With one comment during a happy occasion, Kentucky coach John Calipari managed to rile up a couple of other big-name coaches following an interview in advance of the Wildcats' Midnight Madness event.

"There's no other state -- none -- as connected to their basketball program as this one," Calipari told KSTV. "Because those other states have other programs. Michigan has Michigan State, California, UCLA...North Carolina has Duke. It's Kentucky throughout this whole state, and that's what makes us unique."

The idea that Kentucky dominates the state's college basketball consciousness didn't sit well with rival Louisville coach Rick Pitino, who returned fire without mentioning Calipari's name in an interview with CBSSports.com.

"Four things I've learned in my 59 years about people," Pitino told CBSSports.com on Wednesday. "I ignore the jealous, I ignore the malicious, I ignore the ignorant and I ignore the paranoid."

"If the shoe fits anyone," he added. "Wear it."

Even Tom Crean, whose Indiana program wasn't mentioned in Calipari's comment, chimed in in disagreement by firing off a series of tweets in advance of the Hoosiers' game with the Wildcats this season.

"I think on December 10th at 5:15 in Assembly Hall he is going to see he forgot about how The State of Indiana feels about this Program," Crean tweeted. "No question the UK fans are behind the program but There is NO WAY OUR FANS TAKE A BACKSEAT TO ANYONE! GO HOOSIERS!"

So do Butler or Purdue take issue with Crean's tweet? Should Murray State and Western Kentucky be weighing in about Calipari as well?

Either way, it's nice to know the coaches are passionate about their programs and willing to defend them by filling reporters' notebooks with good material.