FAYETTEVILLE — Preston Spradlin remembers the summit.
A kid from Kentucky, a Big Blue Nation cardholder who witnessed two national titles growing up, was part of the Wildcats' championship win in 2012 when they defeated Kansas 67-59. It was his first season as the Wildcats’ director of operations after moving up from a graduate assistant role. He looked over at John Calipari, the Hall-of-Famer who took a chance on an NAIA shooting guard for a GA spot, and felt his appreciation as streamers fell from the New Orleans Superdome ceiling.
Spradlin has grown from there, looking back at those five seasons under Calipari’s tutelage with fondness.