Here's a declarative sentence you'll hardly ever hear spoken by a coach: "I was wrong."
Here's the context for a coach we're all familiar with saying just that: An ongoing FBI investigation into college basketball has led to speculation about significant reform. NCAA President Mark Emmert said there needs to be "substantive changes" in the sport. A month ago he formed a committee to look into how to fix college basketball. Its chair is former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
More than once, Kentucky coach John Calipari has voiced concern that a reform movement, however well intended, might blunt progress already made.
For instance, Calipari has offered something of a mea culpa about his initial opposition to the NCAA adopting higher academic standards for eligibility.
"They were right and I was wrong," Calipari said at SEC media day last month. "They raised those standards and kids met those standards. We had the highest graduation rate in college basketball history. Highest graduation rate of African-Americans in college basketball in its history."
Just last week UK announced that its latest Graduation Success Rate had been at a record high.
There is speculation about permitting players to once again enter the NBA draft out of high school. LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett did this.
Last month, Mississippi State Coach Ben Howland spoke confidently about this happening. "I think things are going to change," he said. "That's pretty clear."
In this scenario, the educational progress made through higher academic standards would be diluted by allowing players to skip college and try to make their way to the NBA through the development league.
"Now, you say let's throw that out, all we've worked for (regarding) academics to tell a kid you can go to the (G League) or college," Calipari said. "Well, raise your hand if you'd go to the (G League, given that choice). I would have.
"There are going to be unintended consequences if we don't think of these kids ... . To have a kid out of high school, on his own, getting up on his own when mom was getting him up every single day."
Calipari suggested UK's Lifetime Scholarship program presents something of a best-of-both-worlds option: play college basketball and eventually get an education.
To further bolster the argument for going to college, Calipari also said that only 5 percent of G League players make the NBA. "What do we do with the ones that don't make it?" he said. "Tell me."
(A check with the NBA revealed that about 340 players were in the G League under G-League contracts last season. Of those 340 players, 38 went on to play in the NBA last season. That's about 11 percent. And that number does not include players who played in the G League last season and are on NBA rosters this season. Alfonzo McKinnie of the Toronto Raptors is one such player.)
The players and their futures should be the top priority, Calipari said. "Doesn't mean you treat every kid the same," he said. "But be fair."
A cynic might say Calipari is trying to protect what's working for Kentucky. Reliance on one-and-done players has worked for UK. But as Calipari has said on several occasions, Kentucky will prosper no matter what rules govern college basketball.
As for programs that object to one-and-done players, the UK coach offered this suggestion: "Then don't recruit these kids."
