I stood across from an 18-year-old Karl-Anthony Towns before the 2014 McDonald’s All-American Game, and asked him what made John Calipari different. Towns was the crown jewel of Calipari’s recruiting class at Kentucky that season as one of four Burger Boys headed to Lexington. This was almost an underwhelming blue chip haul by Calipari’s lofty standards at the time after he pulled in a record six McDonald’s All-Americans the year before, a group that led his team to the national championship game even as a lowly No. 8 seed.
Towns immediately knew what he wanted to say.
“He never lies to you,” Towns said of Calipari at the time. “He keeps it straight with you. Cal really does a great job of always being honest. That’s the way the program is, it just runs on honesty.”
Fast forward 12 years later. Arkansas guard D.J. Wagner is at the podium for SEC media day, and he’s asked about why he’s still with Calipari for a third season after both made the leap from Kentucky to the Razorbacks. Wagner was once the No. 1 recruit in America, and widely presumed to be a one-and-done top draft pick. That didn’t happen after an underwhelming freshman campaign with the Wildcats exposed some holes in his game, but he never lost the support of his head coach. Wagner’s answer mirrored Towns’ more than a decade earlier:
“He’s always honest with you. He never sugarcoats nothing,” Wagner said. “That’s what it’s about. It’s a blessing to be able to play under John Calipari for three years. I mean, that’s a blessing to me. So that’s it, really. He’s a legendary coach. He’s a great coach. And he’s been with us every step of the way. He’s loyal, and he’s always got our back.”
So much has changed about college basketball since Calipari landed his first head coaching job at UMass in 1988. At the time, he was a 29-year-old tasked with turning around a program that hadn’t made the NCAA tournament since the early 1960s. Calipari had the Minutemen in the Final Four by his seventh season on the job, though that one was wiped off the official record books because Marcus Camby allegedly accepted $28K in jewelry and cash from an agent. Today, every player Calipari coaches and recruits has an agent and is handsomely rewarded for their talent through NIL. As the sport has undergone mammoth changes, Calipari has stayed true to himself, and it has given him more longevity than almost all of his long-time rivals.
Calipari is 67 now, and realistically he doesn’t have too many more years left in coaching. The days of the NBA trying to hire him out of the college ranks are long gone — at this point, he’s older than every active NBA head coach. It’s hard to believe he’s that old, because it still feels like he’s on the cutting edge of how to treat players. On Thursday, Calipari will lead Arkansas into the Sweet 16 for the second straight season. Just listen to him gloat about his latest collection of freshmen and the joys of coaching after all these years in the game.
Calipari has always put his players first, which was something of an radical concept in college sports even a decade ago when the prevailing wisdom was that athletes should be grateful for free tuition as they made their universities millions. Calipari never fell for it.
Contrast Calipari’s approach with that of Tom Izzo. The legendary Michigan State head coach has also found success on his own terms, but at 71 years old, it feels like he has deep resentment for the changing nature of the sport.
Not Calipari. In many ways, he molded college basketball to his whim and still came out on top.
I remember when Calipari proudly declared that every eligible player on his team would enter the NBA draft back in 2016. I remember when a record five Kentucky players became first-round picks back in 2010, which Calipari called the “greatest day in the history of the program.” I remember Dajuan Wagner — DJ Wager’s father! — trying to return for his sophomore season at Memphis until Calipari pushed him out the door because he knew his NBA stock was at an all-time high. Two years later, Wagner was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, and his career was mostly over.
It’s easy to think Calipari shouldn’t have the same advantages in today’s landscape of college basketball. Pay-for-play is now fully ingrained in the culture of the sport with NIL budgets pushing past $20 million annually for the sport’s biggest programs. You don’t have to became a first-round NBA draft pick to get rich playing basketball anymore. Yet for some reason, recruits still flock to Calipari.
Next season, Calipari has three more top-25 recruits coming into Arkansas, led by standout shooting guard Jordan Smith. Duke is the only other program who can match that type of haul. The coach’s greatest power might be his ability to always stay on message, and it resonates with players to this day. Just listen to him talk about how “administrations win championships, coaches win games” after advancing to the Sweet 16 this year.
Devin Booker put it simply when asked about why Calipari continues to succeed back in 2024. Booker was nearly a decade into his NBA All-Star career at the time, but he never lost sight of the man who who help him get there.
“They treat you like pros,” Booker said of Calipari and his staff at Kentucky. “They want you to be pros. Some teams are picking up on it, but Cal is the first one to promote sending your best players to the pros after one year.”
Many people will tie Calipari to the portrait of the sleazy college basketball coach. That’s only the case for those who don’t know him. For the players who crossed paths with the Hall of Famer, Calipari has been defined by keeping it real. All these years later, it’s still paying off.
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![MLB trade rumors on Twins, Red Sox, Tarik Skubal, and more ahead of Monday’s deadline The 2026 MLB Trade Deadline is just a few days away.And the rumors are heating up.The Deadline arrives at 6:00 p.m. Eastern on Monday, August 3, but we are already seeing some deals being made, including one between the surging Boston Red Sox and the Washington Nationals. Let’s take our first look at the MLB rumor mill as we get ready for this year’s MLB Trade Deadline.Marlins open to offers on “several” playersWhile the Miami Marlins finished seven games above .500 in the first half of the season, they lost the final three games before the All-Star Break, and with eight losses to open the second half, that 12 game losing streak has dropped the Marlins down the NL East standings. Wins the past few nights have moved them back above .500 on the year, but Miami could be creative sellers at the deadline.Or at least entertain offers on cost-controlled players over these next few days.Bats remain the major options. According to The Athletic the Marlins will at least “listen” to offers on controllable bats, including shortstop Otto Lopez, 2B Xavier Edwards, and OF Heriberto Hernández. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported on Tuesday that the Marlins are also open to trading C/OF/DH Liam Hicks, due in large part to the emergence of young catcher Joe Mack.Speaking of Mack, the rookie catcher is one of a few Marlins that are reportedly off limits, including pitchers Sandy Alcantara, Max Meyer, and Eury Pérez.The Minnesota Twins are one game above .500, with the MLB Trade Deadline fast approaching.But unlike the Marlins, who were 8.5 games out of first place in the division on Thursday morning, the Twins sit just three games out of first in the AL Central, and just 1.5 games behind the second-place Cleveland Guardians in both the division and the Wild Card chase.Given that, the Twins are officially buyers at the deadline, according to general manager Jeremy Zoll. In a story on The Athletic filed on Tuesday night, Zoll made the case for Minnesota, and highlighted an improved bullpen as a focus at the deadline.“All along, we were optimistic we were going to be in this spot to be able to add,” Zoll said. “We’re active on the phones and in touch across the board in trying to do everything we can to find ways to improve the team.”Zoll also indicated that the recent play from Minnesota — the Twins entered Wednesday on a three-game winning streak — made the decision easier.“We’re really excited about how the team has played over this last stretch,” Zoll said. “We’re really encouraged about that. In turn, we’re going to use this next stretch to do everything we can to find ways to improve the club and continue to execute on that goal and make it a reality.”Catching market heating upPitching is always a focus at the MLB Trade Deadline, and a potential deal involving Tarik Skubal is at the front of many shopping lists around the league.But catching has become a focus for several teams looking to bolster their playoff chances, according to a report from Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. According to the long-time MLB insider six teams — the Red Sox, the Yankees, the Rays, the White Sox, the Rangers, and the Dodgers — could be looking for help behind the plate.One problem, according to one source?There might not be enough good catchers to go around.“There are about a half-dozen teams looking for catching help,” one NL executive said to Feinsand. “There just aren’t a half-dozen catchers out there to trade for.”As noted in Feinsand’s report, the name most often mentioned is that of Ryan Jeffers, who is on an expiring contract. But as mentioned above, the Twins are looking to buy, not sell, at the deadline, which could complicate such a move. Other options include Hunter Goodman with the Colorado Rockies — but he is under club control for the next three years, which increases the asking price dramatically — and Adley Rutschman, although moving him from Baltimore would mean the Orioles would “concede” the AL Wild Card race, where Baltimore sits just 2.5 games off the pace.Then there is Liam Hicks, who the Marlins are reportedly open to trading given the emergence of Joe Mack. While he has four more years of club control, Mack’s development coupled with the growth of Triple-A catcher Agustín Ramirez makes moving Hicks easier for Miami.Boston looking for SS helpRed Sox fans were ready to write off the season back in June, after losing two-out-of-three to Colorado dropped Boston to 32-46, and 15.5 games out in the division.But a 15-game winning streak changed everything, and with a win Wednesday night against the Athletics, the Red Sox are now five games above .500, just seven back in the AL East, and if the playoffs were to begin today, Boston would be in as a Wild Card team.That rapid turnaround has seen the Red Sox emerge as buyers at the MLB Trade Deadline and they already made one move, acquiring infielder Curtis Mead in a deal with the Washington Nationals. But he was hit by a pitch in his Boston debut, and is headed to the IL with a broken wrist.Zach Neto is a popular name linked to Boston, but the Los Angeles Angels might be reluctant to move the 25-year-old infielder who is under team control for the next three-plus seasons. Other options include Houston’s Jeremy Peña, Miami’s Otto Lopez, and perhaps another deal with Washington for CJ Abrams.The latest on Tarik SkubalThe Detroit Tigers ace took the bump on Wednesday for his last start ahead of the MLB Trade Deadline.Will it be his final start for the Tigers?Detroit is in a fascinating position. At the moment the Tigers are just 4.5 games out of the final AL Wild Card spot, and having an ace like Skubal down the stretch could ease a playoff push.But with Skubal set to hit free agency — and expected to look for a contract in the $400 million range this offseason — the Tigers might look to get something in return for him now, rather than see him walk in free agency.It is a decision that could shape not just Detroit, but all of baseball, for the future.MLB.com put together a roundtable with Mark Feinsand, Tigers beat writer Jason Beck, and several other beat writers for teams that could put together an offer for the ace. According to Beck, Detroit would prioritize young arms in any such deal. “[The] Tigers will look for young pitching in pretty much any deal. They have good young arms in Troy Melton, Jackson Jobe, Reese Olson and Ty Madden, but their farm system is thin on projectable starting pitchers,” wrote Beck.The most intriguing team, at least according to this writer, is Milwaukee. As noted by Brewers beat writer Adam McCalvy, while Milwaukee is one of those teams that “must stockpile prospects, especially position player prospects, in order to contend year after year” the Brewers are “very interested” in Skubal.Pairing Skubal with Jacob Misiorowski would give Milwaukee one heck of a one-two combination at the top of the rotation down the stretch, and into the playoffs.It is worth noting that Skubal notched his 1,000th career strikeout on Wednesday, so if it was indeed his last outing for the Tigers, he will go out in style. #MLB #trade #rumors #Twins #Red #Sox #Tarik #Skubal #ahead #Mondays #deadline](https://i0.wp.com/platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/gettyimages-2287531308.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C10.732984293194%2C100%2C78.534031413613&w=1200&ssl=1 "MLB trade rumors on Twins, Red Sox, Tarik Skubal, and more ahead of Monday’s deadline The 2026 MLB Trade Deadline is just a few days away.And the rumors are heating up.The Deadline arrives at 6:00 p.m. Eastern on Monday, August 3, but we are already seeing some deals being made, including one between the surging Boston Red Sox and the Washington Nationals. Let’s take our first look at the MLB rumor mill as we get ready for this year’s MLB Trade Deadline.Marlins open to offers on “several” playersWhile the Miami Marlins finished seven games above .500 in the first half of the season, they lost the final three games before the All-Star Break, and with eight losses to open the second half, that 12 game losing streak has dropped the Marlins down the NL East standings. Wins the past few nights have moved them back above .500 on the year, but Miami could be creative sellers at the deadline.Or at least entertain offers on cost-controlled players over these next few days.Bats remain the major options. According to The Athletic the Marlins will at least “listen” to offers on controllable bats, including shortstop Otto Lopez, 2B Xavier Edwards, and OF Heriberto Hernández. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported on Tuesday that the Marlins are also open to trading C/OF/DH Liam Hicks, due in large part to the emergence of young catcher Joe Mack.Speaking of Mack, the rookie catcher is one of a few Marlins that are reportedly off limits, including pitchers Sandy Alcantara, Max Meyer, and Eury Pérez.The Minnesota Twins are one game above .500, with the MLB Trade Deadline fast approaching.But unlike the Marlins, who were 8.5 games out of first place in the division on Thursday morning, the Twins sit just three games out of first in the AL Central, and just 1.5 games behind the second-place Cleveland Guardians in both the division and the Wild Card chase.Given that, the Twins are officially buyers at the deadline, according to general manager Jeremy Zoll. In a story on The Athletic filed on Tuesday night, Zoll made the case for Minnesota, and highlighted an improved bullpen as a focus at the deadline.“All along, we were optimistic we were going to be in this spot to be able to add,” Zoll said. “We’re active on the phones and in touch across the board in trying to do everything we can to find ways to improve the team.”Zoll also indicated that the recent play from Minnesota — the Twins entered Wednesday on a three-game winning streak — made the decision easier.“We’re really excited about how the team has played over this last stretch,” Zoll said. “We’re really encouraged about that. In turn, we’re going to use this next stretch to do everything we can to find ways to improve the club and continue to execute on that goal and make it a reality.”Catching market heating upPitching is always a focus at the MLB Trade Deadline, and a potential deal involving Tarik Skubal is at the front of many shopping lists around the league.But catching has become a focus for several teams looking to bolster their playoff chances, according to a report from Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. According to the long-time MLB insider six teams — the Red Sox, the Yankees, the Rays, the White Sox, the Rangers, and the Dodgers — could be looking for help behind the plate.One problem, according to one source?There might not be enough good catchers to go around.“There are about a half-dozen teams looking for catching help,” one NL executive said to Feinsand. “There just aren’t a half-dozen catchers out there to trade for.”As noted in Feinsand’s report, the name most often mentioned is that of Ryan Jeffers, who is on an expiring contract. But as mentioned above, the Twins are looking to buy, not sell, at the deadline, which could complicate such a move. Other options include Hunter Goodman with the Colorado Rockies — but he is under club control for the next three years, which increases the asking price dramatically — and Adley Rutschman, although moving him from Baltimore would mean the Orioles would “concede” the AL Wild Card race, where Baltimore sits just 2.5 games off the pace.Then there is Liam Hicks, who the Marlins are reportedly open to trading given the emergence of Joe Mack. While he has four more years of club control, Mack’s development coupled with the growth of Triple-A catcher Agustín Ramirez makes moving Hicks easier for Miami.Boston looking for SS helpRed Sox fans were ready to write off the season back in June, after losing two-out-of-three to Colorado dropped Boston to 32-46, and 15.5 games out in the division.But a 15-game winning streak changed everything, and with a win Wednesday night against the Athletics, the Red Sox are now five games above .500, just seven back in the AL East, and if the playoffs were to begin today, Boston would be in as a Wild Card team.That rapid turnaround has seen the Red Sox emerge as buyers at the MLB Trade Deadline and they already made one move, acquiring infielder Curtis Mead in a deal with the Washington Nationals. But he was hit by a pitch in his Boston debut, and is headed to the IL with a broken wrist.Zach Neto is a popular name linked to Boston, but the Los Angeles Angels might be reluctant to move the 25-year-old infielder who is under team control for the next three-plus seasons. Other options include Houston’s Jeremy Peña, Miami’s Otto Lopez, and perhaps another deal with Washington for CJ Abrams.The latest on Tarik SkubalThe Detroit Tigers ace took the bump on Wednesday for his last start ahead of the MLB Trade Deadline.Will it be his final start for the Tigers?Detroit is in a fascinating position. At the moment the Tigers are just 4.5 games out of the final AL Wild Card spot, and having an ace like Skubal down the stretch could ease a playoff push.But with Skubal set to hit free agency — and expected to look for a contract in the $400 million range this offseason — the Tigers might look to get something in return for him now, rather than see him walk in free agency.It is a decision that could shape not just Detroit, but all of baseball, for the future.MLB.com put together a roundtable with Mark Feinsand, Tigers beat writer Jason Beck, and several other beat writers for teams that could put together an offer for the ace. According to Beck, Detroit would prioritize young arms in any such deal. “[The] Tigers will look for young pitching in pretty much any deal. They have good young arms in Troy Melton, Jackson Jobe, Reese Olson and Ty Madden, but their farm system is thin on projectable starting pitchers,” wrote Beck.The most intriguing team, at least according to this writer, is Milwaukee. As noted by Brewers beat writer Adam McCalvy, while Milwaukee is one of those teams that “must stockpile prospects, especially position player prospects, in order to contend year after year” the Brewers are “very interested” in Skubal.Pairing Skubal with Jacob Misiorowski would give Milwaukee one heck of a one-two combination at the top of the rotation down the stretch, and into the playoffs.It is worth noting that Skubal notched his 1,000th career strikeout on Wednesday, so if it was indeed his last outing for the Tigers, he will go out in style. #MLB #trade #rumors #Twins #Red #Sox #Tarik #Skubal #ahead #Mondays #deadline")
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