Calipari’s visit in Germany impressed Teague, Gilchrist
July 11th, 2010 | 
Author: By LARRY VAUGHT
Kentucky recruits Marquis Teague and Michael Gilchrist are not easily impressed considering they are ranked as two of the nation’s best high school players and have each received numerous honors during their prep careers.
However, both players were impressed that Kentucky coach John Calipari came to Hamburg, Germany, to watch them play two games in the FIBA under 17 World Championship,
“I knew he was coming. We both knew that,” said Teague, a point guard from Indianapolis. “But it really impressed me that he came all the way to Germany to watch us play and took time away from his own family to come watch us. He didn’t say why he did it, and I am not sure why he did. I didn’t really get to spend any time with him. I just saw him at the games, but it meant a lot that he cared enough to come.”
Gilchrist, a forward from Philadelphia who is ranked as the nation’s No. 1 senior, felt the same way. He had 30 points and 15 rebounds in Saturday’s win over Canada to put USA into today’s gold medal game.
“It did surprise me in one way that he would come, but we are all already like family at Kentucky. He just wanted to check on us and let us know he cared, and we appreciated that,” Gilchrist, who has averaged 12.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 19.2 minutes per game, said.
Gilchrist and Teague, who both verbally committed to UK in the spring, have had to adjust to non-starting roles with the USA team that will play for the gold medal today. Gilchrist missed the first week of training camp when he came down with the chicken pox and was not allowed to travel to Texas, but he says he is fine now.
“It took me a while to get back in playing shape, but I am fine,” he said. “I really don’t care about not starting. I just want to win the gold medal. I am not focused on me. I am just focused on our team and how we are doing. I really don’t even remember when the last time I didn’t start would have been because it doesn’t matter.”
Teague has averaged 8.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 19.8 minutes per game. He says he has enjoyed having so many talented teammates where he doesn’t have to carry the team himself.
“This is Team USA. It’s not about me. I don’t have a problem not starting,” he said after Friday’s win in Hamburg. “I just play hard and do what the coaches ask me to do. They don’t need me to score. I just run the offense and try to be a lockdown defender when I come in. I do not have to do everything. I can focus on just running the team and playing defense. It’s not all on my back.
“I just want to be a great floor leader. That’s the main thing I am trying to do. My job is to help our team win games. I am talking a lot more on the floor. I talk to teammates and tell them where to go.”
Teague views his experience as a head start on what playing at Kentucky will be like.
“It’s really like a college team. We have a great coaching staff and great talent,” he said. “It’s really similar to what I think college will be like. I will know now what to expect when I get to Kentucky. I’ll know what it is like to have great players around me. I have not been on teams with a lot of talent before. I’ve learned how to play with talent and control that. It will also help be a better leader on my high school team that doesn’t have as much talent. I’ve really learned a lot that has made me a better player.”
Gilchrist hopes this is a “preview” of how much fun college basketball will be. However, he has seen the improvement in Teague.
“He has grown as a leader and person, too,” Gilchrist said. “He is getting a lot better. Me and him are best friends, so we are always together. He is like a big brother to me now. I love him.”
Teague probably has valued that “love” more than even Gilchrist appreciates.
“Being gone from home this long is something new for me,” Teague said. “It has been real hard. I miss my mom and dad a lot. I want to go home and see them, but I know we have business to take care of on the court. We can’t use cell phones at all over here. I’m just not used to not talking to people I care about for this long.”
Gilchrist says he’s never been away from home so long, either, but he’s not quite as homesick as Teague. “I miss my mom, too, but it’s not a big deal to me because I love playing basketball,” Gilchrist said.
Both players insisted they have enjoyed what little free time they have had in Germany.
“We got to go around a few places. We took a boat tour. We went to a place where they were watching a World Cup soccer game and that was kind of crazy,” Teague said. “I like it here, but it’s different. The crowds at the games have been good, but the games are not sold out like they would be back home. Basketball just isn’t quite as big here.”
Posted in UK Basketball
How many trips did Billy G make to Germany to watch kids? They have good beer so I figured a couple right?
Didn’t Cal once say he thought it was a waste of time to travel cross country just to stand in a gym so players could see him watching them? Guess he really hates this vaca…umm…”recruiting trip”.
As you know, what Cal says and what Cal does are not always one and the same
Still all in all it was nice that he went to see them play, and I’m sure it left an impression on the other players that Teague and Gilchrist have been talking about Kentucky to.
It was also nice to hear “we are all already like family at Kentucky.” That trip probably spoke volumes as to why Cal’s teams seem to jell like thay do.
Just another reason Cal is Cal and not just any other coach!!
I think Cal said he hated the summer leagues, and would rather be able to work out with his college players. But he understood that to these young guys, it’s important to see the coaches recruiting them in the stands, even if the coaches can’t talk to them. It’s kinda like he says with the one and done rule–he doesn’t like it, but if it’s the rule, he’ll use it to his recruiting advantage.
Good point Karen
Man, does anyone still miss ol Tubby? haha I sure don’t.
Cal recruiting entire USA team!
Yes, I believe that there are still some out there that do. However, for everyone else, we are now witnessing the very resurgence of the UK program that Tubby’s defenders said could not occur. They said UK would not find a coach better than Tubby. They said that running him off would set this program back 10 to 15 years. They said that parity in college basketball made it impossible for UK to be elite again. They said … they said.
Well, UK was elite before Tubby, and is elite again after Tubby. This talk of parity has become somewhat arcane, and while setting the UK program back 10 to 15 years [to the 1997 to 1992 range if my math is right] is truly what has happened, but I don’t think that is what those people really meant.
Slow down Professor. We haven’t actually won anything just yet and we laid a egg in the tournament with a team of five 1st round draft picks and we’ve had nothing but bad press over the summer.
I like Calipari too but let’s not act like it’s some kind of perfect marriage. We can crown him when he brings home a title. Until then he’s just another coach who hasn’t gotten it done yet.
I don’t recall anyone mentioning giving Coach Cal a crown,( and I don’t think he would take it before he wins a title anyway)However we are earning some jewels along the way to make that crown shine.I think you have to admit that hasn’t happened for awhile. All I know is I was a lot happier this past season, yes even with the loss to WV, than I have been for a long long time.
Oh, yes there has been some bad press ( yet to see much proof)but at least they know we are here to be reckoned with again,It was hard to get any press at all the past few summers, because we were not considered a threat!
I think Prof’s point is that we made the right move letting Tubby, I mean, Tubby leaving. Because he is (or was) a good guy and did win, we did catch alot of crap. Heaped on by Billy G (I remember alot of “I told you so’s” about Tubby leaving during that time).
No, we haven’t won a title. But it’s been a year. One year. And to add to Prof’s point, we are the hottest, most relevant team in the nation. Alot of work to do, but after 5 yrs of being just one of the teams, we are now THE team. We are hotter than Duke, and they won the title. Which is amazing to me. And impresses me about Cal. Now, he has to take this hottness and win a title. Period. But bringing in the talent he is, I like our chances.
The good Prof finds it easy to knock down a straw man. I defended Tubby early on, and I don’t remember such exaggerated claims. That’s not to say overstatements weren’t made, only that the Professor has unfairly represented the other side’s position by cherry picking the worst of them. I will always be fond of Tubby. He is a good good man. A great game coach, better than Cal you must admit. And he had an impressive resume at Kentucky by any reasonable measure.
But UK fans have don’t have reasonable standards. And they’re proud of it. UK fans didn’t care if Tubby swept the SEC or was Coach of the Year or averaged an SEC regular-season AND tournament championship AND an Elite Eight appearance every other year. My god, UK fans didn’t care that Tubby had already won a national championship for them! Lose to Izzo in double overtime to miss the Final Four in 2005, and UK fans want a new coach. It was a little embarrassing to be compared to Yankee fans.
But it’s true: Tubby stopped recruiting in person, and UK’s success, good as it was, seemed limited to 26 wins a year and an Elite Eight. His next two years, 22 wins apiece, were disappointing. The trajectory wasn’t good. He was perhaps too loyal to his assistant coaches. I think we can all agree, however, that UK suffered in the meltdown that followed Tubby’s departure. Some of the dire warnings the Prof related above didn’t seem far off the mark in those dark days. In the before time, in the long long ago. In the years B.C.
Point is, no one said Tubby was the best coach in the country or that it was impossible for UK to do better. He was an excellent coach who simply didn’t deliver a second national championship soon enough.
How ’bout we let bygones be bygones and show some respect for a man who is certainly deserving?
Cal gets it even if some of you don’t. Were there only two recruits playing in Germany? Nice quotes Larry. Thanks.
I am with you Wheatgerm. Let’s just enjoy Cal and the title or titles I think he may well bring the Cats. Love the way Cal has Plan A, Plan B and even Plan C for recruiting. And if you get the players, the wins come
Tubby recruited some great players who underachieved and some above average players who over achieved. He didn’t seem to be able to improve the games of the better players which is why his better teams failed to win national championships. The teams comprised of above average players actually did much better (‘98 ‘03 and ‘04) and KY was the overall one seed one or two of those years. I would consider this maintaining the program at an elite level. Problem was, the talent level was dropping like a stone in his last two years and the program was no longer relevant nationally. He was clearly burnt out and it was time for him to go somewhere where the pressure was not as great. As tumultuous as the BCG years were we ended up w/ Cal as a result – so all’s well that ends well. KY is clearly the top program in the country in the eyes of the press and recruits – which we should all just enjoy as long as it lasts.
Yes Fritz, yes. I was a strong Tubby supporter up until about feb or march of this year. then i realized how much he had slipped the last few years. he was good X’s and O’s. But you hit it on the head when you said he got some great players that underachieved. can you imagine Rondo, Crawford, Azubuike,Bogans would have been playing under Cal. Good lord, think what Prince would have done in the DD. Cal may have even taught Hayes how to shoot.
while I dont wish ill upon tubby, or even think he is a bad coach. If you take away his first year where he inherited a great team (that he still had to coach i’ll be the 1st to admitt) his body of work is good. but not great. especially when you factor in recruiting, promoting the program etc.
i will say that tubby had the makings of some realy good teams in feb. also up into march thats what let him hang on for as long as he did what could you say to a coach whit 25 wins average per. i realy liked his class and players but never over the top not even close it was a good move with all the class that was tubby!! i realy love uk basketball again way to go coach cal its time to burn some dvd,s and watch them several times!!!! thank you old lord of basketball land!!!