BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — As he prepares for his first season as Kentucky males’s basketball teacher, Mark Pope could have a fan from afar: John Calipari.
Calipari, who left Kentucky in March for the Arkansas opening, stated his former college made the “perfect” selection when it leased Pope, the captain of the Wildcats’ 1995-96 squad that gained a countrywide identify beneath Rick Pitino, as its fresh head teacher. Calipari and Pope have had a courting that has persisted amid their fresh adjustments.
Aside from for the lone assembly between Arkansas and Kentucky on Feb. 1 in Lexington, Calipari stated he’ll be supportive of his alternative.
“I think they hired a perfect guy for that job,” Calipari stated Tuesday at SEC media future. “And part of it is because he played there, graduated from there. He has a heart for the place, and he has an idea of what that is. … It’s a different place if you’re just walking in. He’s been there and understands it.”
When requested about his choice to let fall Kentucky amid a breezy end that incorporated two first-round exits within the age 3 NCAA tournaments, Calipari stated the ones may learn his age feedback.
“I’ve talked about why I did what I did,” he stated. “I’ve talked, so what I want to do today is talk about the SEC. This league has gotten ridiculously hard. I want to talk about my team, my roster. But I’ve talked about all that stuff. I mean, you can look it up and see what I’ve said. It’s going to be me saying it over again.”
Calipari praised Pope, a sentiment the previous BYU teacher had echoed previous within the future about Calipari.
“He’s a Hall of Fame coach, as a die-hard Kentucky fan and a player,” Pope stated. “I’m grateful for everything he’s done for our university. He’s also been a good friend. He is a terrific mentor. We’ve gone through our coaching journey, and so we wish him the best in everything he does and we’ll be grateful for everything that he did at Kentucky. We’ll be cheering for him [except on] Feb. 1st.”
At Arkansas, Calipari stated he’ll want age to develop his tradition. And time avid gamers like ex-Florida Atlantic famous person Johnell Davis and previous five-star hire DJ Wagner have eased the transition, total, Calipari stated he’s keen on the place he’s at, now not what he left at the back of.
“I am fully immersed in what I’m doing,” Calipari stated. “You won’t believe this. I’m doing a lot of stuff, and I don’t have time for any of the other stuff, any of the things out there, but I’ll be rooting for [Pope]. Come on, man. Fifteen years, I gave my heart and soul I want them to do well.”
