After the settling of the dust...(Part Two)

With the first part of my blog focusing on the end of the Gillispie era in Lexington, this one will focus on the hiring of John Calipari.

To be honest, I believe Jimmy Dykes put it best when the rumors began to surface that Gillispie's tenure in Kentucky might be coming to an end. Mitch Barnhardt had to have an ace in his hip pocket in order to even seriously consider firing a coach after two seasons. Cal was the choice that the fans inevitably pushed for (see Facebook) and Mitch had to get this done.

Enter John Calipari, a guy who was deemed too "shady" for the Kentucky job yet has zero record of NCAA infractions. Rick Pitino, the golden boy of Kentucky basketball, has EIGHT. That's right.

As much as I want to compare this situation to Matt Doherty/Roy Williams at UNC, and the situation is so eerily similar, I can't bring myself to do it. While the players and boosters were calling for Doherty's head and eventually forced him out, UNC still managed to bring in top talent. Roy Williams took the same team Doherty recruited and won a national championship. Cal is going to have to recruit more players to do that with, and with John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins possibly coming to Kentucky, a title run could be a very distinct possibility if Meeks and Patterson return.

That being said, landing Cousins and Wall could prove to be more difficult than people realize. Wall has been pretty tight lipped and has yet to name a leader for his services. Cousins is more likely to attend Kentucky, but I still wouldn't be surprised to see Anthony Grant make a bid for the big mans services. Wall will likely come down to three teams, one that gives him a chance to be the "star" on an average team in Baylor, another that is close to his home in Raleigh (Duke), and of course Kentucky.

The best part about Calipari, however, is his demeanor. I believe that will go a long way to appease a fanbase that expects excellence. Compare the press conference Wednesday morning to Billy Gillispie's pep rally two years ago. John Calipari is the type of person who can control the room and the moment, while Billy Gillispie was completely overwhelmed by the situation. Cal was completely at ease and poked fun at the Lexington media, including Alan Cutler who had chased Gillispie through the Craft center the previous Friday. Billy Gillispie, however, had to force himself to be personable, even in his press conference the day after he was fired.

The only thing that does scare me about Calipari is how long he will be here. I know people will say that because he failed in the NBA that he likely will not return, but that was before he instituted the dribble drive offense. It has become so successful that even NBA teams are adopting portions of it, including the Boston Celtics. Say in five years he has taken Kentucky to the pinnacle of success and does win a national championship or two and the Memphis Grizzlies come calling. Time will heal all wounds and I believe he would likely listen. That being said, I am hoping he will retire as a Kentucky Wildcat.

I also believe a more laid back approach that we saw in the first practice will do wonders for the current Kentucky team, who was pushed to the brink by Gillispie. I would have loved to have been at the practice to see the teams reaction when Cal stopped to praise a player rather than tear them down.

In a matter of five days, Kentucky has made a move that will likely catapult them back into the elite college programs in the nation, and possibly creating a doorway to the NBA that is running through West Vine Street in Lexington.

Welcome to the world of spoiled sports indeed.