NCAA Basketball: 4 head coaches who needs to win big in 2023-24 season
By Caleb Hall
No. 4: John Calipari, Kentucky Wildcats
Wins Needed: Sweet Sixteen Bid
John Calipari is one the most successful college basketball coaches even since his early days at UMASS. He took over for the Kentucky Wildcats in 2010 and have been to multiple final fours, elite eights, sweet sixteens, and one national championship. However, the Wildcats have not made it out of the first round since 2019 under Calipari.
The Wildcats lost to a 15 seed in the round of 64 in 2022, and lost to Kansas State in the round of 32 in 2023. It’s not to say the Wildcats haven’t had talent either. They had national player of the year Oscar Tshiebwe, and multiple lottery picks in the last few years, so what is holding back Kentucky?
I think John Calipari may be the problem for the Wildcats. He has had several good classes and all he has to show for it is one championship. He should have more than just one in his 14 years at UK with the players he has had. Calipari brings in one of his best draft classes ever in the 2023-24 season. It is the unanimous number 1 class with guys like DJ Wagner and Aaron Bradshaw, and it would be hard to see a future where UK will fail.
Calipari has had regular season success, but his recent postseason success has been extremely underwhelming. If Calipari can’t at least get out of the first weekend of the tourney, I’m not sure he will even want to be at UK in 2024-25. Kentucky always has high expectations because it’s UK basketball and they are one of the historic blue bloods in NCAA Basketball. Fans are starting to get nervy and Calipari can feel it. There were even rumors he might leave for Texas last season, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Calipari leaves the cats next season if he can’t win in the postseason.