LEXINGTON — John Calipari has never hidden his apathy — others might call it downright disgust — for conference tournaments. If it were up to him? He'd skip 'em and make a beeline for the Big Dance. The problem: It's not his decision.

Lest anyone forget his thoughts on the matter, however, he made sure to reiterate them following Kentucky basketball's regular-season finale — an 85-81 win over a top-five Tennessee team in Knoxville, Tennessee — last week.

"You know the only tournament that matters to me. After this weekend. That tournament," he said, alluding to the NCAA.

Calipari, obviously, is entitled to his opinion. He's won hundreds of games and coached in hundreds more. I'm merely a reporter he's bantered with on multiple occasions the past two seasons.

But here's a piece of advice for the Hall of Fame coach, now in his 15th season with the Wildcats: He should care about this week's SEC Tournament.

His own illustrious history attests to it.

Calipari has reached the Final Four six times, with three schools: UMass, Memphis and Kentucky.

Preceding each of those Final Four berths were appearances in his team's respective conference championship games.

A rundown:

• 1996: UMass beats Temple, 75-61, in Atlantic 10 Tournament title game; Minutemen go on to reach Final Four, where they lose to ... Kentucky.

• 2008: Memphis tops Tulsa, 77-51, in Conference USA Tournament championship contest; Memphis reaches national title game, where it falls to Kansas in overtime.

• 2011: Kentucky reaches SEC Tournament title game, where it flattens Florida, 70-54; UK advances to Final Four and loses to UConn by one point (56-55) in national semifinal.

• 2012: UK is upended by Vanderbilt, 71-64, in SEC Tournament championship contest; Kentucky bounces back to win six straight games and sprint past Kansas in national title game. Wildcats finish season 38-2.

• 2014: Kentucky falls to Florida by one point, 61-60, in SEC Tournament title tilt; UK responds by reaching national championship game, where it loses to UConn (again).

• 2015: UK continues its unbeaten season, improving to 34-0 after a 78-63 win over Arkansas in the SEC Tournament championship game; Kentucky's magical campaign comes to an end in the Final Four at the hands of Wisconsin.

The proof is in the numbers.

To punch a ticket to the Final Four, Calipari's club needs to win at least two games in Nashville, Tennessee, this week to ensure a spot in the league title game. Then, a Final Four might be in the offing.

Bruiser Flint, Kentucky's associate to the head coach, worked on Calipari's UMass staff from 1989 through 1996. He rejoined Calipari in Lexington prior to the 2020-21 campaign. Few know Calipari better. And he has a theory why his longtime boss employs such a laissez-faire approach toward conference tournaments.

With this year's group of Wildcats, at least.

"I just think he wants us to play well and keep our momentum going from the way we've been playing the last few weeks," said Flint, referring to a team that is 7-1 since an 89-85 loss to Gonzaga on Feb. 10. "So I think that's the biggest thing right there."

Calipari's own feelings on league tournaments aside, he's always acknowledged the place it occupies in the minds of the Kentucky fan base.

“Our fans take their vacation money, rent money, cigarette money and they go to these tournaments," he said in 2012. "So you almost feel an obligation: Let’s play well. I don’t know if we win, but you have an obligation that they just made a trek and this is their deal.”

They also view it as their birthright. As they should, given the Wildcats' dominance since the formation of the conference — and tournament — in 1933.

Kentucky enters this season's event with 32 SEC Tournament crowns, one of which was vacated; the other 13 teams in the league have combined for only 31 tournament titles. Yet the Wildcats haven't won the SEC Tournament since 2018. (Note that it was canceled in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.) Nor has UK claimed a regular-season championship since 2020, tying for runner-up honors this season.

The lack of conference success has bled into that tournament Calipari cares about most. A stat anyone following the program knows by heart is that Kentucky hasn't reached the second week of the NCAAs since 2019, when it was bested by conference foe Auburn in the Elite Eight.

Returning to the pinnacle of the sport — to once again be considered the "gold standard" Calipari so often talks about — requires a reservation in the Final Four. And more national championships, joining the banner Calipari and Co. hung in 2012. First, however, Kentucky needs to vie for a title in its conference tournament.

Calipari could do that for the fans who travel to Nashville this week, sure.

Or, because he desires greater glory in the tournament that follows, Calipari could do it for himself.

Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky basketball: Why John Calipari should care about SEC tourney