John Calipari really wanted Obinna Ekezie but didn't get him. Now what?
The failure by John Calipari to land big man Obinna Ekezie and bring him to Arkansas was not for a lack of trying. Cal and UA made a vigorous effort. It's not as though they didn't give it their best shot. Inside sourcing on this recruitment and how it unfolded, provided by Best of Arkansas Sports, paints a picture in which Louisville and coach Pat Kelsey went above and beyond, to the extent that they likely distorted the market for the Nigerian prospect:
"The Cardinals were apparently Ekezie’s preferred destination. The Lagos, Nigeria, native spent a few years of his childhood in Louisville and still has some connections in the area. His official visit to the Cardinals reportedly tugged on his heartstrings further.
"Additionally, contrary to what you might expect, the presence of top-ranked transfer center Flory Bidunga reportedly helped Louisville’s chances rather than hindering them. The reigning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year would take a lot of pressure off Ekezie while still allowing him to get plenty of minutes to shine. At Arkansas, on the other hand, he would have been expected to shoulder a much bigger burden in the frontcourt.
"However, the source said that others in Ekezie’s entourage — be that agents, trainers or family members — wanted him to go to Arkansas. Calipari’s Hall of Fame pedigree offered a straightforward path to realizing his NBA dreams, and a large platform to showcase his talents. With the NIL figures roughly the same, Louisville basketball coach Pat Kelsey had to sweeten the pot a bit, according to our source. The reported Godfather offer came in some form of kickbacks to Ekezie’s entourage.
"This tracks with reporting from other Arkansas basketball insiders. Hogville’s Kevin McPherson, for instance, mentioned 'something quirky' in Ekezie’s recruitment that 'not only scared Arkansas off, but at least one or two other teams in the mix.' Inside Arkansas’ Curtis Wilkerson, too, called it a “weird deal” with 'some wild asks and demands.'”
It's the kind of reality John Calipari surely loathes: money being tossed around in the portal instead of the focus being on a young man and his family. It's hard to compete when a competitor blows up the market the way Louisville seemingly did.
Now Calipari -- who recently and memorably lamented the idea of paying mid-20-something international players from Europe to play college basketball -- might have to go overseas for his big man. He doesn't absolutely have to, but he might. It's clearly not the homework assignment he wanted. He didn't intend to be in this position, scrambling for a five instead of having this roster spot nailed down. It's the lingering hole on the roster as it stands.
The real question is whether Calipari should settle for a decent-not-great option with a skill set different from Cooper Bowser, who is regarded as a hungry and team-first player but not a total solution at the five spot, or play the waiting game to see if he can uncover and then land a big-fish-level player. He doesn't have a ton of options ... but that's why he has to do his homework after the Ekezie swing and miss created by Louisville's over-the-top NIL bid.