Quotes from John Calipari

If you win the conference tournament, it doesn't mean anything.

Let's not have a postseason tournament. Let's have a preseason tournament where you're guaranteed three games: we go somewhere, and all the fans come in, and we celebrate our league. We'll have great games to start the year, and we'll do it prior to the year.

I'm not a big proponent of the league tournament.

I refuse to go in a home and paint a picture saying things like, 'If you come with us, you'll be taken care of for the rest of your life by the program and by our alums,' even though you may only be in school for a year or two. How preposterous does that sound?

I've had transfer students who have never seen the inside of their previous coach's house.

The best food I've had in Lexington is Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt. It's non-guilt ice cream!

Practice gotta be harder than the games and it never is unless you want it to be as a player. The coach can't drive that

What type of teammates do you want to play with? Be that teammate yourself

We don't get every kid. We get the ones we are supposed to get. It just kind of plays out that way, and it always has.

As long as I'm at Kentucky, you've got to be able to take the shots, or don't stay at Kentucky. To be the coach at Kentucky and get what I get, you can't be a 35-year-old coach whose never been fired. I've been fired.

Kentucky is the best job in basketball coaching. Why would I leave?

The opportunity to coach Kerry Kittles I wouldn't give up for anything.

I'd love to be coaching kids three or four years. You kidding me? That's what I used to do.

If I walk in a home, and a young man disrespects his mother or grandfather, grandmother in front of me, I'm out. Because if that's the case, he respects no one. He is not going to respect me.

What I've always tried to do is undersell and overdeliver.

When you're coaching at Kentucky, you're held to a different standard, and like in politics, there is a core group that absolutely loves you, and everyone else is trying to unseat you in any way they can - anything to trip you up; that's what it is. If you're not up to that, then don't coach at Kentucky.

I want to thank the people at UMass, Memphis, and Kentucky for giving Ellen and I an opportunity to coach at three great institutions.

If they're out of high school, and they can go directly to the NBA and get drafted and get millions of dollars, I'm for it 100 percent. Just let's not devalue education. Let's just not devalue it.

Malik Monk is special. Special.

What our kids learn to do is fight. So when you watch a Devin Booker, you look at Tyler Ulis - they fight.

If you can get a second-round pick that makes it, it's unbelievable for that franchise, what you save and all the other things to build. You're always looking for guys like that.

In my humble opinion, again, to perform at Alabama, you must earn the spot and not have it given to you. You have to fight like crazy to keep the spot and that it's not guaranteed - it's week to week - and you'll play in a way that they have a chance to win a championship.

At times, we, as coaches, try to shove guys as square pegs into round holes and keep hammering away.

I want to thank all the assistants and staff who have worked for us over the years, as well as the people in the community who have added value to our lives.