UK Basketball: Recruit's father says Cal told him he's staying at Kentucky

“He is making great money. He has other things outside the basketball world to keep him going. He is coaching in a storied program. He has the opportunity to possibly win a national championship, or maybe more. He has a fan base second to none. There are a lot of positive things.

“He knows what the NBA is about. It’s tough enough coaching in college and when you go to the pros it can multiply by 10. You are coaching players that make more than you. It’s a different ball of wax. Good college coaches do not last long in the pros. They are usually old school and that does not go well in the NBA. So we’re very confident he will be around Kentucky for a long time.”

Greg Wiltjer, a former professional basketball player, was impressed with the relationships he sensed Calipari has with players, too.

“I got the sense of the way he loves his players and looks out for them,” Wiltjer said. “As a former player who has coached a little bit, I was so impressed to see where (freshman) Terrence Jones has gone. I have seen him play a couple dozen times and to see how hard he worked physically to be in shape or see him leading big guys in sprints sent a message I took away that Calipari is dialed into guys.

“The thing not all people understand with high level coaches is that they have a bunch of personalities to deal with. They have kids that have been told they were great players all their lives. It takes a special personality to put it all together,” Wiltjer said. “Last year DeMarcus Cousins had a reputation for being a difficult kid and Calipari put him under his wing and re-focused him. Taking all those kids and making it works takes a special person.

“Not everyone will write or talk about things like that, but it is important. I do not want to send my kid to a military academy, but I do want to send him somewhere that builds discipline, teaches players to believe in themselves and promotes teamwork. Kentucky does all that.”