Willie Cauley-Stein was all smiles Wednesday talking about his return to Rupp Arena.
Willie Cauley-Stein played in 105 games in three years at Kentucky under coach John Calipari and was sensational his junior year in 2014-15 when he averaged 8.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, 1.2 steals and 1.0 assists per game while shooting 57 percent from the field.
Cauley-Stein was a consensus First-Team All-American and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year and was the sixth pick in the 2015 NBA draft after helping UK go 38-0 before losing to Wisconsin in the Final Four.
“I’m sure everybody that I played with and everybody that kind of is going back to when they left their last game for Kentucky, that was one of the things on their mind was like, ‘Damn, I’m never going to get to play in front of these people again. I’m never going to get to play in this building again,’” Cauley-Stein said during a media session Wednesday promoting The Basketball Tournament.
Cauley-Stein called it “heart-wrenching stuff” playing that final time in Rupp Arena for UK. He got to return to Rupp Arena twice for NBA preseason games with the Sacramento Kings but now will be playing for La Familia, a UK alumni team, in the tournament that offers $1 million to the winning team.
“You fast forward five, six years later, and I’m getting the opportunity again with all these changes that’s been made (to Rupp Arena), and I get to kind of see this renovated Kentucky and it’s cool,” the 7-footer said.
Cauley-Stein was a bit eccentric during his Kentucky playing days and often marched to his own drum beat. He played in 422 NBA games in seven seasons averaging 8.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game before playing overseas, including last season in Varese, Italy, where former UK teammate James Young — who is also playing for La Familia — also played.
“I’m still him, just older,” Cauley-Stein said when I asked him Wednesday if he had changed. “Just older, a little more wise. Three kids, that’ll get you. That’ll make you a lot wiser. I’m still the same kid, man. Same dude. Just got a beard now.”
La Familia general manager Twany Beckham was “buzzing” about the team and TBT when he reached out to Cauley-Stein who is in the process of deciding whether to go back overseas to play or go to Puerto Rico.
“I was like man, I think I need that kind of energy right now,” Cauley-Stein said. “It’s been a rough few years, so coming back and soaking up all of that love out there, I’m excited to feel that and I think it’ll be refreshing.”
Kentucky’s team includes NBA veteran Eric Bledsoe along with guards Marquis Teague and Doron Lamb of the 2012 national title team. However, Cauley-Stein said yes to Beckham before Young or twins Aaron and Andrew Harrison, all former UK teammates, did.
“After the twins (joined the team), I was like, ‘Damn, okay this is going to be really fun,’” Cauley-Stein said. “Playing with those guys and mixing James that should have been on our team … he left (UK) early, but I feel like he would have stayed with us, we would have been so much more dangerous. So I don’t know, it’s going to be cool.”
La Familia begins TBT play July 19 at 8 p.m. at Rupp Arena against the 305 Ballers. Tickets for the Lexington Regional are on sale here.
2 Responses
One of my favorite players at UK. I will glad to see him back at Rupp.
He could guard a little guy. Stay with him step for step.
He is amazing.