The Kentucky Wildcats returned from spring break and resumed their spring practice season this week, but in the eyes of head coach Mark Stoops the team had merely returned to campus, not to the mindset and level of intensity needed to make spring ball a worthwhile period of growth and development.

Stoops called Wednesday morning’s practice “very average.” In fact, those were the first words out of his mouth during his post-practice media availability. And although it’s not uncommon for a team to slowly ease back into football after a week of spring break, Stoops was not going to use that as an excuse.

He was inspired to lead more intense practices with better competition amongst the players during a week away from the practice field. His inspiration during that time? Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari, leader of the undefeated, No. 1 ranked Wildcats, who will compete in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night.

Calipari’s team has garnered headlines for its unprecedented 36-0 start this season, made possible by nine future NBA players sharing time for the betterment of the entire team. That cohesion is a product of Calipari’s coaching, as is the intensity in practice when those nine NBA players can scrimmage one another in a higher-level game than any the Cats have played against another opponent this year.

Stoops admitted Wednesday he craves that competition at his own practices, sharing his experience watching Cal work his magic with the media in attendance.

“It’s impressive to watch them practice and it’s great to see the competition and what Coach Cal does,” Stoops told Jen Smith of the Lexington Herald-Leader. “… To see those players work exceptionally hard and see the competition that’s out there, that’s what we need to get to, to some level of that.”

It was clear that Stoops wanted to see more intensity in Wednesday’s practice, as he disclosed to the media afterward. It should be interesting to see if any of Cal’s signature traits as a coach rub off on Stoops during the remainder of spring practice. Obviously the two men coach different sports, and Stoops has plenty of other sources for inspiration, including brother and Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops, who has a national title under his belt.

But considering Coach Cal’s track record at UK, including a title of his own, three final fours, four elite eights and three conference tournament titles all in the last five seasons before this one, learning a thing or two about how the man runs his practice isn’t likely to do Stoops’ program any harm.