Mar 26, 2015 03:36 PM EDT By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

John Calipari turned down a shot at the NBA last offseason and took a huge raise to stay at Kentucky, but the rumor mill is starting up again.

In his column for the North Jersey Record, Steve Popper indicated Calipari is very much thinking about the NBA, despite the seven-year, $52.5 million extension he signed last year.

In the midst of a 36-0 season, Calipari is trying to lead his Wildcats to the first perfect season since the Indiana Hoosiers did it in the 1975-1976 season. For that reason, Calipari will not address these rumors any time soon.

However, it may support Popper's point, that Coach Cal has done everything there is to do in college basketball. He has won a National Title and turned several freshmen sensations into NBA Draft lottery picks. Now he has even organized a juggernaut of a team by getting a handful of those players to stay one extra season.

But the NBA is where Calipari experienced failure, coaching the New Jersey Nets to a 72-112 record in three seasons. Popper suggested that is where he would go if he wanted to return to the pro game.

"He desperately wants it," an unnamed NBA official told Popper. "He won't say it out loud. The NBA is the only place he's ever failed and it drives him nuts. He's not the same guy he was then. He came to the NBA and he wasn't ready. He's ready now."

Since building Kentucky into a powerhouse, Calipari has also built relationships in the basketball community that would be highly useful for an NBA franchise. Some of his former players are now All-Stars or rising stars, he is reportedly friends with LeBron James and he counts rapper Drake as a fan of his Wildcats.

"All these kids, if you look at a free agent list and check off the ones who he's got a relationship with you could build an All-Star team," an unnamed person close to Calipari told Popper. "Start with LeBron James."

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