From his days at Kentucky to his time with the Miami Heat, Tyler Herro has always been a player who loves to ball. He was a fan favorite with both teams and seems like the type of player who would be easy to like as a coach and teammate. When hearing stories like the one now Arkansas head coach John Calipari shared on the Pat McAfee Show, it's not hard to see why.
"Tyler Herro lived in the gym..
I walked in one morning and he was sleeping in the locker room on a chair because he didn't wanna walk across the street to the lodge..
If you don't live in the gym you're never gonna make it" ~ @CoachCalArk #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/Rp1QLPO9fe
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 24, 2026
Herro spent one year with Coach Cal at Kentucky, averaging nearly 33 minutes and 14 points per game. He was a raw prospect during his time with the Wildcats, and has only gotten better each year season since joining the Heat, which likely confirms that his gym rat tendencies didn't leave him once he turned pro. Herro's crowning moment under Calipari came in the 2019 Sweet 16, when he hit the go-ahead three-pointer to advance to the Elite Eight.
The Wildcats fell in the following round to fifth-ranked Auburn, but Herro made the region's all-tournament team, cementing himself as a top prospect in the upcoming NBA Draft. He owes a lot to his work ethic that season and his coach.
Calipari spent five more seasons at Kentucky before moving on to Arkansas. He led the Razorbacks to a 22-8 record this season, and after taking care of business against High Point in the second round, will now face Arizona in the Sweet 16. Calipari is looking for his second National Championship, with his first coming with Kentucky in 2022, but hasn't made it this far in the tournament since Tyler Herro's year with the Wildcats.
