Kentucky’s Jon Hood has been in the program for every year of John Calipari’s tenure as the Wildcats head coach and it sounds like he has become an important part of this year’s team, even without the minutes on the floor.
“He knows what he’s talking about because he’s been around basketball a long time,” backup forward Alex Poythress said. “He’s been around college basketball for five years, you know. He’s not going to mince words, so we just try to have open ears and listen to him.”
Even Calipari has been impressed with Hood’s transformation from star prep player to a tutor for future NBA stars.
“He went from overwhelmed to a little angry to one of the greatest kids I’ve ever coached,” Calipari said. “He’s playing with joy, which is what we are trying to teach.”
These days, Hood couldn’t imagine life any other way.
“They taught me to treat people with respect, to try and help make people’s lives better,” he said. “They taught me to keep it real and don’t ever back down.”
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