Izzo not a fan of the way Kentucky has done it

By: LARRY VAUGHT

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo believes that Kentucky coach John Calipari “has done a hell of a job” with his team this year. However, the Michigan State coach is not a fan of the way Calipari has done it.

“I’m not sure I’m crazy about the way everything has worked out; I don’t know what it will do for college basketball and everything like that,” said Izzo on the Big Ten coaches teleconference Monday when asked about UK’s quest for perfection like Indiana did in 1975-76. “But he has withstood the pressure, he has dealt with the young guys. I think that has been great.”

He noted Bobby Knight’s team at Indiana had more veterans — and not basically freshmen and sophomores — and that the Southeastern Conference might not be as strong now as the Big Ten was then.

“But I know this: If you can go undefeated in ’76, 2015 or 3012, that’s an incredible accomplishment. No matter who you play, that pressure is very difficult. I give him a lot of credit for how he has handled this team, what they’ve done and I don’t know how you compare the two, to be honest,” Izzo said.

He said Calipari has a “niche” for handling future NBA talent.

“It’s easier because it’s harder to control the, as you say, NBA roster, but the niche is that if you don’t (perform), you don’t play. He has another guy there who could also be on an NBA roster. Most of us don’t have that. So you have to put up with a little more (trouble), maybe, and most of us don’t have that issue,” Izzo said.

“But he has issues, like: How do they defend? How do they run an offense? You’re talking about a lot of young kids and he has done it as well as anybody as far as getting those kids ready to play. They’ve been progressing and have had a chance to grow. It has worked. He has done it. If they go undefeated it’s an incredible accomplishment no matter if he has 12 McDonald’s All-Americans, instead of 10. Or 12 pros. It’s still difficult to do that, especially with young guys.”

Calipari said on the SEC teleconference that he didn’t hear what Izzo, who he considers a friend, said.

“I like the comment that (ESPN analyst) Jay Bilas made: When you look at how this team has come together and how they share, I think that’s the narrative. How these guys sacrifice and give up minutes and shots to each other. I think that should be what this is all about, not how many guys have a chance to be pros,” Calipari said. “Other teams have really good players, too. I haven’t talked to Tom in a couple of weeks but he’s a good man and someone I consider a friend.”

Kentucky has come under fire recently from various sources because of its roster some fill is too loaded with future NBA players and short-term college players.

"I've said all along we should go to two years (before players can leave college). I've said it. I've been for it. I did a (NBA) combine in 2011to be able to give the kids the right information. I've begged our league to do a combine for the last couple years,” Calipari said. “I'm in a meeting where we got coaches to agree with the NBA it's probably a good idea. I did a preseason combine this year for the same reason: get these kids the right information.

“Hopefully we'll move it toward that. If the NCAA works with the players' association in the NBA maybe it's something we can do, and if not maybe we can make it where these kids look at it and say, 'I can stay because they're paying for the insurance, they're paying for the value of insurance, they're getting me back and forth, taking my parents to the NCAA Tournament. There's things that are happening that, you know what, let me stay another year. I'm good.'

“After two years and two summers or three summers you're going to have kids a year away or a little bit over a year away from a college degree. I mean it all makes sense having two years."