Watching Kentucky beat Ohio State and then North Carolina, I had one overriding thought: John Calipari is the best coach in college basketball.
We think of Calipari as a recruiter. He goes after players others might not, the players for whom college is recess, a one-year break between high school or prep school and the NBA. He rolls out the ball and tells his players to do NBA stuff. When they leave, he recruits another batch of one-and-dones to take their place.
But did you watch the Wildcats work this weekend? How many bad shots did they take? How many good shots did they get?
They took 22 three-pointers against the Tar Heels and hit 12. How many were contested?
True, the open threes were a testament to North Carolina's defense. The Tar Heels have struggled all season to stop the three.
So Calipari exploited the weakness. Every time North Carolina made a late second-half run, and the Tar Heels made several, a Wildcat shut it down with a pretty shot from long range.
Duke's Mike Krzyzewski and North Carolina's Roy Williams are among the best in their sport.
But if there's evidence that either is better than Calipari, I don't see it.
True, the man has sidestepped scandals without a single hair falling out of place, a testament to leaving at the right time and industrial strength gel.
Since he took the Kentucky job, he's avoided being tainted by the unsavory, and he's been there two entire seasons. He's recruited and coached beautifully. And his team probably is going to win the NCAA tournament.
"Duke's Mike Krzyzewski and North Carolina's Roy Williams are among the best in their sport.
But if there's evidence that either is better than Calipari, I don't see it."
How about 6 rings to 0? Come on.
Posted by: Mike | March 28, 2011 at 11:00 AM
How many programs has he put on probation>
Posted by: esm | March 28, 2011 at 11:01 AM
Coach K - 4 rings, 0 vacated Final Fours
Roy - 2 rings, 0 vacated Final Fours
Cal - 0 rings, 2 vacated Final Fours
Need more evidence?
Posted by: Mike | March 28, 2011 at 11:03 AM
Are you kidding me? It's only a matter of time before Kentucky will have to vacate all wins from this season! Every school he has coached at before has had the same NCAA violations. He may be a good coach, but he cheats to get there!
Posted by: Patrick | March 28, 2011 at 11:09 AM
Wow Sorensen, I typically enjoy your columns or blogs but you are WAY off here. No evidence? How about for K 4 rings, Williams 2 rings, Calhoun 2 rings, Izzo 1 ring and a boatload of final fours, Boeheim 1 ring. Calipari doesnt have any and hes made it to the Final Four with 3 different programs. And where is he on the all time wins list? His team just caught fire at the right time. That happens every year to a different team, but to label him as the best coach in college basketball is a streeeeeetch.
jhlaw13
Posted by: jhlaw13 | March 28, 2011 at 11:11 AM
Once again, Tom praising total scumbags. I'm guessing a lot of the affinity for Calipari comes from the fact you both sport the same ill advised hair style.
Posted by: me | March 28, 2011 at 11:12 AM
Please, don't even go there. What a scumbag he is--cheat, win, leave.
Posted by: Elizabeth | March 28, 2011 at 11:21 AM
Memphis is just coming off probation no thanks to Calipari. Before all is said and done he'll have Kentucky on it. He is as crooked as Bruce Pearl
Posted by: www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawnJD1LZBeOUVeYKmr8jWNAxyn_McQ9Qw4o | March 28, 2011 at 11:24 AM
Calipari is a very good coach, no doubt. The best? No way. Memphis should have rolled to the title a couple years ago with Derrick Rose. We'll see if Kentucky beats UConn and Butler (my pick).
Posted by: G-Rock | March 28, 2011 at 11:24 AM
Sorry Tom, great coaches do not mis-handle the end of championship games like Calipai did in 08 vs Kansas and get ranked as the best. I think Butlers coach has done more with less, no Derrick Rose or John Wall at Butler.
Posted by: Joe | March 28, 2011 at 11:26 AM
I agree with this piece of work. NC had 7 SEVEN McD's AA before the season begins. Kentucky loses 8 of their top 10 players from last year and what happened yesterday?
Duke is lucky they lost to Arizona which saves them from getting their bushes kicked Saturday.
Posted by: steve | March 28, 2011 at 11:38 AM
All are great coaches. But as of now, Cal is the better coach. Ol Roy has lost his fastball. He was in over his head last night. Cats punched the Heels in the mouth and there was no response - just tears after the game. ACC is soft, Heels are soft. Fans are soft.
Posted by: Big Blue Nation | March 28, 2011 at 11:39 AM
I enjoy reading your articles and you normally have some good insight, but this one is completely off the mark. Calipari isn't remotely anywhere near being the best coach in college basketball. That there is no evidence that coach K or Roy Williams is better than Calipari is one of the most uneducated comments I've ever read. (6 championships) Really, what evidence are you looking for? If any coach comes close it would be Brad Stevens. How do you think Calipari would have done with Butler's players, this year or last. Or for that matter Duke's players last year. Think Calipari would have gotten to the championship game or won the championship? No way. Not to mention these coaches do it with integrity and honesty. When this thought crept into your head you should have ran it off.
Posted by: Lynn Pilkington | March 28, 2011 at 11:44 AM
Only one other coach has taken three DIFFERENT teams to the Division I NCAA Final Four...Rick Pitino. Does Calipari get the same distinction given that the Final Four banners at UMASS and MEMPHIS were rescinded?
Posted by: Carl | March 28, 2011 at 11:44 AM
explain to me how D.rose high school test issues and Camby taking money from an agent is Calipari"s fault
Posted by: jmilc | March 28, 2011 at 12:00 PM
He is NOT the best college coach. No way. But Rose put Memphis in the penalty box. You think Calipari flew to Chicago and took that test? Our fans are embarrassing some times. Heels got out coached, that just what happened. its OK. ITS NOT THE REFS, ITS NOT CHEATING. The Heels just LOST.
Posted by: Sheesh | March 28, 2011 at 12:00 PM
toms i norm like you posts mayne but dag kenturky coach be troubles. i stil be read wha you rite toms. aint given up on dat stank.
Posted by: Stankonya | March 28, 2011 at 12:09 PM
UK may be a great team with loads of talent. But I cannot bring myself to agree with you Tom. he is good at putting programs in jeopardy though. He can't compare to the coaches in the ACC...Williams (Gary and Roy) or Coach K. Let him win a ring and stay off probation and we'll see. Oh, wait, HE'S never been on probation.
Posted by: John | March 28, 2011 at 12:10 PM
Anudder thang toms. Cal hurr turnt grey fast. i be thinkin he sckressd out bout sunting. i bet he be thankin he gon be cougt soon and sckressd they win wont add up. stank out mayne.
Posted by: Stankonya | March 28, 2011 at 12:13 PM
You sir, are an idiot. That is dumber than saying Barry Bonds was the best player in MLB during his roid rage. At least Barry had the numbers, Cal doesn't even have any stats! You idiot.
Posted by: Davidson2 | March 28, 2011 at 12:18 PM
I understand that this type of backlash against your article is exactly what you want. However, i think it is journalists like you that should hold unsavory and less than honest coaches feet to the fire, not praise them. The man represents the worst of college basketball. You hardly even acknowledged the scandals. You're normally better than this Tom. As a heels fan I respect coach K. I have no respect for Cal and am losing respect for you, Tom.
Posted by: Nick | March 28, 2011 at 12:24 PM
Coaches get too much credit no matter who you are talking about, players make coaches look smart, had some of those 3 point shots failed ,he would be just an average coach?
Posted by: ray walters | March 28, 2011 at 12:30 PM
People need to quit talking about Calipari as a cheater because he never did. He had no knowledge of either of the problems that put those two schools on probation, and was never implicated or blamed. Facts are facts. He never lied or covered things up like Bruce Pearl or now Jim Tressel at Ohio State. Go read the Sports Illustrated article about him from several weeks ago. Did any coaches in North Carolina organize and host a telethon that raised over $1 million for Haiti after its earthquake? He's got plenty of integrity and humanitarianism. I don't know that he is the best coach in college basketball, but how many coaches, including at Duke and UNC, have taken a team to the Final Four after losing all five of the previous year's starters? Anybody? Ohio State was the top seed of the entire tournament and the popular choice to go all the way, and he came up with a strategy that beat them. What he could do with players from other teams, like Butler, is irrelevant because he recruits the players that play his style, just like at Duke and UNC. Get off Calipari's back, you guys don't know what you are talking about, and Sorenson does.
Posted by: Mark | March 28, 2011 at 12:54 PM
And to the person who said, "The man represents the worst of college basketball," you don't know what the hell you are talking about, either. He represents some of the best of college basketball. Go read Sports Illustrated and see all the great things he has done off the court. All you can do is repeat rumors. And if Calipari had been coaching as long as Mike and Roy, at powerhouses like Kansas, UNC, and Duke, how many rings do you think he'd have? Let's put Mike and Roy at places like Rutgers, or Temple, or Central Florida, or Miami, and see how long it would take them to build a program.
Posted by: Mark | March 28, 2011 at 01:13 PM
Some extra bitterness from UNC-CHeat fans today. Next stop: NCAA sanctions!
Posted by: John Blake | March 28, 2011 at 02:03 PM