Knicks star Jalen Brunson had a short but relatable reaction to the news that John Calipari was on his way to Arkansas.
News of Calipari’s likely departure came late Sunday night — less than 24 hours before the NCAA national championship game in Arizona — and stunned the college basketball world.
Those who were shocked by the reports included Brunson.
“What,” Brunson posted on X while reacting to the news posted by The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Brunson played three years of college basketball at Villanova, which has been well-documented given his close friendships with former Wildcats — and current Knicks — teammates Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo.
Fellow Knicks teammate Julius Randle is a Kentucky alum and played one season for Calipari in Lexington.
Several fans responded to Brunson’s tweet and asked if he knew how Randle was taking the news.
Others asked Brunson to lobby former Villanova coach Jay Wright to take the job at Kentucky next.
It’s not expected that Wright would be a candidate for the position, although UConn’s Dan Hurley, Alabama’s Nate Oats and Baylor’s Scott Drew could emerge as options.
News of Calipari’s pending departure gained traction late Sunday night after CBS Sports reported that he and Arkansas were in “serious talks” over the job, and shortly after, ESPN reported the two sides had been finalizing a five-year contract with a base salary of just under $8.5 million.
As of Monday night, no deal had been announced, nor had additional reports come out that a deal had been signed.
Calipari led the Wildcats to a 410-123 record across 15 seasons and helped them win a national title in 2012.
He’ll replace former Arkansas coach Eric Musselman, who resigned from his position to take the head coaching job at USC.
Arkansas had reached three NCAA Tournaments and advanced as far as the Elite Eight twice during five seasons under Musselman.
