Kentucky Sports Radio

Want to know just how different things are in Kentucky football recruiting these days? A top prospect is deciding between Alabama, Louisville…and Kentucky. Elizabethtown giant Matt Elam is the 24th best defensive tackle in the nation, and says that right now, all three schools are neck-to-neck:

“I will say of the offers I have right now, it’s a three-horse race between Alabama, Kentucky and Louisville,” Elam told LEX18. “Kentucky and Louisville are so close to home, [they're] great atmospheres, I love the coaching staffs at both schools. And then Alabama — national championships, that’s just a great opportunity to have.”

In the past, recruits that have offers from Alabama wouldn’t look twice at Kentucky. However, Mark Stoops, Neal Brown and the rest of the UK staff have made keeping in-state talent in-state a priority, and after top 2014 QB Drew Barker committed to the Cats a few week ago, the “come be a hero” campaign has a lot of momentum. However, it was two-time defending National Champion Alabama that gave Elam his first offer, when the talented defensive tackle went to a camp in Tuscaloosa:

“We went in his office — it was me and my coach — and we sat down on his [Nick Saban's] couch and he was just right in front of me. You hear about him all the time, but [I'm thinking] I’m never going to meet this guy or let alone talk to him and get an offer. It was just very surreal meeting him.”

Alabama’s only negative? It’s not close to Elizabethtown. Fortunately, UK is only an hour and a half away.

There’s the head right there. Charles will join Matt and Drew on the radio sometime in the second hour, so grab some McDonald’s and tune in.

The day we never thought would happen is finally here. Matt and I are in Floyd County, Kentucky at Eric C. Conn’s law office to meet Charles Ramsey, a true American hero.

Charles will be on the show from 11:15 to 11:45 before the unveiling of his statue.

This is happening.

Join in on the fun by calling (502) 571-1080.

Topics include:

– Ribs

– McDonald’s

– Salsa music

– Can’t get in that way

Listen to Kentucky Sports Radio

KSR Affiliate List

WAIN (93.9 fm) Columbia
WHIR (1230 am) Danville
WCLU (1490 am) Glasgow
WJKY (1060 am) Jamestown
WLAP (630 am) Lexington
WFMW (730 am) Madisonville
WFTM (1240 am) Maysville
WKYM (101.7 fm) Monticello
WMSK (101.3 fm) Morganfield
WKJK (1080 am) Louisville
WKYH (600 am) Paintsville
WLSI (900 am) Pikeville
WPRT (960 am) Prestonsburg
WSFC (1240 am) Somerset
WTCW (920 am) Whitesburg
WBTH (1400 am) Williamson, WV

On Delay…

WBGN (1340 am) Bowling Green 3-5 pm
WKFC (101.9 fm) London 6-8 pm
WLBQ (1570 am) Morgantown 3-5 pm
WRIL (106.3 fm) Middlesboro Thur 8-10 pm
WKYQ (1560 am) Paducah 5-7 pm

Sorry Rex, your place in the records books is fading away.

Hey everybody, did you know John Calipari plays freshman a lot?  I bet you didn’t.  But see, I pay attention to things like this.  And I pay attention to the record books as well.  And I am amazed how drastically the record books have changed under the John Calipari administration.  OK, not really the entire record books, but the FRESHMAN record books for sure.  Take a look at some of the freshman records and how they have changed in the 4 short years John Calipari has been the coach:

Freshman Points pre-Calipari
1. Rex Chapman- 464
2. Chris Mills- 459
3. Sam Bowie- 440

Freshman Points post-Calipari
1. Brandon Knight- 657
2. John Wall- 616
3. Terrence Jones- 595
4. Demarcus Cousins- 575
5. Anthony Davis- 567
6. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist- 476
7. Doron Lamb- 469
8. Archie Goodwin- 466
9. Chapman
10. Mills
————————————————
Freshman Rebounds pre-Calipari
1. Chris Mills- 277
2. Sam Bowie- 276
3. Rick Robey- 214

Freshman Rebounds post-Calipari
1. Anthony Davis- 415
2. Demarcus Cousins- 375
3. Terrence Jones- 336
4. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist- 297
5. Mills
6. Bowie
————————————————-
Freshman Assists pre-Calipari
1. Dirk Minnefield- 126
2. Rajon Rondo- 118
3. Rex Chapman- 103

Freshman Assists post-Calipari
1. John Wall- 241
2. Marquis Teague- 191
3. Brandon Knight- 159
4. Minnifield
5. Rondo
————————————————

What strikes me the most about that is how much we criticized Archie Goodwin for his freshman year.  The kid is selfish and takes horrible shots and on and on.  Consider this: ARCHIE GOODWIN TOOK LESS SHOTS THAN REX CHAPMAN IN EACH MAN’S FRESHMAN SEASON.  You think Goodwin was a ball hog, what about Chapman?  And people consider Chapman’s freshman season to be legendary, while Goodwin was some kind of bust.  And don’t think Chapman’s freshman team was so great and that’s why people love him.  His 1987 team was bounced in the first round of both the SEC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament. 

My point is 2 fold: that we look at freshman basketball players at UK in a completely different light.  Some would call it an unfair light.  And second, the performance of the freshman in 4 years at Kentucky is something that is unheard of in college basketball, and certainly in Lexington.  And I think even more unheard of or appreciated than UK fans are doing. 

Follow me on twitter @BryantheIntern 

Looking to buy a new home? Got about $190 million to spend? Oh boy, I have just the place for you…

Copper Beech Farm in Greenwich, Connecticut, named for the large copper beech trees populating the property, is on the market for the first time in over a century. The 50-acre property includes two offshore islands, a private beach and a 13,500-square foot Victorian mansion home. The main house, seen in the photo, includes 12 bedrooms, seven full baths and two half baths, a wood-paneled library, other cool stuff with fancy words and a kitchen with something Forbes.com calls a dumb waiter. As someone who was called a “dumb waiter” several times throughout college, I find it odd that a house as extravagant as Copper Beech Farm would proudly boast having one inside. I wonder if it shows up 15 minutes late every morning and steals french fries and bacon strips out of the window, too.

Outside the main structure, you will find two conjoined heptagonal pools, whatever that means, and other outdoor amenities that rich people enjoy to show off once a year and not use. There is a grass tennis court, an apple orchard, multiple greenhouses — because everyone needs more than one greenhouse — and a viewing pergola, which to my understanding is the uppity word for gazebo. Not to mention, it’s just a short segway ride away from the WWE headquarters.

Built in 1896, Copper Beech Farm now holds the title of “America’s Most Expensive Home” and can be yours for just under $200-million. If you purchase it, I’d like to go ahead and ask to be your dumb waiter. My only request is that I get an apple a day and an occasional 15-minute break in the viewing pergola.

 Well, well, well, you’re back for another edition of the News and Views. I guess we’ll start with biggest news of the week and that is the likelihood Nerlens Noel ends up in Cleveland this summer. DraftExpress.com, that site ran by the guy who hates Kentucky fans, released its updated mock draft Thursday and Nerlens is projected to go No. 1 overall. Draft Express has had Nerlens at the top of its mock drafts for months now so it isn’t shocking to see him up there in the first updated mock draft since the selection order was announced.

Coming in at No. 30 is Archie Goodwin to the Phoenix Suns. Draft Express believes Archie will hear his named called with the final pick in the first round. NBADraft.net, on the other hand, predicts Archie falling to the second round to Detroit with the 38th pick. But NBADraft.net also projects Ben McLemore going first to Cleveland. Dion Waiters much?

 If you didn’t get a chance to read Mrs. Tyler’s A Look At What Coaches Do The Best With Elite 5 Star Recruits Thursday afternoon, I highly recommend you do it now. She put a lot of work into the post and it shows. Her discovery: Calipari is the best at getting players ready for the NBA.

 Also from the In Case You Missed It cabinet, Matthew Mitchell was brilliant on the radio show Thursday morning. Coach Mitchell brought the heat for two full hours with tales of Nick Saban blowing him off, wanting his wife to give birth at Big Blue Madness, Hall & Oates and so much more. Check out the podcast here.

 Julius Mays worked out at the Brooklyn Nets’ NBA combine on Thursday and he was surprised with a visit from John Calipari. Cal flew up to the BK to watch Julius in the league-wide combine:

Following Mays’ workout, Coach Cal tweeted, “Just got done watching Julius Mays at the Nets’ combine. Julius played really well — and he played point guard! Julius had 18 points and six assists in just two 12-minute quarters. He played so well that people are probably wondering why I didn’t play him at point guard. Couldn’t be more proud of Julius.”

It’s very unlikely that Mays ends up on an NBA roster next season but it’s good to hear he played well when up against other NBA prospects in front of personnel from all of the league’s teams. I think we can file this one under “Kentucky Effect.”

 Anthony Davis received an invite to attend Team USA mini-camp in Las Vegas in late July. Coach K, who announced he’ll return to the team, invited Davis back after seeing the way he made the most of his opportunity on last year’s Olympic team. Coach K plans to focus on developing the best talent into the best team, something he says he hasn’t had time to do in the past. Whatever that means.

 The Cincinnati Bearcats baseball team raised the bar on postgame interview photo-bombing:

 A bit of sad news from UK athletics: UK Men’s Tennis was bounced from the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. Our man Anthony Rossi fell in singles play to some guy from Cal Poly and the dynamic duo of Tom Jomby/Kevin Lai saw their seasons come to an end in a doubles loss to Georgia State. Rossi finishes his career with 106 wins, tied for 12th all-time, but everyone else from our third favorite UK team is returning for another season.

 Friday is a big day for Kentucky Sports Radio as Matt and I will be deep in the heart of Floyd County to meet Charles Ramsey at Eric C. Conn’s law office. It could be the most absurd thing we’ve ever done (that’s saying something) and you won’t want to miss it. Charles will be on the show with us from 11:15 to 11:45 before the unveiling of the Charles Ramsey statue. What is life right now?

A few weeks ago I wrote on here about how this is going to be the “Summer of Transition” on KSR as we move to some new endeavors and expand what we do on this site. We are very excited about the changes and looking forward to announcing new additions to the site in the months to come. One of those additions is bringing on some new writers, a couple of which are names from the past (BTI and John Wilkinson), some new names you don’t yet know and a couple of folks you do know that you will be excited (and surprised) to see in the KSR environment.

But along with that, it is time to once again cast a net and add some new writers to the KSR family from our readership. It has now been 2 1/2 years since our last blogger contest and in these 30 months, we have not added on any new writers from outside the KSR world or the KSR College environment. This summer that changes. Over time, the most important names at KSR have come from either the Blogger contest or writing on separate blogs and then joining Kentucky Sports Radio. Now we will set out to look for the new Beisner, Drew Franklin and Tyler Thompson from our KSR Readership. So we are asking you, do you have what it takes to write for KSR.

Here is What We are Looking For:

1. Creative Writers to Cover UK Sports: You know the KSR style. Do you think you can do it? If so, we would like to read your submission. If you decide to apply for one of these positions, make sure and let us know what sports you would focus on and what you consider your expertise. Remember, most will say basketball and football, so if you have an interest in another area, please let us know. You can be any age, any walk of life and have any profession…just a desire and ability to write at a high level about Kentucky sports.

2. College Students: Many of our best writers have come from KSR College and we are continuing another year of that starting in August. The form of KSR College will alter slightly and the posts will be integrated into the main site as part of the redesign. But if you are interested in joining the KSR College group, you should apply for this position. This involves actual covering of UK games, press conferences and events (last year writers from KSR College were able to cover the John Calipari Fantasy Camp). We prefer to have students who can be in the Lexington area for events, although this is not required. If you are a college student, this is the best position to apply for and we have had a number of writers coming from KSR College land full time sports reporting jobs after their time with us.

3. Creative non-UK Sports Writers: Part of our new endeavor will be to create a “Culture” page, similar to what Bill Simmons has done with Grantland that will include writing beyond the world of UK sports. Some of our best writers, such as Tomlin, Drew and others will be writing extensively here. If you think you are particularly capable of writing about interesting, non-UK topics (movies, politics, pop culture, long features), this is the position for you and you can be part of building a spin-off phase of KSR going forward.

These are the three main types of writers we are now seeking. We are adding a KSR Photographer, but she has already been picked and will be joining us in June. What we are looking for now are great writers and I know you are out there. If you come down this path, it can literally change your career, just as it did for Thomas Beisner, Drew Franklin and Tyler Thompson. And now is the time for you to try as as well.

To Apply, EMAIL KSRJOBS1@gmail.com with this information:

— Reference in SUBJECT OF THE EMAIL as to which position/s you are interested in

— A couple of paragraphs on who you are, where you live, what you do for a living, why you are interested…a biographical look at the person applying. Make sure to use this as a time to sell us on you as it will be (at least until we interview you) our only chance to know who you are as a person.

— At least 2 WRITING SAMPLES OF YOUR WORK. This can be created specifically for this application or something you have done elsewhere. But we are interested in seeing your writing ability.

— Contact information and schedule availability. If you are chosen, how often, and when, would you be available to write.

Our vision is that you will join us as a secondary hobby to whatever career you are pursuing now, but with the possibility of advancement, just as other KSR writers have done before. We need your submission by TUESDAY MAY 28 at 5 PM. We will spend some time reviewing the applications and then be in touch by mid-June. This is an exciting time for KSR and we are eager to pursue the next phase of the site’s growth this summer. We hope to have you a part of it and look forward to reading your submissions. Thanks!

As part of the never-ending quest to bring you University of Kentucky news in the most ridiculous manner possible, I comb the Twitter-verse each week for the funniest, oddest, and sometimes, nearly illegible tweets from your favorite players and personalities. Basically, I read Twitter so you don’t have to. Without further ado, here are the best tweets of the week.

It is impossible not to look at this and smile. I dare you:

Miss you boys.

Archie Goodwin’s vines are so funny that they’ve earned an award of their own. Ladies and gents, the Archie Goodwin Vine of the Week:

😒 vine.co/v/b9Kvjbx6iAp

— Archie Goodwin (@A1Laflare10) May 19, 2013

It’s pretty clear where Nerlens Noel got his love of flamboyant hair:

Patrick Patterson discovered Vine this week, with one of his first clips being a tour of his “shrine room,” with special guest Goofy.

#ShrineRoom #Throwbacks #Afro #FatHead #Memories vine.co/v/b9vilXJXEMH

— Patrick Patterson (@pdpatt) May 21, 2013

More Tweet Beat, please!

For all of the scuttlebutt about John Calipari only bringing players to Kentucky’s campus for a one-season layover before entering the NBA, the list of players who have played in Lexington under Calipari includes plenty who have captured our hearts and left a legacy both on and off the court. Some have managed to do both, showering the Kentucky fans with success and things to love both on and off the court. Others have excelled in either one area or the other. A few have done a bit of both, but neither necessarily to the maximum. And finally, a handful have left Kentucky fans with an empty feeling, or major question marks about “what could have been?”

I’ve used a 5-star ranking system below to break down the players who have played under John Calipari in his time at Kentucky. Most of them are what I would call “Cal guys,” but a few were holdovers who Cal inherited from Billy Gillispie. Either way, the players are broken down into 5 categories based on the legacy they left with Kentucky fans. The factors that contribute to the on the court legacy are based upon wins, tournament success and individual success. The factors that contribute to the off the court legacy include connection with the fan base and community, and personality.

**Disclaimer: This ranking system is only considering the Calipari Era players. In the overall history of Kentucky basketball, these players might not be rated quite as highly…

 Beloved off the court AND a national champion

Anthony Davis

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

Darius Miller

Only 3 Calipari era players fully embody being both beloved off the court AND experiencing the highest level of success on the court. All 3 of these players hold a special place in the hearts of Kentucky fans regardless of the championship or not. The fact that all 3 were key contributors to a national championship puts them over the top and into the 5-star category.

 Either beloved on/off the court OR unexpected success on the court

Brandon Knight

DeAndre Liggins

Josh Harrellson

Nerlens Noel

DeMarcus Cousins

Patrick Patterson

John Wall

While all of these guys are 4-stars in my opinion, they can be broken down into more specific categories. DeAndre Liggins and Josh Harrellson stole the hearts of Kentucky fans when they stepped up to the plate to become 2 integral pieces in a surprise Final 4 run. Neither player achieved early success when Billy Gillispie was at Kentucky, yet both overcame adversity to fill a specific role during Kentucky’s Final 4 run. Liggins will forever be remembered for his defensive intensity and Harrellson will forever be remembered for his Jorts and pure heart.

John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins burst onto the scene as absolute super stars both on and off the court. Kentucky hadn’t seen the star power of guys like those 2 in quite some time. The mix of their personalities and immense talent brought back to the fun to Kentucky basketball.

Patrick Patterson and Nerlens Noel are 2 players who fit a similar mold in my mind in the hearts of Kentucky fans. In their time in Lexington, they both found a way to truly connect to the fan base, while also showcasing a generous and philanthropic side. Both players were also warriors on the court, and you never had to question the effort coming from either of them.

Brandon Knight was an interesting character off the court, though rather quiet and not necessarily a player which fans felt they “knew” deeply. Knight earned his 4-star status though when he became (as Matt likes to call them) a “stone cold killer” during Kentucky’s Final 4 run. In just one post-season, Knight hit a few of the biggest shots in recent Kentucky basketball memory.

 Beloeved for something EITHER on or off the court, but not necessarily a strong combination of both

Julius Mays

Doron Lamb

Terrence Jones

Marquis Teague

Eric Bledsoe

Perry Stevenson

Mark Krebs

Doron Lamb, Terrence Jones, Marquis Teague and Eric Bledsoe all wound up having very successful Kentucky basketball careers. Teague, Jones and Lamb were all part of a national championship team– though the 3 probably weren’t as beloved by the fans as some of the other players on that team. All 4 of the players mentioned had great success on the court, but didn’t necessarily make deep connections with the fan base off the court.

Mark Krebs, Perry Stevenson and Julius Mays were all personalities and players who fans felt a connection with off the court. Krebs won our hearts over as one of the most beloved walk-ons in the past 10 years. We felt a connection with him as well as he shared his senior day moment with his ailing mother with all of us. Stevenson had a hilarious personality, which has only been put on display even more in his time post-Kentucky. Mays was one of the few genuinely through and through likable players on this year’s Kentucky team. The team struggled, but Mays stepped up as a leader and over-achieved in his season as a 5th year senior.

 Players who fans feel generally positive about, but didn’t necessarily see tons of on the court success

Twany Beckham

Eloy Vargas

Ramon Harris

  Players who left Kentucky fans feeling empty…or with lingering questions

Archie Goodwin

Ryan Harrow

Stacey Poole

Darnell Dodson

Daniel Orton

While none of these players necessarily did anything outrageous to anger fans, all of them kind of leave Kentucky fans with a “meh” type of a feeling. None of the 5 achieved huge success on the court, and the connection off the court was also lacking.

TBD/Predictions: Players who have started their Kentucky careers, but the status of their legacy is still to be determined…

Jon Hood (Prediction: 2-star)

Willie Cauley-Stein  (Prediction: 4-star)

Alex Poythress  (Prediction: Honestly could be anywhere from a 1-star to a 5-star)

Kyle Wiltjer (Prediction: 3-4 star)

Jarrod Polson  (Prediction: 3-4 star)

The fine people at DraftExpress.com released their latest NBA mock draft today and it looks a lot like one would expect. Nerlens Noel is projected to go No. 1 overall to the Cavaliers with Ben McLemore going second to the Magic; Otto Porter joining Wall at No. 3; and Anthony Bennett heading to Charlotte.

Archie Goodwin is the final pick of the first round at No. 30 to the Phoenix Suns. The Suns also take Victor Oladipo in the mock draft with the fifth overall pick.

Cats.

You thought I was gone forever, didn’t you?

-The Bat Cats’ underwhelming season came to an early close this week with an SEC Tournament loss to Ole Miss. Brooks Holton has the grisly details. 

-Speaking of underwhelming, Archie Goodwin looked a little rough at the combine- especially his shooting touch. Dean Bowling has a suggestion for the guard that may help him succeed at the professional level. 

-Could Kentucky land a package deal in football recruiting soon? Matt Wheatley thinks it’s possible.

-UK Golf’s season may have ended, but as Ben Ward knows, it’s never to early to make predictions for next year. 

-And finally, finish off your Thursday with today’s links, compiled by JC Ausmus. 

If you enjoy reading articles about the UK men’s basketball team, please visit my webpage at http://kybasketball.blogspot.com.  You can also follow my webpage on Twitter. My webpage has been around for several years and I update it several times per day so UK basketball fans have access to the best and most recent articles about the team.

Now, The Article Links-

Marcus Lee is an interesting personality away from basketball

If anyone thinks the U.S. national volleyball team wouldn’t be interested in Marcus Lee, they’re kidding themselves

Julius Mays harbors aspirations of playing in the NBA and if he was to move towards that goal, there are few better roads to get there than the Wildcats and Calipari

In a span of a year, Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans have embraced each other

Enes Kanter’s recovery from April shoulder surgery is ahead of schedule, but he may not be cleared to play until August

If there’s one thing Kentucky fans love more than their teams, it’s the stuff they can buy to support them. KSR wants to see your odd and unique UK memorabilia. No, not just your run of the mill UK flag or t-shirt collection. We want the weird stuff. Have a stuffed Wildcat eating a cardinal? Send it in. A portrait of John Calipari made entirely of popcorn? Send it in. The odder, the better.

A lot of you have sent in some pictures of awesome articles of clothing once owned by UK players. Let’s start with Sterling Peck, who owns Ralph Beard’s letterman sweater. In his own words:

Hey Tyler, just wanted to share that I have Ralph Beard’s letter-man sweater from 1947. Back about five years ago, me and my friend would save up our money and try to find crazy stuff like this, meeting some awesome old players like Vernon Hatton and Cliff Hagan along the way. We found a guy named Will who knew some of the older players. He had a huge basement full of old UK basketball stuff and was trying to sell the majority of it. So we called him up and went over there, and it was the craziest collection of UK stuff I’ve ever seen, including Kenny Walker’s shorts and Kyle Macy’s shoes. But this was maybe the coolest thing he had, and he was willing to sell it to me.

Before Beard passed away, he auctioned off a lot of his UK stuff in New York in 2002, and somehow Will found out about it, and got some of it. I’ve always admired Ralph Beard’s story. Even through the point shaving scandal, you could tell he was a very good, decent man. I’ve thought about selling some of the other UK things I have now because of money, but I’m not ever going to get rid of this one! Gotta preserve the history.

Now, Rick Robey’s tube socks, which are owned by Garris Sullivan. Writes his nephew, Donald Cherry:

My uncle Garris Sullivan operated Young’s department store in Russell Springs, KY in 1978 when Rick Robey visited. He recently shared this photo with me from that time. Autographed Rick Robey tube socks from 1978. $2.00 price sticker still on the socks.

Think you can do better? Send us a picture of your unique “UK junk” along with the story behind it and we’ll post the best ones on the website. Email pictures to tylerthompson@kentuckysportsradio.com with the subject heading “Kentucky Pickers.”

When Matt and I heard Charles Ramsey will be in Stanville, Kentucky tomorrow, we knew what to do. It was a dead giveaway. Dead giveaway. So, we dropped our McDonald’s and called up the Eric C. Conn law office, the host of Ramsey’s appearance, and asked if we can show up with our radio equipment and salsa music. They agreed.

Ramsey will be our guest on Kentucky Sports Radio radio from 11:15 to 11:45 for #AskAnythingFriday. To top it all off, a statue of Ramsey will be unveiled at the Floyd Co. ceremony in his honor. The statue will be donated to a museum in Cleveland, unless they accept our offer to buy it.

It’s gonna be some mo’ KSR up in that house.

The writing has been on the wall since Mark Stoops got to Kentucky – he’s going to make an impact, and he’s working to do it as fast as he can. Another roadsign in the Stoops path to success here at UK is the recruiting success. ESPN now has UK’s 2014 football recuriting class at #22 … at least for now. Keep in mind there is plenty of time until that ever-tumultuous National Signing Day.

However, Drew Barker’s addition to what is looking to be a marquis class for the Wildcats was a huge boost. It is obviously worth noting that there are only 7 players currently committed for this class. The SEC currently has 10 teams in the Top 25, with Kentucky being the 9th of the 10 ranked, beating out only Vanderbilt. (The article differs from ESPN’s actual list here.) Still, this is a great sign for the future.

Picture by KSR listener Steve Meyer

If you didn’t hear this morning’s Kentucky Sports Radio, you really missed out. UK Hoops head coach Matthew Mitchell joined Matt and Ryan in-studio to host both hours, and as usual, he absolutely killed it. If Mitchell ever wants to retire from coaching, he definitely has a future in radio.

How good was he? Here are some teasers:

– He described how he wants his wife, Jenna, to give birth to their baby on the Rupp Arena floor during Midnight Madness

– He picked on Ryan

– He treats us to a little Hall & Oates and suggests that Calipari join him as dressing like the duo and performing at Big Blue Madness

– “Baby Bop’s got the big butt!”

– So much more…it’s so good, I might listen to it again.

LISTEN TO KENTUCKY SPORTS RADIO

Over the past five years, John Calipari has developed a reputation as the best recruiter in the nation. Since coming to Kentucky, he’s pulled in the number one class five years in a row. But, how big is the gap between Cal and the rest of the pack? I decided to put some cold hard numbers behind Cal’s case as the best coach to get players ready for the NBA.

I started with the top eight coaches still in the game: John Calipari, Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams, Bill Self, Billy Donovan, Tom Izzo, Rick Pitino and Jim Boeheim. This group includes the coaches who over the past decade have gotten the most 5 star talent to come to their school and who are still coaching at that school (thus no Ben Howland). I looked up all of the 5-star recruits they’ve brought in during the past decade and how each of those recruits fared in the NBA Draft (or, if they went undrafted). Picking 5 star talent is not a perfect indicator, as their are obviously differences between a player ranked #1 and those ranked #20 (where 5 star rankings usually end). But it is the best indicator of elite status and the players that most all of the top programs focus on recruiting. Because the 2013 draft hasn’t happened yet, I excluded the 2012 class, and developed a point system to determine which coach is most successful in getting players to the league.

The NBA Prep Point System

0 = Undrafted
1 = Drafted in the second round
2 = Drafted in the first round
3 = Lottery pick
4 = Top 5
5 = Number one pick

SIS = Still in school
D-2013 = Declared for 2013 draft

Why the different levels? I awarded zero points to players that came in as 5-stars and left school without being drafted. To me, that shows a lack of preparation by their coach for the league. This could also include players who were not drafted, but signed with a team later on.

I awarded one point to players who were drafted in the second round, since they do not receive guaranteed contracts. Two points go to players drafted in the first round, but not in the lottery, since those players receive guaranteed multi-year contracts. Three points to players selected in the lottery, or picks one through fourteen, and four points to player picked in the top five. The money payout for the top five picks is significantly more than the rest of the lottery picks, as is the pressure to go pro if that’s your projection. I awarded five points to players who went first because of the notoriety and money that comes with it, as well as the bragging rights that go to the school. I took the average of the players’ NBA Prep rank and assigned them to each coach. That number shows, on average, where each five-star recruit that plays for that coach goes in the NBA Draft.

The results

1. John Calipari, Kentucky/Memphis

Not surprisingly, Cal came out on top, in both his time at Kentucky, and the average of his two tenures at Memphis and UK. What Cal did at Memphis was impressive; on average, the five-star recruits he brought in went somewhere between picks 14-30, but what he is doing at Kentucky is astounding. Not only does Cal have the most five-star recruits in the past decade, he also has the most five-star recruits in the league, and the highest-ranked in the draft. That means five star recruits that come to UK under Calipari are ON AVERAGE PICKED IN THE LOTTERY. That is remarkable.

Keep in mind that Patrick Patterson was not included because he was technically a Tubby Smith/Billy Gillispie recruit, and Nerlens Noel and Archie Goodwin aren’t eligible because the 2013 draft hasn’t happened yet. If those numbers were included (with Patterson going in lottery and presumably Noel being the first pick), Calipari’s score would rise.

2. Roy Williams, North Carolina

On average, Roy Williams’ five-star recruits are drafted just outside the lottery, likely between picks 20-25. Cal and Roy are by far the two most successful coaches in getting their players to the league, and from there, it is a big dropoff.

3. Billy Donovan, Florida

Considering that Billy Donovan’s most successful NBA players were actually four-stars (Al Horford, Joakim Noah), his NBA Prep rank was still pretty high, thanks in large part to Bradley Beal. Donovan doesn’t land a lot of five-star recruits, but when he does, he succeeds in getting them to the league, on average in the second round.

4. Mike Krzyzewski, Duke

Coach K’s most successful NBA player is the one that went to the draft after one year (Kyrie Irving), which throws a little salt on his anti-one-and-done stance. The players that do stick around for a few years at Duke end up going from the mid-first round to early second, which would give him a higher average if Demarcus Nelson, Greg Paulus, and Brian Zoubek hadn’t gone undrafted.

T5. Bill Self, Kansas

* JR Giddens was recruited to Kansas by Roy Williams, but Bill Self persuaded him to stay when he was hired. Dave Padgett was also a member of Kansas 2003 class, but transferred to Louisville after his freshman year.

Bill Self came to Kansas in 2003 after Roy Williams left for North Carolina, and really hit his stride in 2005 with the Mario Chalmers, Brandon Rush, and Julian Wright class. Sherron Collins going undrafted hurt his rank, but Xavier Henry helped boost it, as will Andrew Wiggins. But on the whole, the performance of Bill Self with top players is surprisingly disappointing.

T5. Jim Boeheim, Syracuse

Boeheim’s early five-stars weren’t drafted, which really hurt his average. The rest of his five-stars have all gone in the first round, with Jonny Flynn being his highest five-star player drafted since Carmelo Anthony, at #6. Since Anthony was from the class of 2002, he was not included in the study.

7. Tom Izzo, Michigan State

Izzo has a reputation for recruiting three or four year players, which is reflected in his NBA Prep rankings. His only five-star player drafted was Shannon Brown, way back in 2003.

8. Rick Pitino, Louisville

Rick Pitino’s five-star recruits have been all over the place, with four going undrafted, one going late in the lottery, and Derrick Caracter barely squeaking into the second round in 2010.

Conclusion: The Kentucky Effect is a fact

Based on these numbers, John Calipari is not only the best recruiter in college basketball, he’s also the most successful when it comes to getting his players drafted. On average during his time at UK, he has turned five-star recruits into lottery picks. Even more, he’s helped several four-star recruits get there as well. Also these numbers seem to me to send a message to elite 5 star high school recruits. If you are in that group and want to be a high NBA Draft pick, Kentucky and North Carolina, based on track record, are the clear and obvious choices as destinations. My guess is that most schools don’t show these numbers to incoming players, but if I were John Calipari (and secondarily Roy Williams), I think I would. It is clear UK, followed by UNC, are the best places for the best of the best to reach the NBA.