks around long enough at UK he is going to get those championships.

We're not talking "pretty darn good". This thread claims he is "the best". I'm counting three national championship rings on Jim Calhoun's fingers. I don't see one on Calipari's. So he's got three championships to win before he can even claim to be the best Coach Cal. And being at UK did help Tubby recruit too. You don't see any Rondos, Bogans, Princes or Hayes at Minnesota do you?

Do you really think any high profile player is going to sign with Minnesota with it being 25 degrees below 0 between October and March in the city and having to look at Saul everyday? Tubby may be making the wife happy by having Saul around, but he's not doing anything for the Minnesota program.

I'm not saying he's the best coach, he hasn't come close to earning that. What I am saying this year's performance is coach of the year, period, and one of the greatest coaching performances ever. Losing what he lost, and making a final 4? Seriously? With a 6 man rotation? That's some serious coaching.