The Weekender: Kentucky Fans Begin Turning on John Calipari, Kadyn Proctor Returns to Alabama with Some of Iowa's NIL Money, and Kim Mulkey vs. the "Click Machine"

By George Eisner on March 24, 2024 at 2:35 pm
University of Kentucky men's basketball coach John Calipari
Steve Roberts — USA TODAY Sports
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Own the group chat with The Weekender, highlighting the biggest stories in college sports, standout writing from Eleven Warriors, and a glance at what's next.

Some Kentucky Fans Have Had Enough of John Calipari

The SEC did not have a great start to this year's NCAA Tournament, as five of the eight teams representing the conference saw first-round exits, each featuring unique brands of heartbreak. But perhaps the most devastating of all these had to be John Calipari and Kentucky's humiliating loss to 14-seed Oakland in a game that gave rise to the latest star of March Madness: Jack Gohlke.

The result served as the latest letdown for the Wildcat basketball program across the last four postseasons. Following a 9-16 record in the 2020-21 campaign that saw Calipari's crew miss the NCAA Tournament altogether, UK suffered a devastating overtime loss to 15-seed St. Peter's the following season before bowing out to Kansas State in the second round of March Madness a year ago.

After getting pantsed by Gohlke and Doug Ebert in two of the last three tournaments, some Kentucky fans are beginning to wonder if Calipari is still the right guy for the job.

Meanwhile, national media members have seized at the chance to dump gasoline narratives on the flames of discontent in Lexington.

Calipari's buyout currently sits at $33 million, but will drop to $27 million after next season. Even so, UK's athletic director Mitch Barnhart certainly feels the heat to provide a decision on Coach Cal's future given the latest disaster for the Wildcats.

Kentucky fans in some circles have grown beyond angry and impatient, going as far as to capitalize on the ire surrounding Calipari to fuel their own business promotions.

Kadyn Proctor Returns to Alabama After Scoring Some NIL Money From Iowa

Nick Saban's retirement in January triggered an exodus of talent from Tuscaloosa to the delight of Ohio State fans that welcomed Caleb Downs with open arms. Arguably, the second-biggest name to hit the portal from Alabama at the time was Kadyn Proctor. The offensive tackle out of Des Moines, Iowa left the Crimson Tide for the Hawkeyes in January after starting all 14 games for Saban's offensive line last season.

However, in a somewhat stunning turn this past week, Proctor announced he would portal back to Alabama after barely two months and zero snaps played at Iowa.

The waffle of a move-back serves as a highly controversial one for many reasons. Proctor was once a long-time Hawkeye commit in high school before flipping to the Crimson Tide on National Signing Day during the end of his recruiting cycle. Iowa also self-reported a Level III rules violation concerning a Hawkeye staffer reaching out to Proctor during the past season, presumably to provide transparency on his own decision to return home.

But chief among these controversies must be the particulars surrounding NIL money Proctor received that he will bring with him back to Alabama. While Iowa's Swarm Collective claims Proctor did not get a dime of any money Hawkeye fans have provided, the group still stated Proctor already received 15% of the annual amount he was set to receive for work related to marketing on behalf of businesses.

Hawkeye fans have had a range of extreme reactions to now being spurned by Proctor a second time, but some may rest easier knowing his greatest athletic accomplishment at Iowa proved to be losing at intramural basketball.

Kim Mulkey Threatens to Sue the Washington Post

On Friday afternoon during LSU women's basketball's first-round NCAA tournament game against Rice, speculation began swirling that head coach Kim Muley would soon be the subject of a critical article in the Washington Post.

Yesterday, in a press conference between the Tigers' tournament appearances, Mulkey took the opportunity to preemptively strike back at any article attacking her character. She claims she has already prepared a legal team to sue the news outlet for defamation if the "click machine" publishes any false stories about her.

Mulkey and the LSU Tigers will take on Middle Tennessee St. this afternoon in the school's quest to defend its national championship.

ICYMI

Ohio State Women's Hockey Will Play in a Third Straight National Title Game

The No. 1 overall seed Buckeye women's hockey team will face Wisconsin at 4 p.m. ET today on ESPNU in a rematch of last year's NCAA Championship. The Badgers won last year's title game by a 1-0 score, but Ohio State owns a 3-2 record against Wisconsin this season. OSU overcoming Clarkson on Friday set the program record for wins in a single season as the team's 34th victory.

Buckeye Wrestler Jesse Mendez Wins an NCAA Title at 141 Lbs.

Sophomore Jesse Mendez won a national title for Ohio State wrestling yesterday in a clutch performance that included a takedown with only 10 seconds remaining to secure the championship at 141 pounds. Mendez defeated Penn State's Beau Bartlett after previously splitting the results of their matches earlier this season, which included a win for Mendez at the Big Ten Championship.

The Ohio State Pistol Team Earns Its Fourth Consecutive National Championship

Columbus continues to have the straightest shooters on any campus across the country, as the Buckeye pistol team scored a fourth straight national championship yesterday and the program's ninth of the new millennium. The squad swept all three categories, the top five of the individual leaderboard, and finished the competition ahead of second-place Navy by an aggregate margin of nearly 300 points.

What’s Next

  • Men’s Basketball: NIT Quarterfinals vs. Georgia / @ Wake Forest, Tuesday, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
  • 20 Days: Ohio State's spring football game
  • 160 Days: Ohio State football's season opener vs. Akron
  • 251 Days: The Game
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