Calipari’s apology to Jones speaks volumes

Why did John Calipari have to apologize to Terrence Jones?

The Kentucky coach tore into his freshman star during Tuesday’s 68-66 loss at Alabama, launching a profanity-laced tirade late in the second half that was broadcast on ESPN for all to see. You didn’t need to be the best lip reader in the world to see that Calipari was cussing Jones out for some sort of transgression, later revealed to be Jones’ allegedly selfish play down the stretch. Calipari certainly made his point in his own way, and Jones insisted both in his postgame comments and on his Twitter page that no harm was done.

Calipari certainly isn’t the first coach to use objectionable language while addressing a player. Bob Knight made a career of it during his stops at Indiana and Texas Tech (thrown folding chairs, anyone?). Mike Krzyzewski would occasionally be right at home with the cast of Goodfellas when the going gets tough on the Duke sidelines. Frank Martin rivals John McEnroe in his prime with the intensity of his tantrums while coaching his Kansas State players. All three of those men have won a lot of basketball games, and they’ve done it their own way.

Calipari is cut from the same cloth – win at all costs, whether it means guiding a program that plays fast and loose with the rules (as Marcus Camby did while Calipari coached him at Massachusetts) or embracing a revolving door of one-and-done standouts (Dajuan Wagner, Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans at Memphis; John Wall, Eric Bledsoe, DeMarcus Cousins and Daniel Orton at Kentucky) who use college basketball as a mandatory year in purgatory before reaching the paid Heaven that is the NBA. The end result is the same – NCAA Tournament bids, high-profile recruits and an opportunity to compete for the national championship on an annual basis. Calipari’s in no danger of losing his job or even being publicly reprimanded by his bosses in Lexington for his conduct on Tuesday.

So where’s the harm in all of this? It might be a quaint notion in the current world of big-time athletics, but coaches are still obliged to serve as role models for their players. They’re the caretakers for their athletes while they’re away from home, a promise that they make when they extend a scholarship offer long before potential players have set foot on campus. Calipari is in charge of Jones’ development as both a player and a person for as long as the 6-foot-8, 244-point forward remains in a Wildcats’ uniform. That’s the reason why what happened on Tuesday night was wrong, and it’s certainly the reason why Calipari owed Jones a public apology.

That’s not to say that it might not happen again. Calipari could get after Jones in practice tomorrow with something a little stronger than, ‘Terrence, could you please hedge out a little harder on that high screen?’ The important lesson that both men will hopefully take from this is that they’ll think about what they say the next time they’re in a heated situation. It’s one that Calipari already should have learned thanks to his wealth of experience in the game and one that Jones should be able to grasp after everything that’s happened to him in the last 24 hours.

– Bill Koch

 

AP Honor Applying Added Pressure to Barnes?

It’s not his fault.

I mean, who would reasonably pick Andrew Luck (presumed first pick in next season’s NFL draft) to be a Pro-Bowl starter next season?  The correct answer to this, if you need it, is nobody. 

So then why in the world was Harrison Barnes, the much ballyhooed schoolboy star from Ames, Iowa, selected as an AP All-American without stepping foot on a college floor? 

Whatever the reason, it’s not Barnes’  fault he had the tag of All-American bestowed upon him.  In fact, it is quite an honor, and one he earned through tremendous play.  Barnes became the fist ever freshman to receive such high praise from the AP membership which makes its All-American selections.  Obviously, Barnes showed extraordinary ability to play the game against high school and AAU competition.  Nonetheless, how does a committee of 65 put a player who has never taken a shot at the college level on its top preseason squad?  How many of the 65 do you think actually even saw this kid play a game, or did they come to their conclusion based on several YouTube highlight reels and determined this kid is more worthy of an All-American selection than say, Kemba Walker?

To date, Barnes has had a solid, but unspectacular, start to his college career.  The 6-foot-8, 210 lb forward has averaged 12.3 points and six rebounds through 12 contests.  The most noteworthy stat he has posted, however, is his shooting percentage.  So far, Barnes is connecting from the field at just 37%.  From deep, the freshman is struggling further, knocking down trifectas at a meager 29%.

These percentages can easily be attributed to a player that is pressing.  At the end of the day, Barnes is scoring the ball, reaching double-figures in eight of 12 games.  But having to throw up an average of 12 shots per game to reach that average isn’t exactly efficient.  

As the Tar Heels’ season begins to roll into ACC conference play, the intensity will only be  greater for Barnes.   Will he be able to find his comfort zone in time for a trip to Cameron?  

He better.  He’s a top-five selection in most 2011 NBA mock drafts, too. 

Christian Marge

 

Benson, Grizzlies no longer under the radar

Oakland's Keith Benson introduces himself to an opponent (Courtesy Jose Juarez, Oakland Photographer)

The Oakland University Grizzlies are not an under the radar mid-major.

Not now anyway.  

Perhaps they were to the casual hoops fan before they defeated seventh ranked and previously undefeated Tennessee on the road this week, but from this point forward the Summit League club will be a marked team expected to make noise come March.

Last night, we caught up with Oakland Associate Head Coach Jeff Tungate to discuss his team’s road win, the season to date, and the future of the program.

Tungate knows that for Oakland, it is time to put up — and the only way to do that is by winning games as a mid-major.

“We needed to win one or a few of these games we scheduled versus 25 teams. We need to advance our program and the time for playing those teams close is over.”

Words such as those serve notice to the college basketball world that Oakland is not just traveling to BCS school arenas to collect a check and hang around for a half; they intend on winning and  building a resume for March, game by game.

Led by 6-11 senior forward Keith Benson (averaging 18 points a game), the Grizzlies took down the Vols 89-82 on Monday night, behind 26 points and 10 rebounds from their big man. Most good mid-majors have one player who makes them dangerous in March (generally a guard however), and Benson is certainly that guy for the Grizz. 

A legit NBA prospect, Tungate loves what he sees from his veteran, saying, ”Offensively he’s very dangerous because he’s so versatile.  He scores with either hand, can go over either shoulder, he can shoot the three-ball and can even handle it on the wing.  Defensively, he’s improving.”

Benson is surrounded by a team that Tungate says is, “not intimidated by any one team or any environment.”  Being able to play in hostile venues is a must for a club with hopes of pulling off that opening round upset in the field of 65.  Already this season, the Grizzlies have played at Purdue, Illinois, and Tennessee to date… and next up is in-state rival Michigan followed by a road trip to second ranked Ohio State. 

Against the Buckeyes, Benson will be facing off against super freshman Jared Sullinger who is averaging 18 points and nine rebounds.

“Coach (Greg) Kampe has scheduled us against not only some of the best teams in the country, but also scheduled teams who have great big men so Keith can have a chance to display his skills vs. some high profile players,” Tungate relayed. 

Aside from the great match-up of those two bigs, Oakland will attempt to knock off their second top 10 program in ten days. “When we play these teams our margin for error isn’t verygreat, but we can play and beat anyone,” says Tungate.

This afternoon as ESPN showed highlights from the Tennessee game, an anchor remarked,”When did Oakland move to Michigan?”

If people still aren’t familiar with the Grizzlies, shame on them.  And it’s also only a matter of time before they know a whole lot more about the Oakland program than just which state they call home.

 - Ian Nolan