Craft Center facelift, updating on the way

John Calipari spoke about newly-revealed plans to give the Joe Craft Center an updating and facelift on Friday.

Late in the week it was revealed that Kentucky is planning a $4 million renovation to the Joe Craft Center, the UK basketball facility that was opened in 2007.

The renovation, approved by the state's general assembly, will address the locker and shower areas, the meeting room area, and nutrition, among other things.

“The building is 10 years old," Calipari said on Friday. "It was built at a time where everything was kind of cut up. We're in this building 300 days a year, and it was time. It's funny, I'm driving through campus and I go by and I see softball, soccer's new, and football. I see what it looks like from the road – golf – and what we're doing. I think it's great – baseball, track. You knew we had to be in line. There's a line because of us. I didn't mind being last."

Earlier in the week there was a story in USA Today featuring five-star basketball prospect Trae Young, who ultimately committed to Oklahoma. Young and his family told basketball writer Jason Jordan that Kentucky's dorm setup was a big knock against the Cats during the recruiting process, saying they were outdated, too simple and the worst that they had seen during their recruiting travels.

The timing of that probably can't be ignored when Calipari spoke on the renovation topic on Friday.

"Joe Craft doesn't want to hear that the lodge isn't this and that," Calipari said. "We built what (the NCAA) allowed us to build. We'll probably have to go through that again."

Calipari said the UK program uses the Craft Center 300 days out of the year and it "gets a lot of wear and tear," further illustrating the need for a facelift and updating.

"I'll say this: It's different than the locker room (at Rupp Arena)," Calipari said. "The locker room, when we built it, was what it's going to look like in 15-20 years out at Rupp. The difference is we're down there 20 times a year. You're in this building 300 days. This thing gets a lot of wear and tear. It's 10 years old, and I think that it's nice what they're doing. It's great for these kids. They're here, they’re working. They deserve to feel good.”