CHICAGO — John Calipari was perceived to be taking a shot at Duke and coach Mike Krzyzewski earlier this week when he tried to distinguish between Kentucky’s pitch to recruits and the pitch made by other schools.
“I refuse to go in a home and paint a picture saying things like, ‘If you come with us you’ll be taken care of for the rest of your life by the program and by our alums” even though you may only be in school for a year or two,‘ he wrote on his Website. “How preposterous does that sound? What if I say that same thing and the young man decides to transfer for one reason or another? Does that still hold true that we’re going to take care of them the rest of their lives? Our approach is to give them the fishing rod and the lures to help them catch fish, not to just give you the fish.”
The comment was widely taken as a shot at Duke, which is known to emphasize the school’s long-term benefits to recruits.
As Rob Dauster of NBCSports.com pointed out, 2017 guard Hamidou Diallo of the NY Rens illustrated the comparison between Kentucky and Duke’s recruiting pitches. Diallo holds offers from both schools.
“Kentucky’s pitch was just the NBA thing,” Diallo told the Louisville Courier-Journal. “Duke’s pitch was if you come to Duke, you’re going to be set for life. It’s more than just basketball. [John Calipari’s] pitch was he gets guys ready for the next level. Look at the numbers: it shows. It’s the best place for you if you want to make it to the NBA.”
Calipari on Wednesday was asked to clarify his comment and if it was directed specifically at one school.
“Normally I say when you throw a rock at a pack of dogs, the one you hit starts yelping,” he said. “That hit, it should have hit about 15 heads, OK? Not just one.”
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