LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- That is Shai-Gilgeous Alexander, the one-and-done former University of Kentucky basketball guard, you can watch singing with Oklahoma City Thunder teammate Chet Holmgren in an AT&T commercial that debuted during the NCAA Tournament. He's a marketable star.

That's also Gilgeous-Alexander who cracked the list of finalists for the 2024 NBA MVP Award with Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic. He's not only first-team all-NBA. He is one of the top three players in the league.

And that's Gilgeous-Alexander serving as the star in the NBA Playoffs for the Thunder, the top seed in the Western Conference.

But, sometimes, when I think of Gilgeous-Alexander, I can't stop thinking about two other items:

  1. The night in 2017 when he scored 29 points, collected 9 rebounds and distributed 6 assists while directing his squad to a victory the Kentucky Derby Festival Classic. He was phenomenal that night in Freedom Hall.
  2. That Gilgeous-Alexander was one of the rare UK recruits that former coach John Calipari encouraged (or allowed, depending upon your perspective) to play in the Derby Classic.

I'm not saying that Calipari killed the Derby Classic. But I am suggesting that, with Calipari gone to Arkansas, it's time for a serious discussion about reviving the all-star game. A major roadblock to the game's popularity has been removed.

With the current boom in women's basketball, it's time to make it a two-game celebration. Feature dynamic recruits and schedule boys' and girls' games. There's no doubt that Jeff Walz (Louisville), Kenny Brooks (Kentucky) and Teri Moren (Indiana) plan to recruit at the highest levels of the women's game.

Ditto for Pat Kelsey (U of L), Mark Pope (UK) and Mike Woodson (IU) on the men's side. Scott Davenport aims big at Bellarmine, too.

Calipari certainly did not give the Derby Classic many hugs and kisses even after the game organizers embarrassed themselves by inviting Calipari's son, Brad, to play in the 2016 game. That was a (wink) subtle attempt to get on the good side of the UK coach, who only had eyes for the national all-star games that were sponsored by the Nike pipeline that helped direct players to Lexington.

Understandable? Yes.

Completely necessary? No.

That was 2016 when Brad Calipari played in a game with Mustapha Heron, James Banks, C.J. Walker and others. He scored 3 points.

In 2017, the Derby Classic got Gilgeous-Alexander, who was ranked behind Jarred Vanderbilt (No. 9), Hamidou Diallo (No. 11), Nick Richards (No. 15), Kevin Knox (No. 18) and P.J. Washington (No. 19) by 247Sports in UK's eight-player recruiting class.

SGA was ranked the No. 20 player in that class ahead of Quade Green and Jemarl Baker.

The biggest names in Kentucky's recruiting classes accepted offers to play in the games that the UK coaching staff encouraged them to play in: the McDonald's all-American and Jordan Brand Classic affairs.

That was markedly different than how the game was treated by other former Kentucky coaches, especially Rick Pitino.

I found the roster from the 1992 game. Tony Delk, Walter McCarty and Jared Prickett represented Kentucky. Tick Rogers and DeJuan Wheat represented Louisville. Steve Hart represented Indiana. Derek Anderson represented the Louisville high school scene, committing to Ohio State before transferring to UK.

Calipari and his staff saw the world differently. The Nike events were all that mattered. The Derby Classic was an annoyance.

The Derby Classic got the leftovers — or often no participation from Kentucky recruits. Attendance suffered. Several folks involved with the game tried to explain the importance of the game to Calipari.

It was not a recruiting tool for the University of Louisville. It was another opportunity to showcase Kentuckiana as the most basketball-obsessed market in America. Basketball ruled here more than it ruled anywhere else. The game had a fabulous tradition, back to its founding in 1973 by Max Rein as well as The Courier-Journal Super Five recruiting rankings.

Didn't matter. Not to Calipari.

After 44 years, the Derby Classic ended in 2018. There were many reasons, but high on the list was the absence of UK recruits. That led to attendance issues. By 2017, the crowd slid to about 5,000.

Gilgeous-Alexander became the game's final MVP.

The Derby Classic that lifted off in the 1970s packed Freedom Hal on many occasions. It featured players like Moses Malone, Penny Hardaway, Dominique Wilkins, Darrell Griffith, Isiah Thomas, Ralph Sampson, Jason Kidd, Marcus Camby (a Calipari recruit at UMass), Damon Bailey, Carmelo Anthony, Donovan Mitchell ... I'll stop there, because you get the picture.

Bringing it back will not be easy. Nike still rules and promotes the games that it sponsors. Maybe Under Armour, Adidas, New Balance or another shoe and apparel brand can be convinced to take them on while helping with sponsorships and lining up players.

And with John Calipari gone to Arkansas, maybe the Derby Classic can be revived with recruits from Louisville, Indiana, Western Kentucky, Bellarmine, Purdue, Cincinnati, Xavier, Butler and even the University of Kentucky.

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