Jul 26th, 2009 | 9:44 am |

via Kentucky coach John Calipari wants to take July out of recruiting mix.

Calipari has long been intrigued with the idea of cleaning up recruiting by eliminating the July observation period, but allowing college coaches to evaluate prospects during select weekends in the spring and fall, when school is in session.

Among other things, he feels that would give coaches a chance to recharge their batteries, spend time with their families and develop their own players on campus. At the same time, it would limit the out-of-control influence some travel-team coaches have in recruiting and the growing infestation of agents and runners – many with ties to those same travel-team coaches – at major events in Las Vegas, Augusta (Ga.), Kansas City and Orlando during this 15-day summer hoops madness.

“We should be like football coaches,” Calipari said here yesterday while six high class travel-team games swirled around him at the annual AAU Summer Showcase in the Milk House at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex. “They take five or six weeks off in the summer. We should have our camps in June. July should be a dark month, no phone calls, nothing, completely dark.