Kentucky coach John Calipari walked away from a closer-than-expected win over Vanderbilt with one clear lesson: His team needs Nick Richards. Louisville Courier Journal
LEXINGTON – When Ashton Hagans decided to return to Kentucky for a sophomore season without testing the NBA draft waters, the way his freshman season ended weighed heavily on his mind.
“It’s actually been in the back of my head a lot,” Hagans said this summer of Kentucky’s Elite Eight overtime loss to Auburn last year. “It’s just one of those feelings that will never go away because you were so close. Knowing we can’t do it with the same group, it hurt.