Calipari by the numbers
John Calipari compiled some ridiculous numbers the last four years at Memphis: 137 victories; 61 consecutive conference victories; 4 regular-season titles; 4 conference tournament titles.
Among non-power leagues, it’s a run worthy of Jerry Tarkanian’s heyday at UNLV. Calipari established himself as the outsider making life uncomfortable for the big boys in the BCS conferences.
But for Kentucky fans, here are the numbers that matter most if Coach Cal does sign on in now that Coach Cal has signed on in Lexington.
Tom Uhlman/AP |
John Calipari
|
0 – Years spent coaching in a BCS conference.
1 -- Final Fours during Calipari’s 9-year Memphis tenure. This is good or bad, depending on your point of view. It’s more than Kentucky’s had since 1999, but short of expectations for a school that’s won at least 33 games the last four years.
2 – Five-star prospects likely to follow Calipari to UK. DeMarcus Cousins and Xavier Henry are committed to Memphis, but both would presumably want to stick with Calipari. Another star recruit, John Wall, may settle on Kentucky when everything settles.
3 – Runs to the Elite Eight since 2006. No coach has been more often in that span.
4 – Top 10 recruiting classes at Memphis. According to Scout.com, the Tigers overall ranks since 2005 were 6, 25, 4, 6 and No. 1 for 2009. Every year resulted in a more touted class than Kentucky.
5 – Double-digit loss seasons. Three of those came in Calipari’s first three years at UMass, while the most recent was a 22-16 campaign at Memphis in 2004-05. The Tigers reached the NIT semifinals that season.
6 – 30-win seasons. Since ’91, he’s had two at UMass and four at Memphis. That’s one more than Kentucky’s had in the last 20 years.
7 – NBA players drafted while at Memphis.
9 – Regular-season and conference tournament championships won.
11 – NCAA tournament appearances in 17 seasons as a head coach.
13 – NCAA tournament wins since 2006. Only UCLA has more.
15 (of 18) – Four-year Memphis players who’ve graduated. That number could grow this season, with Antonio Anderson, Robert Dozier and Chance McGrady on track to graduate. If the Tigers don’t go pro early, they usually get their degree. UMass graduated nearly 80 percent of its players during Calipari’s tenure.
The last one is interesting. Memphis is perceived as a basketball factory, but that’s a good graduation rate for guys who don’t jump to the pros. It drops among black players (44 percent), but that’s because of the guys in the NBA. It’s not a shining example of academic excellence, but consider that Memphis had a zero graduation rate and missed the NCAA tournament four straight seasons before he arrived in 2000.
And if you’re Kentucky, a school that just fired Billy Gillispie because he wasn’t “the right fit,” it’s important to consider. Calipari is beloved in Memphis because he’s won games, established himself as a part of the community and given the city a team to be proud of.
That’s what Big Blue Nation wants: A winner and a coach who loves being in Lexington. Sounds like Calipari fits the bill.
