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On Thursday, Duke and Coach Mike Krzyzewski announced an unprecedented move by canceling the remaining nonconference portion of their upcoming schedule to allow players to go home for Christmas. But not every coach in college hoops agrees with the move or plans to follow suit, despite Duke's announced intentions that it was a decision rooted in player safety.

Alabama coach Nate Oats, for instance, questioned the sincerity of Krzyzewski's intentions on Thursday. 

And Kentucky coach John Calipari on Friday went a different route in responding, saying that he felt the safest thing was to not allow players to go back home given the state of the pandemic.

"Home for Christmas is a hard one this year," Calipari said. "Every year that I've coached, I give my kids 4-5 days for Christmas. I need the break with my staff, my family. Well, I want to be with my kids at Christmas. So I gave them time off. Well guess what? My wife and I are going to do Christmas by ourselves with our team."

Logistically, Calipari argued, the hurdles of clearing quarantine and returning to play after players go home for Christmas is a problem. It's in part why, he says, his kids aren't coming in for Christmas this year.

"If there were a way we could do it, I would say let's try," he added. "But you leave our state, what happens in 10 days? Do you quarantine two weeks when you come back? There's all kinds of pieces to this that make it hard. Do I want them to come home? Dudes, I'm going 16 hours a day, I'd like to get a little break. But we also gotta make sure we're doing the right things and being safe. This is uncharted waters. Every coach can do what they think is right for their team, I'm not going to question any coach."

Duke's decision gives it nearly a two-week layoff between games after a road game against Notre Dame on Dec. 16. Kentucky, however, does not have that same luxury. It faces Notre Dame on Saturday, UCLA on Dec. 19 in the CBS Sports Classic, then has a huge nonconference game at Louisville on Dec. 26. Finding time to allow players home to see families in between there is a challenge in itself, and doubly so given strict protocols in place to keep players safe and ensure games are being played.

"We have kids, these kids here, they want to play now," he said. "I don't know of any college player in the country -- and my team is not playing well -- but they want to play."

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo also thinks playing games now has some value and explained his thoughts Thursday on "Tiki and Tierney" on CBS Sports Radio.

"I have great respect for Mike... but like, I didn't let my kids go home for Thanksgiving.. At Christmas time, we're not going home" Izzo said. "Sure that was Hard. But LeBron (James) stayed for three months (in the bubble). Sometimes there's sacrifices you have to make. That was my way of saying 'don't feel sorry for the players. Let's give them something to do.' And what do they love to do? Play."