Self: Calipari not the first to platoon

— Selden’s aggressiveness puts him atop ratings

Indianapolis ? Kentucky coach John Calipari has said he has not been running a platoon system “to be a genius.”

Proof of that is the fact other coaches have used the same strategy throughout the years.

“There have been a lot, not as much at the Div. I level,” KU coach Bill Self said, citing an example. “Ralph Tasker, who may be the winningest coach of all time, out of Hobbs, New Mexico … he coached 40 years playing five at a time. A lot of people do it different ways. That’s certainly a way to keep everybody involved.”

Tasker, who died in 1999, had a 1,122-291 record (.794) in 49 seasons at Hobbs High. His teams pressed the entire game.

Classic fan: Self is a big fan of the Champions Classic, which has been played in New York, Atlanta, Chicago and Indianapolis and is headed back to Chicago’s United Center and NY’s Madison Square Garden the next two seasons.

“It’s great. You get a marquee game that you don’t have to return, even though it’s neutral (court),” Self said. “It’s a great way to tip the season. It creates a lot of energy and excitement for college basketball fans. It’s really good.”