A defining characteristic of the John Calipari era is swagger. Each of Cal’s teams have had one “thing,” or gimmick, that fans have embraced, from the John Wall dance to jorts and Jamal Murray’s bow and arrow. Getting to know players isn’t easy thanks to the one-and-done rule, but through these “things,” fans form a connection and teams an identity.
This season more than any other, Kentucky fans have just seemed over it. Whether it be letdown fatigue, turnover fatigue, or residual heartbreak from Luke Maye’s shot, people have held this team at arm’s length. And then Quade Green came out in those sunglasses looking like a comic book character and won us all over.