Bol Bol won't hold grudge against John Calipari, Kentucky despite national team omission

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NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — Plenty of fans, and no doubt some rival coaches, wondered whether it would be an advantage to Kentucky’s John Calipari — who lately hasn’t needed one — to serve as coach of USA Basketball’s entry in the FIBA U19 World Championships.

It didn’t seem like much of an edge, though, when 7-2 center Bol Bol was cut from the team.

A consensus top-5 prospect in the 2018 recruiting Class, Bol said Thursday it was “very disappointing” not to make the 12-man roster. “I just heard good things from him, and other people, the whole weekend,” Bol said.

In fact, he said, Kentucky assistant coach Kenny Payne was one of those who told him he should have been kept on the team.

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Without Bol’s exquisite shot-block timing and surprising perimeter shooting skill, the U.S. settled for a bronze medal after losing a semifinal game against Canada. Bol said he watched that game. Did he think he could have made a difference? “Uh, yeah.”

Bol said of Calipari, “It wasn’t just his fault because as a coaching staff, and the USA Basketball staff — I don’t really blame him for not putting me on the team. He can’t, like, officially decide everyone who’s on the team.”

He said he still is planning to make a recruiting visit to Kentucky, as well as Arizona and Oregon. He isn’t certain about whether he would make trips to other schools, although he considers himself open to the process and would consider a scholarship offer from Duke if he got one.

“I just want a really good relationship with the coach and to feel comfortable,” Bol said. “I think everything else will be fine.”

Bol is the son of former NBA center Manute Bol, who passed away in 2010 at age 47. Manute Bol was 7-7 and the tallest player in the NBA history and a widely popular figure because of his personality and social activism.

“It’s a lot of pressure,” Bol Bol said, “but throughout time I’ve gotten used to it.”

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Mike DeCourcy is a Senior Writer at The Sporting News
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