John Calipari comments on the departure of Johnny Juzang

Johnny Juzang entered his name into the transfer portal on Friday afternoon, much to the shock of the entire Big Blue Nation.

However, it didn’t come as a shock to Johnny Calipari, who spoke to Juzang and his family last night about him possibly heading back to the West Coast.

“I talked to Johnny last night along with his family and let him know if he wants to come back here that this option is always open to him. Johnny had a great year and really got better as the season went on. I always enjoyed coaching him, and if there’s an opportunity to continue to do so, I would welcome it with open arms because Johnny is a great kid and a skilled basketball player with a bright future.”

“When we spoke last night, his family talked about Johnny going back to the West Coast, which I understand. If this is what he ultimately decides to do, we wish him all the best. He has our full support.”

Juzang re-classified from the 2020 to the 2019 class to commit to the Kentucky Wildcats in May of last year, and started to find his footing late during the season, including playing a crucial role in the comeback against Florida on the last game of the season.

Kentucky will now need to luck-out and have Immanuel Quickley return for his junior season to fill the space left by Juzang’s departure.