Afterward, Judd raved about Calipari and what he has accomplished this season in his first year at Kentucky. “He’s perfect for Kentucky,” she said. “He has a personality as big as our program. It’s a really good fit. We love him.” Judd was not nearly as fond of his predecessor, Billy Gillispie, who was fired last March after two seasons of disappointment in which he posted a 40-27 record. In his first season, Kentucky lost in the first round of the N.C.A.A. tournament and failed to make the tournament his second year, the first time since 1991 that the Wildcats had missed the tournament.
