No introductions are needed for the participant in this installment of the VN Interview. I believe we’re all familiar with Coach John Calipari’s resume. Thus, after giving thanks to Lamar Chance of the Memphis SID office for his work in coordinating this interview, here’s the VN Interview With: John Calipari:

1. VN-How do you think your team is handling the expectations that come from being a consensus preseason Final Four team?

Coach Calipari-I’ve been telling my team and the fans to embrace this(expectations). It’s been awhile since the program entered a season with this kind of buzz. I don’t think there have been these high expectations since the mid 1980s. The high expectaions may be an added burden for programs like North Carolina and UCLA, but for us, it helps us in every facet of our program, especially recruiting.

2. VN-Does having spent most of a season at #1 while you were at UMass aid you in keeping your team focused amid all the scrutiny they are facing?

Coach Calipari-Having coached a No. 1 team at UMass gives me a blueprint I can look at for this year’s team. I can’t follow it exactly because every team is different. My team this year is different from last season’s squad. But, having coached that 1995-96 UMass team and going through all that comes with being highly ranked will help me and my staff coach this team better.

3. VN-How excited are you about spreading Memphis hoops into China?

Coach Calipari-This is not only a great opportunity for our basketball program but also for our university and the city of Memphis. If we happen to get a player out of China, that would be great. But that is four to five years down the road at best. This exchange program is a great way for the city and the university to be goodwill ambassadors. Our university is one of a few with a sister institution in China, and this exchange program is going to bring about 100 Chinese students to the University of Memphis each year. This just adds more diversity to our campus, and that is wonderful because diversity is what a college campus needs to celebrate. We are hoping to get our games on in China and that would expose not only our basketball program, but also our university and city to over 300 million people. Let me repeat, 300 million people. That is tremendous exposure.

4. VN: Is the doubleheader in Nashville something you anticipate becoming a regular event on the schedule?

Coach Calipari: I don’t think the Nashville game is going to become a regular stop on our schedule, but we’ll see what happens in December. I know we have a lot of fans in the Nashville area, and this is a great opportunity for them to see us play live. When I first got to Memphis, I proposed an idea to play Tennessee yearly in Nashville for the Governor’s Cup, but for whatever reason, it never got done.

5. VN: How much has the addition of proven coaches like Tom Penders and Larry Eustachy helped Conference USA start to regain a national profile after the mass exodus from the league two years ago?

Coach Calipari: Adding coaches like Larry (Eustachy) at Southern Miss, Tom (Penders) at Houston and Matt (Doherty) at SMU has helped our conference, but the league is getting better in other areas. Last year, our conference jumped three spots in the RPI, and seven of our teams moved up an average of 60-70 RPI positions. However, no one noticed because we were so much better than the rest of the league. The commitment some of the schools are making toward their basketball program is tremendous. UCF is opening a new arena this year, which is magnificent. UTEP and SMU broke ground on new practice facilities this year. This league is moving in the right direction.

6. VN: How does Derrick Rose compare to other freshman guards you’ve had at Memphis, specifically Dajuan Wagner and Darius Washington?

Coach Calipari: Every player is different and I don’t like to compare players to others I’ve coached. But, what makes Derrick a great player is he is even a better person. Derrick is a terrific kid, and he is so humble and ready to deflect the limelight to his teammates. Derrick is always looking to make others around him play better. For me, that is a mark of a great player, when he helps make his teammates better.

7. VN: Have you noticed a change in the tenor of the Memphis-Tennessee rivalry since Bruce Pearl arrived and got the Vols back on track?

Coach Calipari: The Memphis-Tennessee rivalry is a great one for the state. It was a great rivalry before Coach Pearl and I arrived, and it will continue to thrive after we leave. But, the rivalry is something more for the fans to talk about, and from that standpoint, I am happy because they (the fans) are talking about Memphis basketball. I really don’t get caught up in the rivalry. When that game comes around, it is just the next one on our schedule, and we throw it up and play the game.

That’s all for now, Volnation. More interviews are on the way.