Brad Calipari Transfer Odds Favors East Tennessee State; Arch-Rival Louisville a Massive Longshot

By David Golokhov in College Basketball
Updated: April 8, 2020 at 1:40 pm EDTPublished:

- Kentucky head coach’s son, Brad Calipari, has entered the transfer portal.
- Calipari redshirted last season and averaged 0.3 points per game in 2018.
- Calipari was recruited by East Tennessee State, so he could end up there.
Kentucky Wildcats guard Brad Calipari has entered the transfer portal and is looking to leave the program. Normally, it wouldn’t be a big deal that a player who redshirted last year after averaging 0.3 points per game in 2018 and 0.5 in 2017 is leaving, but this is coach John Calipari’s son. Where will he take his talents next?
Where Will Brad Calipari Play For The 2019-20 Season?
School | Yes Odds | No Odds |
---|---|---|
East Tennessee State | +300 | -400 |
Liberty | +400 | -600 |
Eastern Kentucky | +700 | -1400 |
Morehead State | +700 | -1400 |
Northern Kentucky | +800 | -1600 |
Louisville | +2500 | -10000 |
Tennessee | +2500 | -10000 |
*Odds taken 05/31/2019
No Nepotism For Brad Calipari
Although some people raised a few eyebrows when John Calipari added his son to the team as a walk-on, in the end, it didn’t prove to be a situation of nepotism. Brad averaged 15.3 points per game while shooting 47% from three as a senior at MacDuffie High School. Some felt that if he’d earn a role on the Wildcats, it would be as a three-point specialist.

However, Coach Cal never really found a use for Brad, giving him just 15 chances to play in 2017 and 12 in 2018, before redshirting last season. In March, John Calipari indicated his son was considering transferring because he’s actually graduating in three years. That would mean he can transfer and play right away without having to take a year off.
Rivals Louisville, Tennessee Are Long Shots
It would be an interesting storyline if Louisville or Tennessee signed Calipari in a Game of Thrones-type of way. It’s kind of like when the Boltons had Theon Greyjoy. But being a bit more realistic, this is the real world and those teams are not likely interested in him.
The main issue is that Brad Calipari isn’t that good. If he was decent, his dad would have played him more than the 11 minutes he saw in his entire career. He’s supposed to be a three-point specialist but he’s just 3-of-19 from beyond the arc in his college career.

Louisville and Tennessee have far too much talent to give minutes to someone like Brad Calipari. That’s why he’s likely to go to a smaller school where he can get more time of the floor to play and develop.
Small Schools Favored
Brad Calipari has a number of options in front of him and having John Calipari as his dad will help. His dad can surely pull a few strings with other coaches.
Out here at ETSU pic.twitter.com/4MtG0A2zbl
— Brad Calipari (@bradcalipari) December 13, 2014
It’s likely we’ll see Brad stay in the same neighborhood, which means he’ll be at a school like East Tennessee State (who is favored), Liberty or Eastern Kentucky. I’m going to put my money on ETSU, as they’re a school that recruited him originally. He’ll feel wanted there and should get ample playing time.
The Pick: East Tennessee State (+300)

Sports Writer
For over 15 years, Dave has been working in mainstream media and sports betting. He hosted a station on Sirius Satellite Radio for four years, and is currently a senior writer for AskMen. He's interviewed hundreds of hundreds of high-profile sports stars like Shaquille O'Neal and Floyd Mayweather.