NASHVILLE, Tenn. – John Calipari brought Kentucky to town focused most on the NCAA tournament.
An arena dripping Kentucky blue with Wildcats faithful filling the streets outside has changed his intentions, and now Calipari wants to reward their loyalty by winning the Southeastern Conference tournament title those fans see as their birthright.
Oh, he still wants a No. 1 seed.
The No. 2 Wildcats made a strong argument for the top overall spot by handing 15th-ranked Tennessee a 74-45 loss Saturday in the tournament semifinals – the Volunteers’ most lopsided under coach Bruce Pearl. But Calipari said he understands the importance after seeing fans spending up to $1,000 per ticket and vacationing in Nashville to support the Cats.
“As a coach you owe it to them to give them your best,” Calipari said. “They tell me 180,000 fans came to Nashville. Is that true? Kentucky fans. And only 17,000 could get in the building. … It’s unbelievable. The blue dust is everywhere. It’s incredible.”