As you can probably guess from my name, I am not from Kentucky nor am I from the United States. I have been in Lexington for just about seven months as I continue my education at the university as a sophomore. However, even by being here for such a short while, I have noticed how proud Kentuckians are when it comes to basketball, so it comes to me as a major surprise when I realize people are actually complaining about how much John Calipari is being paid.

I have observed that everywhere I go these past few days, everybody is talking about Calipari and how excited they are. People complain about the economy and his pay, but do they not recognize that UK is all over the media, and how much of an advertisement this is for the university? His hire was even on ESPN in my home country Malaysia, and there, my dad actually called me up and asked what was going on. Basketball is not even big there, but suddenly people are hearing about UK from so far away.

This is also not mentioning how Calipari is as a coach. His style of play is attractive to watch, and this would also guarantee that UK basketball will be showcased to the whole nation on television. Young kids would then be inspired to go to the university so they can be part of the tradition at UK.

So I guess it’s safe to say that all the benefits far outweigh the costs. Success on the court automatically equates to success for the state, and Calipari’s contract will pay for itself. As UK Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart said, if you want the best, you have to pay a premium price. But believe me, this investment will pay dividends really soon.

Mohammad Shazani Mohammad Fuad

decision science sophomor