Calipari comments on losing out on Wiggins

EDIT: Calipari again spoke about Wiggins, this time to SNY.tv. ZagsBlog.com again put up the transcript:

“We both went after him and [Kansas] got him,” Calipari said exclusively to SNY.tv.  ”Kids want things for different reasons.  I don’t take it personally. I wished him luck.”

Calipari compared the situaton to how he lost Stanley Johnson, the five-star forward from California, to Arizona, as it was well-documented how hard Kentucky went after him.  Although it feels as if the Wildcats have the No. 1 recruiting class in the country year in and year out, Calipari noted how even for them it’s never a sure thing when recruiting a player.

“This place isn’t for everybody and not everybody wants [to be here],” Calipari said.  ”Everybody acts like I get every kid I recruit.  It’s so crazy, it’s not true.”

In addition, Calipari bemoaned the fact that he gets labeled as the only coach who has guys go to the NBA after only one year in school. Both Duke and Kansas have increasingly taken more one-and-done type players in recent years.

“And then [people say] I’m the only one that takes one-and-done’s,” Calipari said. “No. I take them and they get out. Other people take them and they maybe just don’t get out, or they stay three years.  But we’re all taking the same guys.”

When asked to compare his freshman sensation, Randle, to Wiggins, Calipari reiterated a similar sentiment that he shared on Francesa’s show.

“Randle plays different, they’re totally different players,” Calipari said. “But if you had a Wiggins and the kid at Duke [Jabari Parker] combination, that would be crazy.”

John Calipari was on WFAN in New York on Friday afternoon. Calipari’s Kentucky team is playing Providence on Sunday at the Barclays Center. Mike Francesa, who is consistently named the best sports radio host in the country every year, asked Calipari about Wiggins. As you all know, Kentucky and Florida State were the only other schools considered to be up there with Kansas for Wiggins. And many believed that Kansas was No. 3 out of those schools.

Here’s the transcript from ZagsBlog.com:

At one point, Francesa blurted out: “How did Wiggins get to Kansas?”

Calipari: “Well, I think again we had a whole group of guys and…”

Francesa interrupts: “Did you recruit? Were you close? You had to be close on Wiggins. You’re close on everybody…How good is Wiggins?”

Calipari: “He’s really talented.”

Francesa: “I mean, put him in perspective for me. How talented?”

Calipari: “Well, athletically he’s off the charts and basketball-wise Bill [Self] will do a great job.”

Francesa interrupts again: “Will he walk in and be an NBA star?”

Calipari: “In time he will but you can’t just be athletic, you gotta have skills. So his skills are good…”

Francesa: “Is he a serious player…I haven’t seen him play yet.”

Calipari: “If you had the cross between his athleticism and the kid at Duke [Jabari Parker’s] skillset you would have someone off the chain. Like, oh my gosh. So it’s a little different….And then you got my kid…”

Francesa interrupts: “Compare [Julius] Randle to somebody for me.”

[it continues on after this but doesn’t mention Wiggins anymore]

Read the rest of the transcript here.