It's so much fun to see Andy Katz interview John Calipari. The two of them have a kind of chemistry together that really draws you in. Katz is a great questioner, and a very good listener when Calipari goes on one of his patented spiels about Kentucky basketball.
This interview is interesting for a couple of reasons. First, we learn that Nerlens Noel will likely be in Lexington very soon, as he is supposed to finish his summer classes this weekend. That's important not just because Noel is critical to the success of Kentucky this year, but also because a protracted eligibility debate could really set the team's development back.
Calipari also pointed out a couple of things that I have mentioned, which is that Noel blocks shots with both hands, unlike Anthony Davis, who was predominantly a right-handed shot-blocker, and very rarely attempted to block a shot with his left hand.
The second important thing Coach Cal talks about in this video is that Willie Cauley-Stein continues to impress, and that he is a legitimate 7'0", or even 7'1". Calipari is convincing when he says that Cauley-Stein is much better than he expected, and that UK may have to start him along with Nerlens Noel, going to the Twin Tower retro look we discussed earlier. Judging from Calipari's comments, I would be very surprised if we didn't see this happen at some point, and maybe as a routine, rather than exceptional, lineup.
I also like Coach Cal's point about teams not being able to put double-teams on Kentucky because of their talent. That is a big reason why Kentucky was so effective last year, because any double-team invariably led to a Doron Lamb three or a dunk inside. It's likely to be the same way this year.
Finally, the coup de grace -- the suggestion that when you come to Kentucky, the pressure is not all on any one player, but on the team. The subtlety of this is that he is using a compelling self-interest argument to combat self-interest, a bit of rhetorical Jiu-Jitsu that must leave his competitors shaking their collective heads.
There's a lot to love here in a couple of minutes. If you haven't seen it, be sure and check it out.