The Pinkie’s first basketball offseason, the busiest in Bluegrass history

When we started Strait Pinkie almost 10 months ago, we had a list of about 10 different teams we had intentions of covering. However, with UK and UofL football in full swing and basketball just around the corner, we focused the bulk of our energies on the Cards and Cats. It served us well.

As basketball season progressed, we began to develop consistent readership. However, as the season began to draw to a close, we began to wonder how we would ever fill our summer in terms of content. We anticipated having some recruiting to cover before football season got underway, but we didn’t figure it would be nearly enough to keep the hits rolling in.

We failed to anticipate a couple things: 1) the extreme appetite for information on the part of UK and UofL fans and 2) the offseason that was in store for both schools.

It turned out that we had more than enough to cover, because the offseason that materialized was one that no one will soon forget. If you ask me, I think we are in the winding down phase of what will be remembered as the busiest offseason in the history of basketball in the Bluegrass, and I don’t think it’s close.

There has been big news for both schools on basically every conceivable front. We’ve had coaching changes, controversy, high profile commitments and decommitments, and a seismic shift in the direction of one of the programs. I’m going to take a look at the action in couple different wide categories, so let’s start at the top:

Coaching

In case you hadn’t heard, the Kentucky Wildcats have a new head basketball coach. Interest in the UK basketball program will never wane, but the same cannot be said about excitement surrounding the university’s flagship. By hiring John Calipari, Lee Todd and Mitch Barnhart have injected UK with a spirit of excitement not seen since the 1990′s. Additionally, UK basketball is once again a hot topic entering this college basketball season, and it’s not all positive.

There have been a couple different occasions where it looked like there could be a chance that Kentucky would not be the only major program in the state to have a new coach for the 2009-2010 season. In May, rumors were flying about Rick Pitino’s possible interest in jobs with the Atlanta Hawks and Sacramento Kings. News was just beginning to break on the subject of the Karen Sypher story (which we now know all too much about) and no one was really sure how serious Pitino’s flirtations with returning to the Association really were.

Then, when the Karen Sypher story really broke nationally earlier this month, some thought Pitino could be on his way out again, but not by his own volition.

It did turn out that one Pitino would leave the program, but it was Richard leaving to coach under Billy Donovan at Florida. Correspondingly, Ralph Willard was hired away from a head coaching job at Holy Cross to work for Ricky P.

While the coaching moves at Louisville aren’t quite as compelling as the hiring of John Calipari, they are still big news. Many are speculating about exactly how long term Pitino’s future is as UofL coach, so the moves have been analyzed by some with an eye on who will be the successor. Some say that Willard has been brought in as an heir apparent, but I don’t buy that. I think he has been brought in as a very experienced assistant who can take some the more mundane responsibilities typically handled by a head coach with an awareness of the distractions Pitino will have to deal with.

NBA

Rick Pitino wasn’t the only guy involved in the UK-UofL rivalry who had the NBA on his mind. Three UK or UofL underclassmen, Patrick Patterson, Earl Clark, and Jodie Meeks, had decisions to make regarding their professional futures.

Patrick Patterson put his name in the NBA Draft more because he felt like he was supposed to than anything else. He figured to be at least a late first round pick, which would assure him of a contract. However, Patterson was just a year away from graduating, saw how he stood to improve under new coach John Calipari, and could not help but want to play with UK’s stellar incoming recruiting class. The decision was really a pretty easy one for him.

Earl Clark was widely assumed to be gone all along. Pretty much all you need to know is that he was recognized at UofL’s Senior Day activities. All you have to do is look at Clark and you think NBA. His combination of size, skill, and athleticism is something that GMs dream about. Clark’s decision was easy as well.

Jodie Meeks was the one who really had a difficult decision on his hands. Even though he had enjoyed his time at UK, Jodie’s career had not been all smooth sailing. A coaching change, injury, and a poor relationship with his new coach had clearly worn on him and part of Jodie was completely ready for the next level. On the other hand, coming back offered many of the same pros for Jodie as the ones that convinced Patrick Patterson to return. Additionally, Jodie did not have the luxury of a guaranteed high position in the Draft. In the end though, Jodie decided that it was time to move on. He fell into the first round, but is already being talked about as a steal for the Milwaukee Bucks. He has a 3 year contract with 2 years guaranteed, so it would be difficult to question his decision now.

Terrence Williams joined Clark and Meeks in the Draft, and joined teammate Clark in the Draft Lottery, a major achievement for both and proof positive of the talent on the 2008-2009 Louisville Cardinals.

Roster Changes

OK, I’m going to try to give you the Cliff’s Notes version of the craziness that has characterized this offseason for the UK roster:

Departures

Michael Porter-Decided to forgo SR year to start family
Jared Carter-Did not pursue medical hardship for additional eligibility
Donald Williams-JUCO
AJ Stewart-Cut, for lack of a better word, headed to Texas State
Kevin Galloway-Cut
Matt Pilgrim-Cut, transfer to Oklahoma State
Landon Slone-Cut
Dwight Perry-Cut
Mark Halsell-Cut
Adam Delph-Cut

Arrivals

John Wall
DeMarcus Cousins
Daniel Orton
Eric Bledsoe
Jon Hood
Darnell Dodson

In terms of roster changes, UofL has had a pretty quiet offseason, other than accepting transfer Chris Smith from Manhattan.

Recruiting

They say in recruiting that you win some and you lose some. This offseason, UK has won more than its share and UofL has seemed to lose more than its share. Both schools welcome top 25 recruiting classes this season, but they were put together in much different ways. Rick Pitino had his class locked down before John Calipari had even been named UK head coach, whereas Calipari did all of his damage in just a couple months.

UK had a bunch of decommitments this offseason, but all but one were assuredly encouraged by UK. UofL had only one decommitment, Justin Martin, but that one was very unwanted. By the way, Justin Martin decided to attend Xavier this week.

At this point, UK and UofL have a combined 1 commitment in the class of 2010 (UofL’s Josh Langford) and both Calipari and Pitino likely thought they had a top 10 prospect in the bag. Top wing player Will Barton surprised many by committing, along with hsi brother, to play for Memphis. Barton would have been a big time player for UK, and while his commitment elsewhere did blemish Calipari’s immaculate record to that point at UK, there is no concern over the class as a whole.

On the other hand, UofL’s losing out on 5 star center Fab Melo is significantly more damaging. Many had Melo pencilled in as the cornerstone of UofL’s 2010 class, but his commitment to Syracuse made people break out their erasers.

Controversy

There has been plenty of positive stuff to talk about this offseason with UK and UofL, but the last couple weeks have been dominated by news that makes fans of both schools just want to hit the court already.

Each of the two major controversies reared their ugly heads back in May, but there was not enough hard news out there to really catch on nationally. However, August has been a different story.

First, it was the Rick Pitino-Karen Sypher story that caught everyone’s eye. It was a story that was familiar to many with inside info, but to most it was a brand new sex scandal of the highest order. Only preseason NFL and the PGA Championship diverted attention away from the ugliness on a national level, but locally, we are still following it closely.

Within a week, the NCAA made public the penalties it would levy on the Memphis Tigers: all 38 wins by the 2007-2008 team coached by John Calipari would be vacated for playing an ineligible player. There were some ugly stories out there condemning John Calipari and foretelling of probation for Kentucky in the near future with him at the helm. Calipari became the only head coach to have two Final Four appearances vacated and also the only head coach to remain unnamed in connection with any wrongdoing in any such cases.

In terms of direct impact, neither controversy should have any direct impact on the UK or UofL program in the upcoming season, other than acting as a distraction for two teams that figure to field strong teams. However, that’s not to say that there will be no consequences down the road.

In the case of Pitino, this situation could be one that shortens his tenure at UofL. You have to figure it undermines his stamina for dealing with life in the public eye and, perhaps more importantly, could have an effect on his recruiting work. His recruiting has already been suffering a bit of late and having to explain a very ugly situation a recruit and his parents really is not helpful.

The Calipari controversy is one that Kentucky fans desperately hope stays in Memphis. If you officially ask the NCAA, Calipari has done nothing wrong, but, at the very best, the vacating of two Final Four appearances is, at best, a troubling trend.

Now that Calipari is at UK, here’s hoping he can be highly selective in terms of the players he pursues. With half of the top 10 in the class of 2011 interested in UK, there is no need for Calipari to go after a marginal player, in terms of neither talent nor academics nor personal life. There are going to be plenty of people out there who would love nothing more than to see UK ship captained by John Calipari undergo a titanic disaster. Calipari and the entire UK compliance office MUST be on top of their games as long as he is at UK

For those of you who have made it through the last 1800 plus words, I have a question for you. Whose controversy, Pitino or Calipari, is worse? Which is more likely to have long term effects?

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