Every fan and media member, both on the local and national level, gave shared their thoughts on how they think former Kentucky coach John Calipari should and will be received when he returns to Rupp Arena as Arkansas head coach on Saturday.
During his weekly radio show Wednesday night, first-year coach Mark Pope was asked his thoughts on Saturday’s Rupp reunion.
First, Pope praised the former UK coach.
“We have been blessed at the University of Kentucky to have some of the greatest coaches to ever coach the game of basketball and, certainly, Cal is one of those. He’s a Hall of Fame coach,” Pope said.
“In his 15-year tenure, what he accomplished at the University of Kentucky was incredible. In some ways, he revolutionized the game of college basketball and left a legacy that probably won’t be ever reproduced in the same way that he did it. As a member of BBN and a huge fan of Kentucky Basketball, my whole heart is here and I love Cal. I love Cal for what he did for Kentucky Basketball and on a very personal level, he’s been so great to Lee Anne and I as a mentor and a friend.”
Now, as far as the reception that Calipari should or will receive? Pope was honest.
It’s complicated.
“It’s a little bit of a complicated relationship right now because he’s coaching the other team and so that always makes it complicated but I know BBN. I know our fanbase. There will be so much emotion because we care so much. So, there will be so much emotion in the gym on Saturday and as time goes on and circumstances change, there’s going to be a time where Cal walks back into this arena, he’s going to feel all the love that BBN possibly has to offer because that’s what we do with our family,” Pope said.
Saturday’s game will also serve as a homecoming for former Wildcats Zvonimir Ivisic, Adou Thiero, DJ Wagner, and walk-on Kareem Watkins, who followed Calipari from Kentucky to Arkansas. Freshmen Karter Knox and Billy Richmond also signed with UK before following suit.
“We’ll see Saturday. Saturday is also a competition, right? So, it’s just going to be what it is. But I have a ton of love for Cal and I’m grateful for what he did here at Kentucky and grateful I get to be here and enjoy some of the fruits of his incredible labors here. I’m super appreciative of him and I know everybody in BBN feels the same way and I also know everybody in BBN wants to win this game on Saturday.”
Calipari, who was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in 2015, went 410-122 (.771) over 15 seasons as head coach at Kentucky with six SEC regular season championships, six SEC Tournament titles, four Final Four appearances and a national championship in 2012.
But after receiving a “lifetime” 10-year contract in the summer of 2019, Calipari went just 105-52 overall (.669), 1-4 in the SEC Tournament and 1-3 in the NCAA Tournament.
Since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, Kentucky had been a perfect 19-0 vs. teams seeded 14 or lower but dropped each of their last two with losses to No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s in 2022 and and No. 14 Oakland.
The Wildcats didn’t fare much better in the SEC Tournament, going just 1-4 in its last five games, including its first-ever 3-game losing streak in the SEC Tournament dating back to 1933. After winning six in a span of nine years, Kentucky hasn’t won an SEC Tournament or even been to the finals since 2018.
All totaled, Calipari has lost 8 of his last 10 postseason games, didn’t advance past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament since 2019, didn’t earn a No. 1 seed or advance to a Final Four since 2015.
Last season, Kentucky also suffered its first-ever 3-game losing streak at Rupp Arena dating back to 1976.
“But to walk in and, you know, the vibe, I don’t know how I’m gonna take it, to be honest with you. I mean, that was a special time in my life, in Ellen’s life and 15 years. We gave 15 years.
In April, Calipari met with Arkansas Athletics Director Hunter Yurachek and decided to leave Lexington for Fayetteville.
“I don’t even know how I feel because I’m not on it yet,” Calipari said this week. “But look, I had a great run there. Fond memories, love the people. Fans are great. You know, you got some of the crazies, but that’s everywhere. And the fans are great ’cause they care about the program. They love the program there. But it’ll be interesting. I can’t say I’m looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to coaching.”
In his first season with the Razorbacks, Calipari is 12-8 overall and 1-6 in the SEC.
Pope, meanwhile, has the Wildcats ranked No. 12 in the country at 15-5 overall with six top-15 wins. Prior to this week, UK was ranked in the AP top 10 for 10 consecutive weeks, its longest single-season streak since the 2016-17 season.
The Wildcats and Razorbacks tip off from Rupp Arena at 9 PM ET on ESPN.