Jai Lucas finally makes his way back to Kentucky

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Jai Lucas was on his way to Kentucky as a player before a coaching change sent him elsewhere.

Now, 13 years later, he's coming to Kentucky as a special assistant to John Calipari and recruiting coordinator for the Wildcats.

“I was coming. I was coming to Kentucky until Coach (Tubby) Smith left and took the Minnesota job," Lucas said. "That kind of left me in scramble mode, because I had made my mind up for months, and that’s how I kind of ended up at Florida. They were the next school to call me at the McDonald’s (All-American) Game, so I kind of ended up with them. They had the momentum with Billy Donovan and winning two national championships. This place has left an impact on me ever since I took a visit and just through the whole recruiting process. If you’re about basketball and everything that comes with it and the whole experience of college basketball, it’s hard to say no to Kentucky.”

Lucas played a year at Florida then transferred and finished his college career at Texas. He played three years professionally, and he's been on the staff at his alma mater for the last eight years. After saying no to Kentucky once, the son of former NBA player and coach John Lucas is saying yes to Calipari and the Cats.

“This place recruits itself," Lucas said. "If you are passionate and want to be at the highest level there is in basketball, especially college basketball, I mean, it’s hard to say no to Kentucky in general. It doesn’t matter if it is as a recruit or coming back as any staff position. Just talking to Coach Calipari ... and I know everything he is about, he’s been a family friend for a while with him and my dad. So a lot of the stuff that he preaches about and coaches is how I was raised through my dad. He is a truth-teller. He’s going to tell you the truth, and he’s going to try and get the most out of you. So, he is somebody who I knew I would automatically connect with.”

Lucas said his main duty as recruiting coordinator will be to streamline everything for the staff so they focus more on the players.

He was impressed with the Black Lives Matter video the current team members recently released.

“I think the video was amazing," he said. "I’ve started to meet the players and get to know them, but I just think for them to have that message and do it to together is a big statement on its own. I think the biggest thing with everything that is going on in society and in the country is that people need to come together to have communication, to have conversations, whether you’re for it or against it. I think if you are a Kentucky fan, if you’re a fan of whatever university you are a part of it, and your team has a message that they want to be heard and spoke about, I think that they should at least have the opportunity to just come and listen to them and see what they have and their concerns. That’s how the family and the community comes together through conversation, through communication.”