In his forthcoming book "Players First: Coaching From the Inside Out," Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari opens up about his five years in Lexington and addresses his critics. In this excerpt, with his Wildcats playing Wisconsin in the Final Four on Saturday, Calipari explains why he has embraced "one-and-done" players—and why he wants the NBA's eligibility rules changed.

In 2005, NBA owners, players and their agents hammered out a compromise on a collective bargaining agreement that put us where...