Calipari among three new coaches in league

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — After strolling into the press room early Thursday morning, first-year Kentucky coach John Calipari made it clear he was pleased the offseason was over.

“It’s kind of like I’ve been running for an election,” Calipari said at Southeastern Conference basketball media days. “I’m happy we were done with Big Blue Madness because I could get on with coaching basketball.”

Calipari is the highest-profile of three new men’s basketball coaches in the SEC, expected to infuse life in a league that had just three teams reach the NCAA Tournament last season. Alabama brings in Anthony Grant, the former Florida assistant who in three years led Virginia Commonwealth to two NCAA Tournament appearances. And new Georgia coach Mark Fox comes from a successful stint at Nevada that included three NCAA Tournament trips in five seasons.

Calipari has led two different programs (Memphis, Massachusetts) to Final Fours, but had both appearances vacated due to violations of NCAA rules. Despite possibly starting three freshman this season, Kentucky was the overwhelming preseason choice to win the league title, receiving 20 of 25 votes in the league’s preseason media poll.

The reason? Calipari’s freshmen aren’t ordinary freshmen. His point guard, 6-foot-4 John Wall, was the consensus No. 1-rated recruit in 2009 and is considered a sure-fire NBA lottery pick next season. Possibly joining Wall in the starting lineup is 6-11, 260-pound freshman center DeMarcus Cousins and 6-1 combo guard Eric Bledsoe.

“I don’t know what it means,” Calipari said. “It’s nice that they respect the program and the players. I think this league is going to have seven or eight NCAA Tournament teams.”

With 890,000 Twitter followers and 60,000 on Facebook charting his every move, Calipari is relieved to turn his focus to basketball. He’s spending much of his time installing his intricate dribble-drive offense, which he calls a “Princeton offense on steroids.” He said it should take a month or two in the season before his players are fully comfortable in the new system.

“It’s like coaching Martians,” Calipari said. “We play different defensively. You’re talking young players who have never defended. Offensively it’s a total change from what they have ever done. I’m yelling at guys to shoot the ball right now.”

Likewise, Grant acknowledged his players are learning to adjust to him in his first year with the Tide. He’s focused the offseason on conditioning and moved 6-5 wing player Mikhail Torrance to point guard.

“I feel like I’m coaching 11 freshmen right now because our terminology and how we do things is completely different,” Grant said.

Of the three new coaches, Fox may face the biggest challenge. His Bulldogs were picked to finish last in the SEC East preseason. Fox said he took time to get his players “acquainted” with Georgia’s Sanford Stadium during preseason conditioning drills.

“We ran every step of the place,” Georgia senior center Albert Jackson said.

But a recent track record suggest first-year coaches can have success in the league. Trent Johnson went 27-8 overall and 13-3 in the league to earn SEC coach of the year honors in his first year at LSU last season. And Darrin Horn went 21-10 and 10-6 in his first year at South Carolina, earning SEC East division co-champion honors with Tennessee.

That’s why Fox is optimistic despite the low expectations.

“I see that as a wonderful opportunity,” Fox said. “The polls came out and everyone picked us last. How great of a story will it be when we improve and eventually accomplish something.”

Billy D last standing

Florida coach Billy Donovan was the last of 12 SEC coaches to address the media Thursday. The Gators also brought junior forward Chandler Parsons.

Asked about Florida being predicted to finish fifth out six teams in the SEC East this season, Donovan said: “We were picked to finish fifth four years ago (by Lindy’s Magazine) and we went out and won a national championship. Let’s lace them up and go out there and play.”

The Gators plan to hold their first intra-squad scrimmage this afternoon. Donovan said he still has received no word from the NCAA yet on whether Israeli point guard Nimrod Tishman is cleared to play in games.

“He’s practicing,” Donovan said. “I’ve already been told I’ve said too much about him so I can’t really say more than that.”

Contact Kevin Brockway at 352-374-5054 or brockwk@gvillesun.com.