John Calipari’s emphasis on service resonates with players

In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey wreaking devastation across Texas and the city of Houston, Kentucky Head Coach John Calipari organized a telethon that raised $1 million for hurricane relief efforts.

And recently, Calipari and the team traveled to Houston to oversee the distribution of the funds. Freshman Jarred Vanderbilt, who is from the Houston area, told SEC Country’s Kyle Tucker that Cal’s commitment to helping with things like this really resonated with him.

“That’s one of the reasons why I came here,” Vanderbilt said Friday. “To see how he genuinely cared and how proactive he was when he first heard about [the hurricane devastation], it was just a great feeling. I’m glad we have that platform to help out.”

But not only that, the team is also helping out in the Lexington community, partnering with God’s Food Pantry. On Friday, they delivered lunches to local elementary students.

Check out SEC Country’s video showing the team’s visit to the elementary school here.

These types of things really go against the whole “One-and-done freshmen don’t care” narrative. It’s clear to see they enjoyed their visit and interacting with the kids and how they want to help others.

This looks like a really fun group that will be fun to watch come basketball season.