Kentucky’s basketball program is being disrespected after John Calipari landed a five-star at Arkansas

Kentucky basketball is one of the greatest brands in college basketball and all of college athletics, for that matter. Kentucky basketball is the greatest tradition in all of college basketball, and that was the case before John Calipari got to Lexington, and that will be the case now that he is at Arkansas.

Coach Calipari just landed an elite recruit in the 2025 class, Darius Acuff Jr, who is one of the best guards in the class. Shortly after this commitment, some college basketball personalities began to say all of Kentucky’s recruiting success during the Calipari era was solely because of Coach Cal and had nothing to do with the Kentucky brand. That is just blatantly not true. Now to give Coach Calipari credit, he is the best recruiter in college basketball, and he will continue to succeed on the trail in Fayetteville, as he has already proved, but Kentucky sells itself easily.

Coach Mark Pope will be able to prove this to be true when he starts to land elite players in the 2025 class and beyond. Coach Pope was not an elite recruiter when he came to Kentucky, but he isn’t selling himself to recruits. He is selling the history of Kentucky basketball, and hearing from some elite players in this class, this strategy is working so far.

Coach Calipari is a legend, and he will succeed at Arkansas, but to say that Coach Cal was the only reason that Kentucky had recruiting success during his time in Lexington is just in no way true.