TO BOO OR NOT TO BOO? THAT SEEMS TO BE THE TALK OF BIG BLUE NATION. HALL OF FAME FORMER CATS HEAD COACH JOHN CALIPARI RETURNS TO RUPP ARENA ON SATURDAY NIGHT WITH HIS 12 AND EIGHT ARKANSAS TEAM. ON A PERSONAL LEVEL. YOU KNOW, I LOVE COMPETING AGAINST PEOPLE THAT I ADMIRE AND LOOK UP TO AND LOVE, AND CAL IS CERTAINLY ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE. I MEAN, HE’S A HALL OF FAME COACH AND HE’S A LEGEND IN THE SPORT. AND HE’S HE’S REWRITTEN A LOT OF THE BOOK ON HOW THINGS ARE DONE. AND HE’S ONE OF THE BEST THAT THERE EVER WAS. AND AND HE’S ALSO GOT AN UNBELIEVABLE LEGACY HERE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY. AND, AND YOU KNOW, IT’S LIKE AN IN-STATE GAME IN JUST IN THE SENSE OF THAT VIBE IT GETS. THERE’S NOBODY YOU LOVE TO COMPETE AGAINST MORE THAN YOUR BROTHER OR SOMEBODY IN THE FAMILY OR SOMEBODY YOU’RE TIED TO YOU WALKING IN. THERE’LL BE EMOTIONS, THERE’LL BE, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, I’M GOING TO WALK IN NOW. WE WALK IN FRIDAY NIGHT. SO I GET TO RUN A LITTLE RUN THROUGH IN RUPP WILL BE IN THERE FRIDAY NIGHT, BUT YEAH, IT’S, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN’T. I CHERISH MY TIME THERE. AND SO DOES ELON AND OUR FAMILY, GREAT FRIENDS, LIFELONG FRIENDS. THEY’LL BE. NOW I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND EVEN MY FRIENDS ARE KENTUCKY FANS. THEY GREW UP WITH KENTUCKY, AND THEY’RE GOI
Calipari returning to coach in Rupp Arena for 1st time since leaving for Arkansas
Updated: 4:13 PM EST Feb 1, 2025
There’ll be mixed emotions Saturday at Rupp Arena when former Kentucky head coach John Calipari returns after leaving the Wildcats for Arkansas last year.”Walking in. There’ll be emotions,” Calipari said. “We walk in Friday night, so I get to run, a little run through. I cherish my time there. And so does Ellen and our family… great friends, lifelong friends.”Calipari is aware that the atmosphere at Rupp could be hostile once he walks onto the court.”Now, I want you to understand. Even my friends are Kentucky fans. They grew up with Kentucky, and they’re going to be Kentucky fans now,” he said.Kentucky head coach Mark Pope knows emotions will be high Saturday.”On a personal level, you know, I love competing against people that I admire and look up to and love. And Cal is certainly one of those people,” Pope said. “There’s nobody you love to compete against more than your brother, somebody in the family or somebody you’re tied to.”Entering Saturday’s matchup, the Wildcats are an 11.5-point favorite over the Razorbacks.Kentucky (15-5) is ranked 12th in the nation, coming off a huge road win over No. 8 Tennessee on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Arkansas (12-8) has lost six of its last seven games and is second to last in the SEC.Aside from it being an emotional return for Cal, there’ll be players on the Arkansas bench that have more at stake: DJ Wagner, Adou Thiero, and Zvonimir Ivisic. The new Razorbacks followed Cal from Kentucky last season. All three players played meaningful minutes under Calipari at Kentucky.Arkansas will have its hands full with Kentucky, as the Wildcats are the third highest scoring offense in college, averaging 87.6 points per game. The Razorbacks haven’t proved to be a high-scoring threat, sitting at 135th in the rankings, with an average of 76.2 ppg.However, Kentucky’s high-scoring efforts have been a bit of a cover, with opponents averaging 75.8 ppg against the Wildcats. Allowing that average has Kentucky as the 284th scoring defense in college. The Arkansas defense has fared better, allowing an average of 68 ppg this season.A win for Kentucky means closing the door on a volatile chapter in program history and keeps their momentum heading to No. 23 Ole Miss next week. As for Arkansas and Cal, a win would give them their second in the SEC and would be a sneer from the former Wildcats.Tip-off for Saturday’s game is set for 9 p.m., and will air on ESPN.
LEXINGTON, Ky. —There’ll be mixed emotions Saturday at Rupp Arena when former Kentucky head coach John Calipari returns after leaving the Wildcats for Arkansas last year.
“Walking in. There’ll be emotions,” Calipari said. “We walk in Friday night, so I get to run, a little run through. I cherish my time there. And so does Ellen and our family… great friends, lifelong friends.”
Calipari is aware that the atmosphere at Rupp could be hostile once he walks onto the court.
“Now, I want you to understand. Even my friends are Kentucky fans. They grew up with Kentucky, and they’re going to be Kentucky fans now,” he said.
Kentucky head coach Mark Pope knows emotions will be high Saturday.
“On a personal level, you know, I love competing against people that I admire and look up to and love. And Cal is certainly one of those people,” Pope said. “There’s nobody you love to compete against more than your brother, somebody in the family or somebody you’re tied to.”
Entering Saturday’s matchup, the Wildcats are an 11.5-point favorite over the Razorbacks.
Kentucky (15-5) is ranked 12th in the nation, coming off a huge road win over No. 8 Tennessee on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Arkansas (12-8) has lost six of its last seven games and is second to last in the SEC.
Aside from it being an emotional return for Cal, there’ll be players on the Arkansas bench that have more at stake: DJ Wagner, Adou Thiero, and Zvonimir Ivisic. The new Razorbacks followed Cal from Kentucky last season. All three players played meaningful minutes under Calipari at Kentucky.
Arkansas will have its hands full with Kentucky, as the Wildcats are the third highest scoring offense in college, averaging 87.6 points per game. The Razorbacks haven’t proved to be a high-scoring threat, sitting at 135th in the rankings, with an average of 76.2 ppg.
However, Kentucky’s high-scoring efforts have been a bit of a cover, with opponents averaging 75.8 ppg against the Wildcats. Allowing that average has Kentucky as the 284th scoring defense in college. The Arkansas defense has fared better, allowing an average of 68 ppg this season.
A win for Kentucky means closing the door on a volatile chapter in program history and keeps their momentum heading to No. 23 Ole Miss next week. As for Arkansas and Cal, a win would give them their second in the SEC and would be a sneer from the former Wildcats.
Tip-off for Saturday’s game is set for 9 p.m., and will air on ESPN.
