Hotard: Calipari good news for SEC

• By SCOTT HOTARD
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Jul 1, 2009 - Page: 1C

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Toward the end of a Monday teleconference, Rick Stansbury fielded the question half his Southeastern Conference counterparts already had.

The one about John Calipari. The one about the impact he’ll have on the league.

“I think it’s pretty obvious what kind of impact he’ll have,” said Stansbury, the Mississippi State men’s basketball coach. “He’s got you asking me a question about him in the middle of June.”

Indeed, Calipari — lured from Memphis three months ago — has quickly moved Kentucky basketball back into the national consciousness. And that’s good news.

Good news in Lexington, Ky. Good news in Starkville, Miss., and Baton Rouge. Good news everywhere in the conference.

The winningest basketball program in men’s college basketball, Kentucky is the face of the SEC. No team in the league is watched more closely nationally.

When the Wildcats win, the SEC matters more.

“I think the perception of our league has suffered at times when Kentucky has been down,” Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings said.

Those days, seemingly, are done. Sure, Jodie Meeks, last year’s SEC scoring leader, left school early for the NBA draft. But Calipari, who led Memphis to the national title game two years ago, is sure to make the Wildcats relevant quickly.

Even though he got a late start, Calipari has landed the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class. Point guard John Wall and power forward DeMarcus Cousins, the top two prospects in the Rivals150 rankings, were part of the haul. Three other top-40 prospects also signed.

If the influx of blue-chippers mesh with three returning starters — namely Patrick Patterson, who returns as a junior — the Wildcats could have the makings of a Final Four contender.

“John being in our league is going to make us all better,” Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl said. “It’s certainly going to be more difficult to win a championship.”

The SEC needs that. Now more than ever. Yes, last season was an aberration. Most of the big-name players in the SEC were young. A third of the coaches were either in their first or second season. Regardless, the SEC’s credibility took a hit. That happens — fair or not — when you only get three teams to the NCAA tournament, none to the Sweet 16.