Calipari's Correct: SEC Title Only First Step for Kentucky

It’s not that Kentucky men’s basketball coach John Calipari doesn’t take some satisfaction in conference championships and doesn’t believe that an SEC title for his Wildcats would be a great achievement.

It would be a fantastic day for Calipari’s boys and all the blue faithful in Lexington. It would be a small treat for months of exhaustive workouts and countless hours spent on the hardwood.

It’s just that Calipari knows better. He knows he wasn’t pulled away from Memphis to win the conference and then fizzle out in the Big Dance.

More importantly, he knows what could be had this season—a year in which he may possess the most talented roster in the land.

The Wildcats can clinch a share of the school’s 44th conference title by beating Bruce Pearl’s Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday.

When asked Friday what this would mean to him, Calipari promptly responded, “Nothing.”

The SEC tournament is nice, but there’s another tournament that is better.

“I’ve always taken the approach that it’s about the seed in the NCAA tournament,” Calipari said. “If you want me to be honest about how I think and what we’re doing to prepare, that’s what it is. The SEC tournament is about our seed in the NCAA tournament.”

Calipari’s bunch is ranked No. 2 in the country and is 27-1 overall. No, they aren’t the most experienced or polished club in college basketball this season. That title would belong to Sherron Collins, Cole Aldrich, and the Kansas Jayhawks.

But Kentucky is explosive enough to handle any opponent, and Calipari has his club playing with a hunger that is usually reserved for juniors and seniors making their final run at a title.

The Wildcats have the best player in the country in John Wall. They have one of the most dominant post players in DeMarcus Cousins. Junior forward Patrick Patterson brings a little experience and a lot of poise to the floor.

And that’s without mentioning freshman Eric Bledsoe, who would be garnering much more national attention if it weren’t for the presence of Wall and Cousins.

Calipari won’t allow his players to let up this year because he knows Rupp Arena could be home to a much different team next winter. Wall and Cousins, both freshmen, are both gone to the NBA as soon as Kentucky’s season ends. That’s a given.

Wall has wowed the nation with his unbelievable athleticism, passing, and knack for taking over games. He is the consensus No. 1 overall selection in the upcoming NBA draft. LeBron James has even made his way to Kentucky this year to check out Wall.

Cousins should be a top-10 pick as long as teams are comfortable with his attitude, poise, and maturity. The knock on Cousins has been that he loses his cool too easily and is a bit too volatile for prime time.

Even if that’s true, the kid is a year removed from eating lunch in a high school cafeteria. There’s time for him to mature and grow—and by all accounts, he has shown improvement with his emotions in only one season in the college game.

But this is a problem that Calipari would happily take on. Part of recruiting the best players in the country is the reality that they really aren’t interested in a college education—but rather, an NBA tutorial disguised with a couple term papers and weekly lectures.

If this were last season, analysts would spend much more time talking about Kentucky’s youth and lack of experience in comparison to a talented club like North Carolina.

But this isn’t last season. There is no mature powerhouse like the Tar Heels of 2009. There is a lot of potential, but there’s no true juggernaut out there.

We mentioned Kansas, and they probably should be regarded as the favorite to win the title right now.

Beyond that, it is Kentucky’s to lose. Sure, there will be teams that heat up by the time the tournament rolls around, but identities have largely been formed. Alterations occur this time of year, not a complete overhauling of a team’s personality.

Texas looked very strong early on, and they still could put together a run based around monster Dexter Pittman.

I really like Syracuse and have liked them all year. Syracuse is a pesky club that has the talent to win it all, and freshman Wesley Johnson is a star in the making. You can write those words in ink today. Johnson is as scintillating as Wall and will most likely be headed for the NBA after this season, too.

Johnson isn’t as polished as Wall, but he’s an athletic wing who should be great in the pro game. On top of that, he has a megawatt smile that a franchise can easily plaster on the front of its arena and urge fans to get excited about. Marketers will love him.

But those questions can wait for the summer. March is lurking, and Calipari is already setting his sights on the grand prize.

Locking down a conference title will be a small slice of glory for the Wildcats. But Kentucky basketball isn’t built on small achievements and moderate NCAA seeds.

Calipari has set the bar for his young bunch as high as he can reach. Whether Wall and/or Cousins leaves or not is fine. Calipari just wants them to have a glistening Kentucky ring when they decide it’s time to go.

Forget the small slice of glory. 

Calipari wants a full serving of heaven for Lexington.

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