A Kentucky Fan's Blog On The Miserable Experience Of Being Forced To Watch John Calipari Dominate Rick Pitino One More Time

It's no secret I'm a Kentucky fan, a Kentucky grad, a man who was in school for the last two years of Tubby Smith and Billy Gillispie. A man who watched John Calipari lead my program for 15 years before declaring him an enemy. We also know what happened today. John Calipari got Arkansas back to the Sweet 16, his first Sweet 16 since 2019. 

Obviously, Arkansas fans are running their mouths today because they are in the Sweet 16. You're allowed to do that when your team wins. Fair is fair. A lot of 'see, we told you John Calipari can coach. Kentucky was the problem.' Here's my view: 

1. How is Kentucky the problem when John Calipari coached there and failed?

2. John Calipari owns Rick Pitino.

The second one is the big one. Ever since Cal got to Kentucky it's been one-sided. Doesn't matter the spread, who is favored or what, Pitino's guys play tight and freak out the moment he's against Calipari. It was coaching malpractice by Pitino too. I never thought I'd say that but the fact he refused to zone Arkansas while getting torched by DJ Wagner, Boogie Fland and Johnell Davis was asinine. Refusing to get the ball to Zuby Ejiofor in the second half was dumber. Yeah, RJ Luis and Kadary Richmond were awful and St. John's shoots worse than Jeff D. Lowe during the Yak gauntlet, but what are you doing there, Rick? 

Back to Calipari. He's doing his Cal shtick, one I loved once upon a time. But anyone who is trying to say Kentucky fucked up by being ready to move on from him is dumber than I thought. This doesn't prove anything besides Hunter Dickinson is not a winning player and Cal owns Rick Pitino. Cal outcoached Pitino today. I can't spinzone it, I can't do anything else. He didn't care if Ivisic fouled out because he knew Ivisic was a negative in this game. He went small to bother St. John's. He forced them to shoot while protecting Aidoo. 

Would have been nice to have Cal this desperate at any point the last 4 years. Would have been preferred even. That or just play Rick Pitino every single game.