Freshman forward Cam’Ron Fletcher still has a future with Kentucky if he wants one, but it’s up to head coach John Calipari to determine when that time will come and the conditions upon his return.
Until then, the former four-star prospect is home to “do some soul research to get his priorities in order.”
“We asked Cam Fletcher to take some time and step away from the team,” Calipari said in a statement Monday morning. He has to think and do some soul-searching to get his priorities right. Any attitude or action that is detrimental to this team will not be tolerated – and that applies to everyone on the team. “
When asked about his decision to send Fletcher home and how the suspension came about, Calipari said it was a “highlight of things,” not just the bank blowout the public saw during the Kentucky loss. against North Carolina in the CBS Sports Classic on Saturday.
At the end of the day, it was a move that makes sense for both parties at this point.
“The only reason I even brought out anything is that it came back that some media members had it and I didn’t want it to let go in a (certain) way, you know I’m transparent about this stuff,” Calipari said. “Most things with me are never public, but this was going to be public because he wouldn’t be sitting on the couch. This is the best for him. It wasn’t one thing, it wasn’t one thing on the couch, this is a peak of things where he needed to change and he didn’t change. This is what Cam needed. “
As difficult as the situation is, it is one that all parties have accepted and is believed to be in Fletcher’s best interests for his future.
His mom and I were talking about it, we’re both about to. We want Cam to succeed, but he has to change. Our culture does not change. our culture drives boys to do more than they think they can. They are held to a standard beyond what they have ever been held to. They learn to respect everyone, not just the staff, but everyone. This culture doesn’t change, it helps you change. “
The goal is for Fletcher to turn things around and return to campus at some point in the future. But when that time comes, it will be according to the terms of Calipari.
‘We did this. I hope he will be gone, a little bit away from us and he will come back to us, but it will not happen on his terms, ‘Calipari said. “His mom and I talked again tonight, wonderful lady, and she knows,” Okay, he has to do this right. “And I think Cam will. … I do (think he’s coming back). Unless he doesn’t accept what this is here. It keeps everyone to a high standard.”
The hope is that Fletcher’s suspension is a lesson not just for the four-star freshman, but for the entire squad when it comes to accountability, responding to adversity, and taking advantage of opportunities.
“Cam will learn from it,” said Calipari. “This is the best for him. I told the whole team, this is not for everyone. This culture is not changing, but it can help you change. How you deal with things, what you do, your attitude, how you react to setbacks, how you react to not playing. Are you ready for your chance? ”