UK’s Calipari Disappointed By SEC’s Lack Of NCAA Bids

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All season, Kentucky’s John Calipari has tried to pump up the reputation of the SEC.  He’s said good things about one rival program after another.  The simple explanation?  Talking up the SEC helps his own program when it comes to national reputation and discussions of schedule strength.

But already in the NCAA Tournament as the overall #1 seed, there was no longer a need for Coach Cal to praise his leaguemates on today’s SEC coaches’ teleconference.  But he continued to do so:


“I was sick to my stomach when Mississippi State lost, I was sick to my stomach when Tennessee lost, because then I felt Mississippi was gonna have to beat Vandy to get in.  I felt Tennessee, if they had won that (Ole Miss) game, they would have been in.  Some of it falls on us coaches, we have to take care of business, and there are games our teams have to got to win.

The things Tennessee did all year, I’m still convinced they are an NCAA team.”


When you’re so supremely confident that your program is the untouchable best in the SEC — and these past three years, Calipari’s has been — you can probably afford to speak very well of others.  Let’s face it, he’s not had to worry too much about recruiting battles with his rival SEC coaches since taking over in Lexington.  So there’s no reason not to pat ‘em on the back.