No, head coach John Calipari cannot red-shirt as a coach. However, his son, Brad Calipari, released his intentions via UK Athletics on Monday. The announcement comes on the eve of Kentucky’s season, as the Wildcats tip-off with the Duke Blue Devils in Indianapolis Tuesday night in the Champions Classic.
The junior guard will have two years of eligibility after the season if he doesn’t see any action for the 2018-2019 season. While he did play in five of Kentucky’s six exhibition games this pre-season, the games weren’t officially part of the season which allows Calipari to still red-shirt.
His father said, via UK Athletics, that Brad will graduate this year and plans to attend graduate school at UK for the two following years, thus allowing Brad to be eligible for basketball while also attending graduate school.
While the decision paves way for eligibility during his time in graduate school, it also preserves Calipari’s eligibility from being stuck behind nine or possibly 10 players in a rotation that has brought flashbacks of the 2014-2015 “platoon” team.
Though the thought of attending graduate school and playing basketball for Kentucky of all schools seems discouraging, graduate-transfer Reid Travis is proving it’s possibility to be true. Travis is also providing a veteran voice in Kentucky’s locker room, one of which Brad will also have the opportunity to do.