In just a few short months during his first year as the head coach of Kentucky, John Calipari wrangled a top recruiting class the included John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and Eric Bledsoe. He continued to build his legacy of being heralded as the best modern day recruiter in college basketball. To most. To others, Coach Cal is singled-handedly ruining the phrase [I]student-athlete[/I].[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
With the 2010 class and the recruits already committing to UK for 2011, the debate seems to be [URL=”http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2010/04/23/class-dismissed-john-caliparis-minor-league-mentality/”]heating up[/URL]. The argument that Coach Cal is enabling this one and done college athlete is ridiculous. Coach Cal is a great coach who has a lot to offer young basketball players. If the education he provides to already talented players helps them accelerate their game to a professional caliber then he has done his job. If the mix of player athleticism and coach education allows a player to do it in one year, then job well done. Coach Cal’s job is to recruit talent, nurture those he recruits and win championships. If nurturing that talent leads to those young men being able to earn millions then he has accomplished task one and two. Having the type of talent that has the potential to enter the NBA before completing 4 years of college puts him in good position to complete task three as well.
My message to all the Calihaters out there is simple. Watch someone else. A coach that accomplishes two of three goals in his first year is doing something remarkably well. Just Ask any of his fans or the players that are going to earn big money playing professionally thanks in big part to him what they think.
[B]Leave a comment below to let us know what you think about Coach Calipari’s ability to recruit the top players in the nation and how it impacts the one-and-done concept in college basketball.[/B]
