The Kentucky basketball team has been a nightmare for SEC opposition during the John Calipari era but Calipari has had more than his fair share of struggles. The Wildcats have lost countless players early to the NBA Draft, sometimes much earlier than expected.
Recently, Calipari joined former UK Wildcats star John Wall and shared his thoughts on the one player he thought should have stayed longer in Lexington.
In addition to Calipari's aforementioned revelation, he shared news on an illness affecting a former, well known Wildcats big man. A Kentucky legend reacted to Reed Sheppard's surprising rise with Calipari's current team.
Calipari's comments on the player who could have stayed are sure to stir up memories.
Calipari on Daniel Orton's Potential
Daniel Orton played one season for Kentucky basketball in 2009-2010, scoring 129 points and grabbing 126 rebounds.
Orton was listed by Calipari as the one played who could have stayed long. He left and was a first round draft pick by the Magic but his NBA career didn't live up to expectations.
Calipari even went as far as saying Orton ‘needed' to stay.
“One guy that wanted to go and I wasn’t sure, yeah, Daniel needed to stay. I think if he stayed, it would have helped him with his career and it would have helped our team.”
Leaving for the NBA a Family Affair, Calipari Says
The Kentucky basketball coach Calipari added that NBA decisions are often a family affair. It's a decision typically based on feel and sometimes it works out better than it did for Orton.
“I’ve had other guys that I’ve talked to parents and I don’t want to mention names, but I talked to parents and I’ve said, ‘Are you sure?’ and they came back with, ‘Well, they’re all leaving, he feels he has to.’ Now, that young man didn’t have the career you guys had. Like, he needed another year.”
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