Jason King “gets it” with a great profile of Calipari

Want a good read on a dreary Wednesday afternoon? Check out KSR crush Jason King’s profile of Calipari, his latest in a series of impressive pieces on the Cats. King, who shadowed Cal and the team during ESPN’s All-Access coverage, takes a look at how Cal’s marketing savvy has helped him transform the program and, in turn, college basketball. He includes the story of how Cal met Charlie Sheen at a Reds game and seized the opportunity to tweet a picture of them to generate buzz. King says it’s just one way Cal dominates the game when it comes to marketing:

College basketball has never seen anything like John Calipari — or at least not this John Calipari, whose marketing savvy and reputation for molding gifted players into NBA millionaires has helped separate the Wildcats from the rest of college basketball’s blue bloods.

Calipari led Massachusetts and Memphis to the NCAA title game, but he’s taken things to an even higher level since arriving in Lexington. In the past three years, he has more victories (102) than any coach in America, transforming Kentucky into the most visible, chic program in the country.

King also writes about Cal’s prowess in recruiting (“He doesn’t even have to recruit anymore,” one SEC coach said. “He can basically just handpick whoever he wants and sign them. I’m not sure anyone will ever be able to catch him. It almost doesn’t seem fair.”), the aftermath of the All-Access special, and tonight’s telethon. Click over and check it out…you won’t regret it.

[King: The gospel of John Calipari]