Times Record News, Wichita Falls, Texas, Andy Newberry column
By Andy Newberry, Times Record News, Wichita Falls, Texas | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
The Cinderella slipper doesn't really fit when a program is going for its ninth national title. Even if they win, it probably won't be as fondly remembered as
An underdog with bite, sure, everyone knew the Wildcats weren't your everyday No. 8. But although they're young, the uniforms aren't new. They're not cool like Florida Gulf Coast in 2013 or even
But the Wildcats are good at playing basketball and
Calipari is always asked about the "one-and-dones" as if he created the system. He prefers "succeed before you proceed."
The team they're compared to, the Fab Five at
Calipari's players have the built-in advantages of playing with other great players. But their growth plan is also very aggressive. He used freshmen for 168 of a possible 200 minutes in Saturday's 74-73 semifinal win over
"It is an us-against-the-world thing," said
Calipari said the
"Every player that I've recruited, and they will tell you, I say the same thing. Don't plan on coming to school for one year," Calipari said. "But if after one year you have options, that will be up to you and your family. You plan on being in school two or three years. But if after one year you have options, that's up to you and your family. Enjoy the experience, enjoy the college environment, because the rest of it is work, it's not about family, it's about business. So enjoy it.
"Now, I was hoping we could do it and I still may do it, but again, the connotation that's been built around one-and-done is so ridiculous to make it a bad thing, it's a negative thing. It's not used in other sports, it's not used in other areas of life where people stay in school a year and leave. So the thing that we have been talking about is succeed and proceed. Succeed and proceed. You cannot proceed until you succeed. Succeed and then proceed. It will be on T shirts."
The Wildcats started the season ranked No. 1. They weren't the only team to start ranked high, take a few hits and then come back strong at the end. Right here in Big 12 country,
The Wildcats wouldn't have been ready for this stretch of games against powerful teams like
"You can't skip steps," Calipari said. "Part of the process is failing fast, sometimes failing often. The final step to all this is you surrender to each other, you lose yourself in the team and you understand less is more."
"My game's evolved tremendously," Randle said. "
While Calipari doesn't want the blame for every player in the country who decided to go early, he also doesn't want undue credit for being a father figure to those who came to him with a great family structure. With Randle, it was assistant
"Julius said in some ways (coaches are) a father figure, but Aaron and
Calipari is in this third Final Four with
"I've had a heck of a career and I've been blessed," Calipari said. "I'm now at a school where I can help kids more than I've ever helped any kids that I've ever coached -- and families. I work as hard as I can, keep believing in the kids I'm coaching and the teams I'm coaching.
"I've got to hold them accountable. But I'm also going to cheer them and try to get them positive thoughts."
Calipari hasn't solved the world's problems by being an excellent basketball coach. But he didn't create them, either. And if the
Calipari said he's supported a two-year rule for years.
"Two years and two summers, they're a year and a half away from a college degree," Calipari said. " Now you're a year and a half away, you can come back, you can do this. Now you can always tell your children when they say, Well, Dad, wait a minute, I played professionally and I got a college degree. The other side of it is, the
"But the
Well, they haven't figured it out yet so it's a little complicated. Simple for Cal will be deciding which of his nine freshmen get the ball if the title is hanging in the balance with 10 seconds left.
"He's comfortable in his skin," Calipari said of
The coach sounds like he's comfortable with his place in life, too.
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