Calipari to hold first practice as UK coach tonight

John Calipari was on Jim Rome’s show this afternoon and he said that he will be holding his first practice with his new team this evening with individual meetings to follow tomorrow. I think it might be more appropriate to call “practice” tonight “tryouts”.

You have to believe that Coach Cal is going into practice tonight with the idea that he is auditioning guys already on the roster to determine who he believes can play for him and fit into his system. I think we’ll know a lot more about the futures of many current players tomorrow or the next day. Calipari is going to be upfront with the guys: if he thinks they don’t cut it, they will be encouraged to look for another place to play basketball. Come back tomorrow for a complete look at the current UK roster and their future at the school.

A couple quick notes:

-Dakotah Euton has joined Michael Avery, GJ Vilarino, and KC Ross-Miller in the increasingly long line of Billy Gillispie recruits who have re-opened their recruitment with the arrival of John Calipari. The last men standing are Vinny Zollo and…

-Dominique Ferguson, the only Billy G recruit Calipari really wants. Jerry Tipton had the following post about the Indiana forward:

High school junior Dominique Ferguson, widely viewed as one of the two best prospects gotten into Kentucky’s fold by former Coach Billy Gillispie, said Thursday that he was “strongly” considering re-opening his recruiting process.

“I like Kentucky’s style,” he said of the way new coach John Calipari approaches basketball. Then Ferguson added, “I’m still strongly thinking of de-committing.”

Ferguson, a top 10 national prospect from Indianapolis, noted how he and Calipari are strangers. Calipari spoke to the prospect Wednesday.

“I just think I need to start things over,” Ferguson said. “I don’t know anything about him (Calipari). He didn’t recruit me when he was at the other school (Memphis).”

Ferguson said his father advises him to consider how many players Calipari has helped get to the NBA. But Ferguson sounded uneasy about not knowing Calipari.

Ferguson said he hoped to decide by the weekend whether to remain committed to Kentucky or re-open the recruiting process.

Coach Cal is going to do what he can to hold onto D-Ferg, and even if he does re-open his recruitment, I think there’s a good chance he lands in Lexington.