John Calipari’s move to Arkansas this offseason has caused the basketball version of the “chicken or the egg” debate to crack open on social media between Razorback fans and Kentucky faithful.
What held more weight in the Kentucky basketball recipe – Coach Cal or the university itself? The recent actions of former Kentucky basketball players has provided a definitive answer to that question.
PJ Washington, who played for Calipari at Kentucky for two seasons, stopped by Arkansas’ practice Wednesday to visit Coach Cal and, notably, repped Arkansas gear for a photo op.
Washington, a small forward now playing for the Dallas Mavericks, was also joined by two of his NBA teammates in Dereck Lively II and former Razorback Daniel Gafford.
The sight of Calipari in Razorback gear still takes some getting used to, but a former Wildcat player repping rival Razorback red? Meltdown ensued on Kentucky twitter.
Kentucky Basketball Fans React Predictably
The majority opinion from Big Blue Nation was exactly what you’d expect it to be, with multiple users saying Washington was dead to them.
Yikes! That’s harsh, even for a notoriously bitter fanbase. It continues the time-honored tradition of throwing their own under the bus as soon as they leave Lexington. Maybe it’s the prestigious reputation that Kentucky has built up over the years that has instilled a similar, holier-than-thou attitude in the fans that causes them to lash out like this.
In fact, as the day went on, you could see Kentucky fans’ reactions progress through each of the five stages of grief.
We start with denial, where one message board user at Cats Illustrated, Kentucky’s Rivals affiliate, commented “This actually looks photoshopped to me. Anyone else think this looks funny?”
Next we have anger:
Bargaining:
Depression:
And finally, acceptance:
Fortunately, there were some Kentucky fans using common sense, recognizing that Washington has a valid case for holding more affection for Coach Cal than UK, and for repping Arkansas merch.
“Do you all expect him to wear UK gear at an Arky practice?” another subscriber asked. “He wore it while there and that’s it… I like PJ. Dude played his ass off here and was a badass.”
Kentucky Alums Twist the Knife on BBN
It turns out it’s not just Washington who’s guilty of boosting the brand of Kentucky’s rival, as many other former Wildcats have done the same thing since Calipari was hired at Arkansas. That includes former guard Tyler Ulis, who has joined Cal’s staff in Fayetteville.
“Shame on PJ but [Tyler] Ulis was on Instagram the other day calling Arkansas ‘point guard university.’ Even Brandon Knight chimed in,” said another Cats Illustrated user. “I understand he’s a coach there but all his former players are taking it way too far.”
Back in the spring, former Kentucky standout and NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins also indirectly dissed his alma mater, saying that Arkansas is the place to be and will bring in top-ranked recruiting classes now that Calipari’s there.
It just cements the fact that, more often than not, college athletes prioritize their relationships with coaches over loyalty to schools.
That hits the nail on the head. John Calipari has never minced words about why he loves coaching so much. It’s never been about a particular school or fanbase, he’s always been in the business of changing young men’s lives and getting them to the NBA – and the key word in that sentence is business.
“Calipari University” Right in Line with Modern-Day NCAA
Coach Cal has never misrepresented those intentions, either. While he’s always been complimentary of the fans of the programs he coaches for, he’s always been clear that’s not why he’s really in this game.
“I don’t want my tombstone to have how many wins I got, or Hall of Fame or national champion,” Calipari said at his introductory presser in Fayetteville. “I want it to be about how many lives you’ve touched and changed and made for the positive.”
His recruiting pitch has reflected that mentality, as well, as he has told five-star prospects like Caleb Wilson that “it’s like Calipari University, he’s just moving homes.”
Fortunately, allowing Calipari to run his operation freely usually produces great results for the program he’s at. Despite recent shortcomings that you never hear the end of from UK fans on social media, Calipari is one of the most successful coaches of all time. Off the court, he also brings unparalleled brand exposure to whichever program he’s representing.
So yes, he runs it like a business – but that’s what college athletics is nowadays. An east coast guy like Calipari will never bleed Razorback red like Houston Nutt or Sam Pittman, but the results and platform that he gives Arkansas does the school more good than any “rah-rah” platitudes about school pride ever could.
Arkansas Basketball Fans Hypocritical on “Traitorous” Former Players
As Jesus say in the Book of John: let he who is without sin cast the first stone. So of course, we can’t finish the story without looking in the mirror at the hypocrisy of Arkansas fans, who so luxuriantly basked in the glory of Kentucky’s misery this week. Just look at some of the replies to Eric Musselman hosting former Hog Jalen Graham in Los Angeles this offseason, clad in USC garb.
You can bet some of the same fans who commented on this post are now laughing in Kentucky’s face after Washington’s visit to Arkansas.
It’s silly behavior from both fanbases. In many cases, college athletes are recruited by coaches, commit to coaches, and play for coaches. Facilities and logos are a part of the equation, sure, but relationships usually trump everything else.
Still, Coach Cal himself would likely tell you that varies a lot from player to player depending on where they grew up. Washington was born in Louisville and grew up in Texas, Ulis is from Michigan and Cousins is from Mobile, Ala. – it’s natural that they feel more of an attachment to Calipari than to the Kentucky basketball program.
Jasper Johnson to Wildcats Is Case in Point
But as the saying goes, home is where the heart is. If a multi-generation Bluegrass State product like Reed Sheppard were to come visit his former coach at Arkansas, he’d be far less likely to rep Hog gear. Those in-state connections were certainly bolstered by the recent commitment of five-star guard Jasper Johnson to the Wildcats.
The Lexington native choosing Kentucky shows that his home-state school held a more special place in his heart than Coach Cal. That’s the exact opposite of the dynamic that played out in the recruitment of Arkansan Malik Monk in 2015.
The same applies to Arkansas, too. Of course Graham doesn’t feel as much of an attachment to the Razorbacks – he’s from Phoenix. But if a born and bred Arkansas native like Bobby Portis or Daniel Gafford were in the same situation, they probably wouldn’t be spotted donning another school’s colors.
Just remember this if Calipari ever takes another job after Arkansas. It’ll be rich to see Razorback fans calling Boogie Fland or whoever else a traitor for visiting their former coach if – God forbid – he indulges Cal by donning different colors for a bit.
***
Coach Cal is far from Arkansas born and bred, but he definitely knows his Razorback history. He got in touch with legendary former coach Nolan Richardson and brought him to practice last week:
Arkansas is also recruiting Wilson hard:
***
More coverage of Arkansas and Kentucky basketball from BoAS:
