Latest news with #Calipari
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
John Calipari details what makes Adou Thiero NBA-ready: "If you're not physically able to go to hand-to-hand combat, you can't play in these games"
John Calipari details what makes Adou Thiero NBA-ready: "If you're not physically able to go to hand-to-hand combat, you can't play in these games" originally appeared on Basketball Network. The Los Angeles Lakers selected Adou Thiero, expecting him to ease the loss of Dorian Finney-Smith, but John Calipari believes he can do more than just fill a gap. In an interview with Jim Rome before the 2025 NBA Draft, Calipari, Thiero's coach at Arkansas, is confident that his ward is as NBA-ready as it gets. "Jim, if you're watching the NBA right now, these playoffs, if you're not a man, NBA, no boys allowed," Calipari said with conviction. "If you're not physically able to hand-to-hand combat, if you can't play when a guy's holding and grabbing, if you can't go get a rebound when two guys are just absolutely clubbing you, if you can't make a clayup where you got hit twice, you can't play in these games." "Adou Thiero can play in that kind of game. He physically can do it and athletically can do it," added the Razorbacks coach. Steal of the draft? As mentioned, Calipari's interview with Rome occurred days before the draft. Whether they listened to Cal hyping his player up, the Lakers made an aggressive move to snag Thiero at No. 36. Then, the franchise wasted no time locking the 6'8" forward into a three-year deal worth nearly $6 million. In agreement with Calipari's assessment of Thiero, Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka had nothing but nice things to say. According to Pelinka in an interview with Spectrum SportsNet, the team's scouting department had Thiero as a first-round talent. "Just the way the game is being officiated (in the 2025 playoffs), now there's a lot more physicality in the game. And so, being able to get a young man like Adou who's just gifted. He's a beast," Pelinka told James Worthy. The Lakers are looking to get younger and more athletic on the wings and Thiero fits the bill perfectly. He had the tools and motor to be a good 3-and-D player at the next level. Although he did not shoot the three well in college, he is a measured 6'8" on shoes with a seven-foot wingspan. Thiero will have to work on his shooting to be effective at the next level, although that is the easiest part of his job. After all, Kawhi Leonard shot only 25 percent from deep in college but has now connected on a 40 percent clip over the past three seasons. "I'm so proud of how far Adou has come from a 5'11 9th grader to becoming an NBA player. Incredible journey. Forget what round he is drafted in he is a player they will look at and go "how did he get drafted there that was a steal"," Cali wrote on other attributes Besides being physically ready to battle the big boys in the NBA, Thiero had other basketball characteristics that should help him on the next level. He actually grew up playing point guard, but eventually switched to his current position because of a massive growth spurt. With smoothening around the edges, Calipari feels Thiero is ready to go. "I would tell somebody, just like I did with Maxey and Quickley, if you pass on him… I'm telling you he can come on the league and help you right now because of what he is physically," added Cal. Lakers fans didn't get a first look at Thiero during Summer League, but that absence shouldn't lower expectations. His real test will come when the season tips off, where his size, motor and defensive instincts can slot into meaningful minutes. For now, Calipari's confidence and Pelinka's praise will have to hold them over. If Thiero proves as NBA-ready as both insist, the Lakers might have landed a second-round pick who's built for moments that actually story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
John Calipari Shares A Michael Jordan 'Took It Personally' Story: "Kerry Ain't Scoring Again"
John Calipari Shares A Michael Jordan 'Took It Personally' Story: "Kerry Ain't Scoring Again" originally appeared on Fadeaway World. John Calipari has been a head coach for over 40 years, and while he has spent the majority of his time in college, he did have a brief stint in the NBA. Calipari coached the New Jersey Nets from 1996 to 1999, and during an episode of the Two Cents Podcast, shared an epic Michael Jordan 'took it personally' story. 'We're playing [Jordan] and I had Kerry Kittles," Calipari said. "... [Kittles] has 17 in the first quarter on Michael. So now, we come out of the quarter, and Michael's going like that (made an '0' with his right hand) to me. And I'm looking down and I look up and I look down and I look back up and he's [still] going like that. "And I look at my staff and I go, 'Is he doing that to me?'" Calipari continued. "They go, 'Mm-hmm.' [I asked], 'Well, what the hell does it mean?' [They said], 'That Kerry ain't scoring again.' ... I had to get him out of the game and leave him out so my man wouldn't break his spirit. I just said forget the game, it's gonna break my man's spirit." The game that Calipari was referring to took place on Dec. 23, 1996, at the United Center. Kerry Kittles, who had been selected with the eighth pick of the 1996 NBA Draft, got off to a red-hot start. As Calipari stated, Kittles had 17 points in the first quarter, nearly outscoring the Bulls by himself. The rookie went a perfect 7-7 from the field and 3-3 from beyond the arc in the period to help the Nets jump out to a 32-18 lead. Unfortunately for Kittles, he had poked the bear that was Jordan by putting on that show. The youngster didn't even get to attempt a shot in the second quarter, and Calipari opted to play him just over five minutes in the period, presumably to save him. Jordan wasn't going to let up, though. Kittles played the entire third quarter and only attempted one shot, which he missed. He had been completely taken out of the game. While this was going on, the Bulls had managed to turn things around as well. They were up 87-66 entering the fourth quarter, and head coach Phil Jackson decided to pull his starters. Kittles would put up five more shots in what was basically garbage time and made one of them. He finished the night with 19 points (8-13 FG), four rebounds, two assists, three steals, and one block. Jordan, meanwhile, had 24 points (10-18 FG), three rebounds, and four assists. It wasn't his greatest showing offensively, but he still managed to stamp his authority on the contest on the defensive end. It speaks to Jordan's greatness that he was capable of having a big impact on both ends of the floor for much of his career. He made the All-Defensive First Team nine times and won the scoring title in each of those nine years, too. The two-way play is just one of the many reasons Jordan is still widely regarded as the greatest of all story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jul 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
NBC Sports
10-07-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
John Calipari heads into his second season at Arkansas trying to balance old and new
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — John Calipari admits he is still navigating the 'new' college basketball, a world in which the 66-year-old's traditional recruiting style is no longer the norm. But Calipari made it work last season, his first with the Razorbacks, and proved naysayers wrong. But the Arkansas basketball coach isn't interested in doing things the same way moving forward. Calipari spoke about his first year at Arkansas on Wednesday. The Razorbacks started Southeastern Conference play last season with five straight losses. But Arkansas ultimately reached the Sweet 16. Now, Calipari has taken a different approach in rebuilding the Razorbacks' roster heading into his second year in Fayetteville. 'I came here saying I want eight or nine guys because of NIL (name, image, likeness). I can't pick 12,' Calipari said. 'Now I'm like 'Let's have eight or nine that know,' but you have other players we're developing.' Calipari has long been known as a master recruiter of high school players, regularly collecting top-10 classes at Kentucky and Memphis before that. Now, the transfer portal has changed things. High school recruiting is not irrelevant, but preps players aren't as big a focus. Now, it's about veterans with college experience. Arkansas had one returning player last season, forward Trevon Brazile, who is also back for his final season. Calipari built the rest of the roster and used a nine-player rotation. The other five team members played 23 minutes total. Injuries sapped the Razorbacks of their two leading scorers. Guard Boogie Fland, who has transferred to Florida, played in 21 games, and forward Adou Thiero, who was selected in the NBA draft, played in 26. The two played less than 10 minutes in Arkansas' season-ending loss to Texas Tech in the NCAA Tournament. Also gone are center Jonas Aidoo, forward Zvonimir Ivisic and guard Johnell Davis. Now, the Razorbacks have two 6-foot-10 transfers in Nick Pringle from Alabama and Malique Ewin from Florida State. And there are three perimeter freshmen. Guards Meleek Thomas and Darius Acuff Jr. were five-star recruits, and wing Isaiah Sealy ranked as a four-star. On Wednesday, Calipari had practically a full contingent to run through 5-on-5 work, which rarely happened last season. 'Last year, we were always together, but as injuries started peeling off guys, they understood how much they needed each other. The way this is, you probably need to play more people,' Calipari said. Arkansas reached the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in five years after entering the NCAA Tournament as a No. 10 seed and starting SEC play at 1-5 for the third straight season. That start came as the least experienced team in the league, Calipari said. This season, Arkansas returns the most production in the SEC, increasing expectations and stakes. 'It's only 45%, but it's still the most in our league,' Calipari said. DJ Wagner is the only returner who averaged double figure scoring. Karter Knox tested the NBA waters before returning, and Billy Richmond saw plenty of key minutes. There is also Brazile, once considered a possible first round NBA pick before a torn ACL three seasons ago. In his final seven games last season, Brazile averaged 12.6 points and 9.7 rebounds. 'I'd tell you he (Brazile) is playing the best ball since I've coached him,' Calipari said. 'If he's the guy I'm seeing, you're talking about someone that we have one or two like that, then this thing is on. He's that good. Now you've got to find out who are the other couple that can make differences in the game.' Arkansas' mix of young and old looks familiar to Calipari — and anyone who saw his teams at Kentucky. Whether or not the new-old approach to roster building comes to fruition, even Calipari is unsure. 'None of us know,' he said. 'We're trying to figure out how this is going to work.'
San Francisco Chronicle
10-07-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
John Calipari heads into his second season at Arkansas trying to balance old and new
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — John Calipari admits he is still navigating the 'new' college basketball, a world in which the 66-year-old's traditional recruiting style is no longer the norm. But Calipari made it work last season, his first with the Razorbacks, and proved naysayers wrong. But the Arkansas basketball coach isn't interested in doing things the same way moving forward. Calipari spoke about his first year at Arkansas on Wednesday. The Razorbacks started Southeastern Conference play last season with five straight losses. But Arkansas ultimately reached the Sweet 16. Now, Calipari has taken a different approach in rebuilding the Razorbacks' roster heading into his second year in Fayetteville. 'I came here saying I want eight or nine guys because of NIL (name, image, likeness). I can't pick 12,' Calipari said. 'Now I'm like 'Let's have eight or nine that know,' but you have other players we're developing.' Calipari has long been known as a master recruiter of high school players, regularly collecting top-10 classes at Kentucky and Memphis before that. Now, the transfer portal has changed things. High school recruiting is not irrelevant, but preps players aren't as big a focus. Now, it's about veterans with college experience. Arkansas had one returning player last season, forward Trevon Brazile, who is also back for his final season. Calipari built the rest of the roster and used a nine-player rotation. The other five team members played 23 minutes total. Injuries sapped the Razorbacks of their two leading scorers. Guard Boogie Fland, who has transferred to Florida, played in 21 games, and forward Adou Thiero, who was selected in the NBA draft, played in 26. The two played less than 10 minutes in Arkansas' season-ending loss to Texas Tech in the NCAA Tournament. Also gone are center Jonas Aidoo, forward Zvonimir Ivisic and guard Johnell Davis. Now, the Razorbacks have two 6-foot-10 transfers in Nick Pringle from Alabama and Malique Ewin from Florida State. And there are three perimeter freshmen. Guards Meleek Thomas and Darius Acuff Jr. were five-star recruits, and wing Isaiah Sealy ranked as a four-star. On Wednesday, Calipari had practically a full contingent to run through 5-on-5 work, which rarely happened last season. 'Last year, we were always together, but as injuries started peeling off guys, they understood how much they needed each other. The way this is, you probably need to play more people,' Calipari said. Arkansas reached the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in five years after entering the NCAA Tournament as a No. 10 seed and starting SEC play at 1-5 for the third straight season. That start came as the least experienced team in the league, Calipari said. This season, Arkansas returns the most production in the SEC, increasing expectations and stakes. 'It's only 45%, but it's still the most in our league,' Calipari said. DJ Wagner is the only returner who averaged double figure scoring. Karter Knox tested the NBA waters before returning, and Billy Richmond saw plenty of key minutes. There is also Brazile, once considered a possible first round NBA pick before a torn ACL three seasons ago. In his final seven games last season, Brazile averaged 12.6 points and 9.7 rebounds. 'I'd tell you he (Brazile) is playing the best ball since I've coached him,' Calipari said. 'If he's the guy I'm seeing, you're talking about someone that we have one or two like that, then this thing is on. He's that good. Now you've got to find out who are the other couple that can make differences in the game.' 'None of us know," he said. "We're trying to figure out how this is going to work.'
Fox Sports
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
John Calipari heads into his second season at Arkansas trying to balance old and new
Associated Press FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — John Calipari admits he is still navigating the 'new' college basketball, a world in which the 66-year-old's traditional recruiting style is no longer the norm. But Calipari made it work last season, his first with the Razorbacks, and proved naysayers wrong. But the Arkansas basketball coach isn't interested in doing things the same way moving forward. Calipari spoke about his first year at Arkansas on Wednesday. The Razorbacks started Southeastern Conference play last season with five straight losses. But Arkansas ultimately reached the Sweet 16. Now, Calipari has taken a different approach in rebuilding the Razorbacks' roster heading into his second year in Fayetteville. 'I came here saying I want eight or nine guys because of NIL (name, image, likeness). I can't pick 12,' Calipari said. 'Now I'm like 'Let's have eight or nine that know,' but you have other players we're developing.' Calipari has long been known as a master recruiter of high school players, regularly collecting top-10 classes at Kentucky and Memphis before that. Now, the transfer portal has changed things. High school recruiting is not irrelevant, but preps players aren't as big a focus. Now, it's about veterans with college experience. Arkansas had one returning player last season, forward Trevon Brazile, who is also back for his final season. Calipari built the rest of the roster and used a nine-player rotation. The other five team members played 23 minutes total. Injuries sapped the Razorbacks of their two leading scorers. Guard Boogie Fland, who has transferred to Florida, played in 21 games, and forward Adou Thiero, who was selected in the NBA draft, played in 26. The two played less than 10 minutes in Arkansas' season-ending loss to Texas Tech in the NCAA Tournament. Also gone are center Jonas Aidoo, forward Zvonimir Ivisic and guard Johnell Davis. Now, the Razorbacks have two 6-foot-10 transfers in Nick Pringle from Alabama and Malique Ewin from Florida State. And there are three perimeter freshmen. Guards Meleek Thomas and Darius Acuff Jr. were five-star recruits, and wing Isaiah Sealy ranked as a four-star. On Wednesday, Calipari had practically a full contingent to run through 5-on-5 work, which rarely happened last season. 'Last year, we were always together, but as injuries started peeling off guys, they understood how much they needed each other. The way this is, you probably need to play more people,' Calipari said. Arkansas reached the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in five years after entering the NCAA Tournament as a No. 10 seed and starting SEC play at 1-5 for the third straight season. That start came as the least experienced team in the league, Calipari said. This season, Arkansas returns the most production in the SEC, increasing expectations and stakes. 'It's only 45%, but it's still the most in our league,' Calipari said. DJ Wagner is the only returner who averaged double figure scoring. Karter Knox tested the NBA waters before returning, and Billy Richmond saw plenty of key minutes. There is also Brazile, once considered a possible first round NBA pick before a torn ACL three seasons ago. In his final seven games last season, Brazile averaged 12.6 points and 9.7 rebounds. 'I'd tell you he (Brazile) is playing the best ball since I've coached him,' Calipari said. 'If he's the guy I'm seeing, you're talking about someone that we have one or two like that, then this thing is on. He's that good. Now you've got to find out who are the other couple that can make differences in the game.' Arkansas' mix of young and old looks familiar to Calipari — and anyone who saw his teams at Kentucky. Whether or not the new-old approach to roster building comes to fruition, even Calipari is unsure. 'None of us know," he said. "We're trying to figure out how this is going to work.' recommended Item 1 of 1
