https://www.on3.com/teams/kentucky-...-damn-about-winning-college-basketball-games/
“Man, it was great. I love Cal. I still talk to Cal to this day. He lets you rock,” Fox said. “That’s why he wants guards like John [Wall] and myself and [Brandon] Knight, Tyler Ulis. The way that he coaches, it’s like absolute freedom. He’ll put X’s and O’s but at the end of the day, everything’s going to end up in a pick and roll or isolation. That’s what the NBA is too.”
Fox’s team won games – 32 of them to be exact – but the former Wildcat feels that wasn’t Calipari’s focus during his short time with the program. In his eyes, the UK head coach builds his rosters with NBA talent and knows the wins will come as a result. The focus is on player development.
“When he’s able to get those guys, you find success,” Fox said. “Cal couldn’t give a damn about winning college basketball games. If he’s getting guys who he knows he can end up developing into NBA players, you’re automatically going to win 30 games a year just from that alone. That’s what I loved.
“You came in, you had to earn everything. He made you work. At the end of the day, I was a top-five pick, Bam (Adebayo) and Malik (Monk) were lottery picks. That’s all you can ask for. We lost in the Elite Eight, obviously we were mad as hell, but that wasn’t going to make me stay.”
As we’ve heard Calipari say time and time again throughout his time at Kentucky, Fox and the 2016-17 team’s other stars were told after the team’s heartbreaking loss to North Carolina in the Elite Eight that they would not be back the following year whether they wanted to return or not.
They had helped UK win games, made a deep run in the tournament, and established themselves as sure-fire lottery picks. Their time in Lexington was over.
“We lost on a buzzer-beater,” Fox said. “Cal brings us in about 20 minutes after, he said, “All of y’all are gone.” Brought us all in there, said, “You’re done, you’re not coming back. If you need us, you have our numbers, we’ll help you with whatever, but you’re not playing another college basketball game.”‘
“Man, it was great. I love Cal. I still talk to Cal to this day. He lets you rock,” Fox said. “That’s why he wants guards like John [Wall] and myself and [Brandon] Knight, Tyler Ulis. The way that he coaches, it’s like absolute freedom. He’ll put X’s and O’s but at the end of the day, everything’s going to end up in a pick and roll or isolation. That’s what the NBA is too.”
Fox’s team won games – 32 of them to be exact – but the former Wildcat feels that wasn’t Calipari’s focus during his short time with the program. In his eyes, the UK head coach builds his rosters with NBA talent and knows the wins will come as a result. The focus is on player development.
“When he’s able to get those guys, you find success,” Fox said. “Cal couldn’t give a damn about winning college basketball games. If he’s getting guys who he knows he can end up developing into NBA players, you’re automatically going to win 30 games a year just from that alone. That’s what I loved.
“You came in, you had to earn everything. He made you work. At the end of the day, I was a top-five pick, Bam (Adebayo) and Malik (Monk) were lottery picks. That’s all you can ask for. We lost in the Elite Eight, obviously we were mad as hell, but that wasn’t going to make me stay.”
As we’ve heard Calipari say time and time again throughout his time at Kentucky, Fox and the 2016-17 team’s other stars were told after the team’s heartbreaking loss to North Carolina in the Elite Eight that they would not be back the following year whether they wanted to return or not.
They had helped UK win games, made a deep run in the tournament, and established themselves as sure-fire lottery picks. Their time in Lexington was over.
“We lost on a buzzer-beater,” Fox said. “Cal brings us in about 20 minutes after, he said, “All of y’all are gone.” Brought us all in there, said, “You’re done, you’re not coming back. If you need us, you have our numbers, we’ll help you with whatever, but you’re not playing another college basketball game.”‘
