By LARRY VAUGHT
larry@amnews.com

Mike Pratt has been more than just a bit amused at the criticism directed toward new University of Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari, and UK officials, because of the NCAA investigation into the Memphis basketball program.

“He told us about the NCAA issues when we talked to him. We were well aware of everything that was going on,” said Pratt, a former UK player and current analyst for the UK Basketball Radio Network.

Mike Pratt says John Calipari, above, was honest with UK officials about a NCAA probe and he’s glad it is Calipari and not Billy Gillispie that is coaching at Kentucky. (Victoria Graff photo)

Kentucky athletics director Mitch Barnhart asked Pratt to serve as an advisor to him and UK president Lee Todd during the search process for a coach after Billy Gillispie was fired after last season.

“Lee and Mitch did a great job laying out what they expected from their coach and Cal laid out for them his plans on how to run a program,” Pratt said.

Since then, Memphis announced it was under investigation because a player had a questionable college entrance test even though it was approved by the NCAA Clearinghouse and some travel bills had not been repaid.

“There are always rumors out there about coaches. People said Joe B. (Hall) and Rick (Pitino) cheated at UK. They said Denny (Crum) cheated at Louisville,” Pratt said. “When you hit the high spots, people look to bring you down.

“That’s what is going on with Cal. Some jealous people are just going after him, but he’s going to be fine. Don’t expect him to go to the Final Four his first year. That’s unrealistic. But this could be a Sweet 16 team and will at least be back in the Final Four conversation. In this day and age of parity, that’s all you can ask for.”

Pratt joked that his former UK teammate, Danville’s Steve Clevenger, is even now ready to climb back on the Kentucky bandwagon.

“Cal has Steve Clevenger excited again about UK basketball, and that wasn’t easy to do,” Pratt said. “Now he’s even back ready to go to games and it has not been that way the last few years.”

Pratt understood that feeling, though, because if there had not been a coaching change at Kentucky, he was not going to continue his radio duties with the Wildcats.

“I made up my mind that if Billy Clyde was back, I was done,” Pratt said. “I told my wife. I told (former UK teammate) Mike Casey that before Casey made some of his comments (about Gillispie).

“I just had had enough of Billy Clyde. Things were not going to get better. I knew Jodie (Meeks) wouldn’t be back if Billy Clyde was. I knew Patrick (Patterson) wouldn’t be back if Billy Clyde was. It was just torture at times the last two years for me and I had decided I was going to just leave.”

However, he couldn’t be more excited about having Calipari as UK’s coach. Even though Pratt has been busy visiting family and with work, he’s had a chance to text and talk to Calipari. He will be in Lexington June 15 to spend more time with the coach he’s known for years.

“The best thing he has done is generate great interest in the program again,” Pratt said. “He is a people person – and this program needed that at this time. The program needed somebody that can bring everybody back together rather than driving people off. Cal is just the perfect fit on and off the court and no matter what anybody says or writes, he’s going to be fine.”

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