There won’t ever be another John Calipari-esque run at UMass like the one that captivated the area back in the mid-1990s, so get that out of your head right now.

However, no one has a more detailed blueprint of how it was done than new UMass coach and former Minuteman point guard Derek Kellogg.

"I saw it," said Kellogg, who played for the school from 1992-95. "Cal used it at UMass and Memphis and I’m going to use it again here."

UMass fans were up in arms after Travis Ford left for the big bucks at Oklahoma State. Ford had sworn that he wanted to remain in Amherst after pulling himself out of contention for the Providence gig, but those close to Ford knew he wasn’t long for the A-10.

How could he leave after he told us this is where he wanted to be?

Here’s how: Ford wasn’t one of them. He was an outsider.

Ford is a Kentucky native who played at UK for Rick Pitino and then spent five years at Eastern Kentucky before being hired at UMass.

It’s not as if this guy was John Wooden or even Bruiser Flint. In eight seasons as a D-1 head coach, Ford has made just one NCAA appearance.

Sure, the Minutemen were exciting to watch in the Ford Era. They got up and down the court at a break-neck speed and there wasn’t any such thing as an ill-advised shot.

But they still didn’t register a blip on the national stage. UMass went to a pair of NIT’s in his tenure and that was considered an achievement, which shows how far the expectations have fallen for those in Amherst.

It may take Kellogg some time, but he’ll get this program back where it’s participating in the Big Dance (aka the NCAA Tournament) instead of the Little One.

And he isn’t looking to bolt as soon as he gets it going.

"It’s hard to temper the excitement here right now, but at the same time, people have to be realistic," Kellogg said.

This season Kellogg, who was hired after an eight-year run as an assistant under Calipari at Memphis, will have his work cut out for him. UMass has a trio of diminutive guards, but not enough in the frontcourt to be a major player.

Chris Lowe, one of the league’s top point guards, is back and he’ll team with Ricky Harris and Boston’s own Anthony Hurley – who transferred in from Wake Forest – to form a quality perimeter trio.

However, Ford didn’t exactly leave Kellogg with much in terms of quality size.

The Kellogg regime gets going on Tuesday night out in Carbondale, Ill., where UMass will face Division II Arkansas-Monticello in a preliminary game of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. If UMass can win two games (the second will be against a hard-nosed, defensive-minded Southern Illinois club), it will advance to New York City and likely play Duke.

Kellogg & Co. aren’t ready for the Blue Devils. Not yet.

Maybe in a couple of years, when Kellogg loads up.

It hasn’t taken Kellogg long to endear himself to the die-head Minuteman fans. Seemingly everywhere he goes, someone knows him from his glory days as a player.

"I haven’t seen this kind of enthusiasm here since Cal was here," he said.

Part of it is because Kellogg gets it. No one other than a former player would have concocted the idea to take his team on campus and practice on the outdoor courts in the Horseshoe.

"I’m the only one crazy enough to do it," Kellogg said. "But you need to bring it to the fans. Almost 10,000 students can see the Horseshoe, so I knew that was a good way to get the students to connect with our team."

Kellogg has also taken Calipari’s Dribble-Drive offense that was successful in Memphis’ run to the national title game a year ago and brought it – along with Vance Walberg, the man who invented the offense – and brought it to Amherst.

Kellogg’s new system, his added focus on defense and his personality have already been accepted by his core players.

"Don’t get me wrong, I liked playing for Coach Ford," Harris said. "But Coach Kellogg has a great feel for his players. He’s easy to talk to and is more laid-back. Everyone in Western Mass. knows Derek Kellogg and loves him."

But Kellogg realizes the free pass won’t last forever.

"If you can be successful, there’s no better place in the world,” Kellogg said. “But on the flip-side, if things don’t go exactly as planned, it’s tough."

"But I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world," he added.

GOODMAN’S TOP 10 PRESEASON TEAMS

1. North Carolina – There’s not a so-called expert in the country who doesn’t have the Tar Heels at numero uno.

2. Michigan State – Tom Izzo can coach – and the Spartans have plenty of talent and depth.

3. Louisville – Rick Pitino’s team has a chance this season with the return of Terrence Williams and Earl Clark and the addition of talented freshman big man Saramrdo Samuels.

4. Gonzaga – The ‘Zags may have their best opportunity to make the Final Four with their deepest team ever.

5. UConn – Hasheem Thabeet is something no one else has – a 7-foot-3 big man in the middle.

6. Duke – The Blue Devils are older and more experienced and will rely on Gerald Henderson Jr. – the son of the former Celtics guard.

7. UCLA – Ben Howland and the Bruins are trying to avoid becoming the Buffalo Bills. They have gone to three straight Final Fours and have come up empty thus far.

8. Notre Dame – It’s strange to see higher expectations from the Fighting Irish hoop team, but with Luke Harangody and Kyle McAlarney back, a Final Four run is within reach.

9. Pittsburgh – The Panthers need to make sure senior point guard Levance Fields is healthy.

10. Purdue – The young Boilermakers overachieved last season and brought nearly everyone back – including versatile sophomore forward Robbie Hummel.

Jeff Goodman is a senior basketball writer for FOXSports.com.