John Calipari talks Aaron Bradshaw, Tre Mitchell and recruiting during weekly radio show

Kentucky coach John Calipari’s weekly radio show made its 2023-24 season debut last week but was absent its title character.

Calipari was on the road recruiting last week, but on Monday night he was back in his normal seat alongside UK radio play-by-play broadcaster Tom Leach to discuss the Kentucky season so far on the eve of a much-anticipated game: No. 12 Kentucky (5-1) hosts No. 8 Miami (Fla.) (5-0) on Tuesday night inside Rupp Arena as part of the first installment of the ACC/SEC Challenge.

With just 24 hours to go until that top-15 showdown, Calipari provided an injury update on UK’s three sidelined big men and offered significant praise to the experienced player currently holding down the interior for the Wildcats.

Aaron Bradshaw won’t play for Kentucky against Miami

Kentucky will remain shorthanded for Tuesday night’s pivotal matchup against the Hurricanes.

Calipari said freshman Aaron Bradshaw won’t make his college debut against Miami, while sophomore Ugonna Onyenso continues to also make progress in his return from injury.

Both Bradshaw and Onyenso are recovering from offseason foot injuries.

Calipari also added that Zvonimir Ivisic — who is still yet to be cleared to play by the NCAA — remains out sick and didn’t practice Monday.

Bradshaw had returned to individual work during UK practices, but Calipari said that during Monday’s practice Bradshaw “did a little bit of everything,” implying Bradshaw is now able to participate in full team practices with contact.

“He did good, he looks fine,” Calipari said of Bradshaw’s practice performances. “He practiced (Monday) and he’s dying to get in there.”

On Sunday night, Bradshaw said on social media that he was about a week away from making his college debut with the Wildcats.

As far as Onyenso goes, Calipari said after Friday night’s win over Marshall that the sophomore big man is able to both run and jump.

“Ugo’s bouncing around, running and jumping,” Calipari said Monday night.

Ivisic has been sick several times during his brief time in Lexington. The 7-foot-2 Croatian was absent from the UK bench during Friday’s game because of an illness.

Tre Mitchell earns praise as impact transfer at Kentucky

A beneficiary from Kentucky’s lack of depth at the 4 and 5 spots this season has been graduate transfer Tre Mitchell, who has been an early-season star for the Wildcats.

The former UMass, Texas and West Virginia player has become a focal point of Kentucky’s offense, often operating as the main decision maker and facilitator.

Mitchell has 21 assists and just three turnovers through six games this season. Those 21 assists are already more than one-third of Mitchell’s total assists mark from last season at West Virginia.

“Why isn’t he getting more of what he deserves?” Calipari asked, rhetorically, in reference to Mitchell’s stellar play so far. “The thing for him that really is special: Yes, he’s helping our team, but he’s helping himself. The game is moving toward 4s and 5s that play like him.”

Calipari wasn’t the only UK coach with praise for Mitchell on Monday. Earlier in the day during a press conference, first-year Kentucky assistant Chuck Martin detailed how Mitchell has flourished in Lexington.

“He goes from playing in the Big 12, where it’s a physical, grind-it-out league, and I thought Coach Cal was able to say, ‘You know, I think he’s got more to his game than just posting up,’” Martin said. “It’s helped us. He’s been unbelievable.”

Following the Friday win over Marshall, Calipari said that even when some of UK’s sidelined bigs return, he would like Mitchell to continue playing the 5.

“What you can do is then have him space the court,” Calipari further explained Monday. “And you can have the other guy running to the rim a little bit more. We’re doing some stuff right now to try to figure out how would we play with that group, yet still play fast. But you have a shot blocker, you have a guy that you can throw it to the post.”

Calipari discusses 2024 UK basketball recruiting

Previously, Calipari has spoken publicly about two of Kentucky’s four signees in the 2024 recruiting class, center Somto Cyril and guard Boogie Fland.

But Monday, Calipari also discussed UK’s other two signees for next year: Guard Travis Perry (the all-time leading scorer in Kentucky boys high school basketball history) and center Jayden Quaintance (who isn’t eligible for the NBA draft until 2026 due to his young age).

“He’s a guy who’s going to be able to make shots,” Calipari said of Perry, who scored more than 30 points over the weekend while leading his Lyon County team to a preseason win over Great Crossing in a matchup of teams expected to compete for the state championship. “You know what (Perry) will do.”

“When I watched (Quaintance) I said, ‘Are you kidding me?’” Calipari said. “... At 6-10, 240, and with the skills he has, he can play like we’re playing Tre (Mitchell).”

Calipari added that he thinks UK will add one or two more recruits as part of the 2024 recruiting class, which is currently ranked second in the country behind Duke.