First Posted: 4/3/2015
INDIANAPOLIS — John Calipari has been dealing with detractors for years.
They call him the embodiment of everything that’s wrong in the one-and-done world of college basketball. He’s a crook who landed two programs on probation, a snake-oil salesman who only won a national title because he was able to sell Kentucky to some top prospects.
Perhaps that perception has finally started to change.
After molding a roster full of McDonald’s All-Americans into a 38-0 juggernaut that’s two wins shy of another championship, Calipari was voted AP coach of the year on Friday.
He received 40 first-place votes from the 65-member national media panel. Tony Bennett of Virginia was runner-up with nine votes and Notre Dame’s Mike Brey got five.
Meanwhile, Wisconsin forward Frank Kaminsky was honored as the AP player of the year.
“I know this, I’m the same guy I’ve always been,” Calipari said, when asked whether opinions of him — particularly those in the media — have softened over the years.
“Well, not really. A lot of things change as you get older. My heart’s the same,” Calipari added. “Hopefully I’ve matured and grown up a little bit. That’s questionable also, I hear.”
Speaking of growing up, Kaminsky has certainly done that the past couple of years. After averaging 10 minutes a game as a sophomore, then having a breakout junior campaign, Kaminsky took another step forward in guiding the Badgers back to the Final Four.
The senior was rewarded with 58 first-place votes. Duke freshman Jahlil Okafor received five, and Willie Cauley-Stein of Kentucky and Jerian Grant of Notre Dame each received one.
“I thought about it a little bit,” Kaminsky said of winning the award. “Obviously, wasn’t one of my main priorities. Getting back to the Final Four was it. But being here and being honored by the AP is awesome. I’m grateful a lot of guys think of me in that manner.”
