SEC Basketball

John Calipari is reportedly leaving Kentucky after 15 seasons to take on the head coaching gig for the Arkansas men's basketball team, per ESPN's Pete Thamel and Jeff Borzello, in a stunning move.

There's no doubting his impact in Lexington, though. On the court, he won a title, took the Wildcats to four Final Fours and regularly brought in some of the best recruiting classes in the sport.

But he also made an impact off the court, as the wife of former Kentucky star and current New York Knicks forward Julius Randle, Kendra Randle, posted on social media Monday morning:

From a basketball perspective, it felt like a parting was imminent—and perhaps needed to be—between Calipari and Kentucky. But there is always the human factor to take into account as well, especially after 15 years, and Coach Cal left his imprint in that regard too.

Kentucky forward Aaron Bradshaw is entering the transfer portal, according to Travis Branham of 247Sports.

This comes after ESPN's Pete Thamel and Jeff Borzello reported Wildcats head coach John Calipari is finalizing a contract to become the new coach at Arkansas. While Kentucky is used to losing its best players to the NBA every year, Calipari's departure could trigger an even larger exodus from Lexington.

Bradshaw averaged 4.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in 13.8 minutes per game as a freshman.

Despite his lackluster production, the 7-footer will probably garner a lot of interest because he was the No. 4 overall recruit in 247Sports' composite rankings for the 2023 class.

"Bradshaw has elite tools for a developing modern day big with size, mobility, fluidity, multiple bounces, good hands, use of his left, signs of a budding jump hook, a high release in the lane, and a very soft touch that extends out to the arc," 247Sports' Adam Finkelstein wrote in his scouting report. "He's also one of the best rim protectors in the country. His motor, which was a concern as an underclassman, has made consistent strides over the years."

Entering the portal doesn't ensure Bradshaw's Kentucky career is over because an athlete has the option of returning to his current school. In the case of the Wildcats specifically, so much remains in flux with their coaching situation.

Calipari signed 5-star center Jayden Quaintance and 4-star big man Somto Cyril as part of his 2024 class, and either could wind up following him to Arkansas or exploring other options. Should both slip through Kentucky's hands, Bradshaw might view the expected setup in Lexington a little differently.

The right coaching hire could achieve the same thing. College basketball writer Jeff Goodman cited Alabama's Nate Oats, Baylor's Scott Drew and Auburn's Bruce Pearl along with Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan as prospective candidates.

One thing is clear: Bradshaw was just the first domino to fall in the wake of Calipari's stunning move.

Arkansas' investment in the men's basketball program will reportedly extend well beyond a contract for incoming coach John Calipari.

ESPN's Pete Thamel and Jeff Borzello reported Sunday night the Razorbacks are finalizing a five-year deal with Calipari to seal his exit from Kentucky, and his salary is expected to be a little lower than the $8.5 million he earns annually with the Wildcats.

While going from Kentucky to Arkansas is a step down in terms of prestige, On3's Pete Nakos reported that NIL "cannot be overlooked in Calipari's decision-making."

"Having dollars to spend in the transfer portal and recruiting won't be a problem in Fayetteville," Nakos wrote. "A source told On3 on Sunday night that Calipari will have 'at least' $5 million annually in NIL funds to disperse. The same source estimated the budget will be in the $6 million ballpark."

CBS Sports' Matt Norlander reported Sunday night the family of John Tyson, the founder of Tyson Foods, is not only close with Calipari but also "prepared to make a major commitment" to secure his arrival:

ESPN's Myron Medcalf noted Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and the Walton family, which earned its wealth through Walmart, could also be notable boosters to Arkansas' NIL fund.

Sure, the Razorbacks' only national championship was 30 years, but Eric Musselman took them to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament in 2021 and 2022. The school isn't wrong for thinking the right head coach with sufficient resources can get the men's basketball program back to the top of the sport again.

Given the way the last few seasons have unfolded, it's worth asking whether Calipari is the guy. The Wildcats failed to advance past the second round in any of their last three March Madness trips despite continuing to attract blue-chip talent. It's possible that Calipari's best days are behind him and his Arkansas tenure is like the Jimbo Fisher era for Texas A&M football.

But there's no question he'll have the infrastructure around him necessary to achieve big things with the Razorbacks.

Baylor's Scott Drew is reportedly seen as Kentucky's top choice to replace John Calipari, who shocked the basketball world Sunday night to leave for Arkansas.

Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart and Drew are on "friendly" terms, and many believe Barnhart would push hard to have Drew head to Lexington, per The Athletic. It's unclear if Drew has any interest in the vacancy.

Baylor and Drew recently agreed to a new contract, which could complicate matters even if he's interested.

Drew, 53, has been at Baylor since 2003. He's turned a once-moribund program into a fixture in the national picture, reaching nine of the last 10 NCAA tournaments and winning the 2021 national championship.

The Bears haven't reached the Sweet 16 since that title, but Drew's work laying the foundation at Baylor remains impressive.

Calipari's exit at Kentucky is nothing less than shocking. The Hall of Fame coach has been with the Wildcats for the last 15 seasons, leading the program to four Final Fours and the 2012 national championship. While most of his success came early in his tenure—Calipari hasn't reached the Final Four since 2015—exiting a historical powerhouse like Kentucky for a lesser program in the same conference is unheard of.

Arkansas isn't even lavishing Calipari with an out-of-this-world contract. Pete Thamel and Jeff Borzello of ESPN reported Calipari's base salary will be slightly less than his $8.5 million annual salary at Kentucky, though it will contain incentives that would pay him more.

Even if Calipari entered next season on the proverbial hot seat, he was under contract through 2028-29 and would have been due a huge lump payment if he was sent packing.

Whoever winds up coaching Kentucky will have the unfortunate task of filling his massive shoes while also having to face him in the same conference.

The college basketball world got quite the shock Sunday night.

Pete Thamel of ESPN reported that Kentucky coach John Calipari had come to an agreement on a five-year deal to become the head coach at Arkansas.

This comes after Calipari served as the Wildcats head coach for 15 seasons. He compiled an overall record of 410-123 with the program and led it to a national championship in 2011-12.

His tenure in Lexington ends with a first-round loss to 14-seed Oakland.

Fans took to social media to express shock at the decision and hype up the Razorbacks' chances at making a step forward in the SEC.

He takes over an Arkansas team that went 16-17 in 2023-24. However, the program had reached the NCAA tournament in the three seasons prior, including two trips to the Elite Eight in 2020-21 and 2021-22.

The Razorbacks job became available after head coach Eric Musselman departed to become the new head coach at USC. The program was previously in talks with Kansas State coach Jerome Tang and Ole Miss coach Chris Beard.

The Razorbacks lost both meetings to the Wildcats in 2023-24.

In a surprising turn of events, John Calipari's run as head coach at Kentucky is reportedly ending.

ESPN's Pete Thamel reported on Sunday night that Calipari is finalizing a five-year deal to become Arkansas' head coach.

According to Thamel and ESPN's Jeff Borzello, Calipari's base salary is expected to be "slightly less" than the $8.5 million he got at Kentucky. However, Thamel and Borzello noted that the contract is expected to include incentives that could help him surpass his Kentucky salary.

That news comes after Matt Norlander of CBS Sports previously reported the two sides had "entered into serious talks" regarding the school's head coach opening. Kentucky reportedly had been notified of the discussions, as Calipari's contract requires him to inform the university if he engages with another school about a potential job.

Norlander added that the Tyson family, which is the biggest Arkansas donor, was "prepared to make a major commitment" to facilitate the hiring of Calipari as the next Razorbacks head coach. Calipari is reportedly "very close" with the Tyson family and major boosters were "optimistic" that the hiring will happen.

Thamel and Borzello noted that Calipari was the second-highest-paid head coach in the country.

Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68 reported that Calipari was "very interested" in the Arkansas position, with one source going as far as saying he's been "miserable in Lexington" amid Kentucky's recent struggles and "much of the fanbase turning on him and wanting him out." It appears that the Razorbacks did enough to entice him to seek a change of scenery.

Calipari coached the Wildcats for the last 15 seasons and led the team to a 410-123 record with four Final Fours and one national title. However, Kentucky hasn't made it past the second round of the NCAA tournament since 2019. The team lost to Oakland in the first round in one of the biggest upsets of the 2024 tournament.

Arkansas was seeking a new head coach following the departure of Eric Musselman, who signed on to become the next head coach at USC.

The Razorbacks are set to enter a new era under Calipari, who is a Hall of Famer and one of the best college basketball coaches of all time.

Kentucky freshman Justin Edwards has declared for the NBA draft, he announced on his Instagram on Thursday.

The 6'8" forward averaged 8.8 points and 3.4 rebounds in 21.5 minutes per game for the Wildcats this season.

Edwards was the No. 3 player in the Class of 2023 according to 247Sports, though his fellow freshmen Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard had the biggest impact for Kentucky this year, averaging 15.2 points and 12.5 points, respectively.

In Bleacher Report's latest NBA mock draft, Edwards is the projected No. 44 pick, landing with the Miami Heat. While the draft order is far from being set, the Heat could be a good landing spot for Edwards given how the team has excelled at developing players like Caleb Martin, Duncan Robinson and others in recent years.

While Edwards never emerged as a star during his one season with Kentucky, he showed promise at times, especially as a shooter. Per Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman, Edwards shot 38.8 percent on catch-and-shoot shots, 38.1 percent on pull-ups and 77.6 percent from the stripe.

His playmaking skills could use some work—he averaged less than an assist per game—as could his defense, but he has NBA size and could be a productive player with the right team.

Edwards is one of several players the Wildcats will likely lose to the draft this year, as Dillingham and Sheppard are both projected top-10 picks in Bleacher Report's mock draft. Kentucky will also lose Antonio Reeves and Tre Mitchell to graduation.

But as is the case with Kentucky just about every season, the Wildcats boast a stacked recruiting class. They have the No. 2 recruiting class for the Class of 2024, according to 247Sports, which includes the No. 8 player in the class, Jayden Quaintance.

Kentucky is far from the team it was a decade ago when it was a Final Four contender nearly every year. The Wildcats have been bounced from the tournament before the Sweet 16 the last three seasons and haven't made it to the second weekend since the 2018-19 season. The Wildcats will lose some valuable players next season, but they'll lean on a great recruiting class to try to return to glory.

South Carolina women's basketball star Kamilla Cardoso has declared for the WNBA draft, she announced on her Instagram Monday.

Cardoso averages 14.1 points and 9.4 rebounds per game this season for the Gamecocks. The center is the projected No. 4 overall pick in ESPN's latest WNBA mock draft.

The announcement comes ahead of South Carolina's Final Four matchup with NC State. The No. 1 Gamecocks took down No. 3 Oregon State in the Elite Eight and now will look to get past the No. 3 Wolfpack to reach the national championship game.

Had Cardoso elected to stay in college, she would have had one season of eligibility left.

Cardoso, a senior, began her career at Syracuse, but transferred to South Carolina after just one season. She helped the Gamecocks win a national championship in the 2021-22 season, though she was coming off the bench at that point. After coming off the bench again in the 2022-23 season, Cardoso got called to the starting lineup this season and has thrived.

The defensive anchor for South Carolina, she averages 2.5 blocks per game and makes an impact on nearly every shot inside the paint.

Before Cardoso heads to the draft, she'll look to lead South Carolina to a second national championship in three seasons. The undefeated Gamecocks have been dominant all season and haven't let up in the tournament. Now, just NC State stands in their way of reaching another national championship game.

Alabama reached its first Final Four in school history after taking down Clemson 89-82 Saturday night, and some former Crimson Tide football players embraced the win.

After No. 4 Alabama's win over No. 6 Clemson, several Crimson Tide legends celebrated their alma mater's big win. Mac Jones, Mark Ingram II and Jordan Battle all chimed in on social media after the game.

Ingram, Battle and Jones all helped lead Alabama to national championships in football during their playing days, and now they're looking to the basketball team to bring home a title for the first time in program history.

Alabama has a tough opponent standing in its way of the national championship game, though. The Crimson Tide will take on No. 1 UConn in the Final Four, and the Huskies have been dominant so far in the tournament.

UConn has won each of its NCAA tournament games by 20+ points, beating No. 3 Illinois 77-52 behind a 30-0 run on Saturday. The reigning champions have shown no signs of struggle so far in the tournament, but the Crimson Tide are looking to change that.

Alabama's offense is certainly capable of keeping up with UConn, posting the ninth-best offense in KenPom, but the Crimson Tide will need to post one of the team's best games of the season.

Alabama has submitted itself as one of the best football programs of all time. Now, the basketball program is looking to start a tradition of its own.