Kentucky Basketball: What John Calipari Has to Gain in 2014-15

In April, assuming Kentucky presumably cuts down the nets in Indianapolis for its second national title in four seasons, will we look at head coach John Calipari any differently?

He's already destined to be a Hall of Fame inductee, having led three different programs to the Final Four and winning the 2012 title with the Wildcats. He's produced dozens of NBA players, and this latest team figures to boost that tally significantly.

And now, with his implementation of a platoon system to more efficiently use his overabundance of talent (such a tough problem to have, huh?), he's potentially introduced a new way for the top college teams to deal with playing time and fatigue issues.

But is that enhancing his reputation, or has Calipari already reached the pinnacle of what he can achieve in the college game? To borrow a phrase from football, at least when it comes to finding fault, is he elite?

Yes, he is. Calipari has already cemented himself as one of the greatest coaches in college basketball history. The sample size may seem small, but the effectiveness of the platoon has shown it can work when done properly, and because of this, whether the Wildcats go 40-0 and win the title or end up coming short won't really matter when it comes to defining Calipari's legacy.

At this point, whatever else he does is just gravy, undefeated championship included. But don't expect to see any sort of "I've made it" vibe coming from the coach for the rest of this season and beyond.

Instead, look for Calipari to continue to find ways to innovate, to pioneer. The platoon is just the tip of that iceberg, along with the scouting combine he set up during the preseason.

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These aren't concepts that are so intricate and specialized that they can't be copied; it's quite the opposite. They're meant to be mimicked, much like how coaches build off each others' plays and schemes.

Ideas on how to keep players fresh (as well as happy) are tools any coach would like to use, and Calipari is creating the blueprint for this. Others might want to be able to invite NBA scouts to campus, all at once, as both a way to increase the current roster's pro prospects and also entice future recruits to go there.

Whether he set out to do this or not, this is the road Calipari is heading down this year and beyond. And when his career is over, he'll be known as much for what he brought to the game (and how he potentially changed it) as he will for any of his actual results.

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.