CRAWFORD | Calipari expects emotional return to Rupp when Arkansas visits Kentucky | Sports

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — While the Kentucky men’s basketball team prepares for its latest knock-down, drag-out SEC road game — this time at No. 6 Tennessee on Tuesday — its former coach and several former players at Arkansas have a whole week to prepare for their much-anticipated return to Rupp Arena.

John Calipari and Arkansas will be in Lexington for a 9 p.m. showdown with Kentucky on Saturday night — but they won’t exactly be striking fear into anyone. Arkansas is 12-8 overall, just 1-6 in the SEC, and recently lost point guard Boogie Fland (a former Kentucky signee) for the season.

Asked about his return to the place where he won a national title, went to four Final Fours and won nearly 79% of his games, Calipari acknowledged it would be a challenge.

“There will be some emotion, walking into that building,” he said. “Really being in town. Probably get together with some of my friends.”

Calipari left Lexington out of frustration after loss to Oakland in a first-round exit of the NCAA Tournament, his second in three years. Fans had grown frustrated, and so had he.

Wildcats Adou Thiero, DJ Wagner and Zvonimir Ivisic followed Calipari to Arkansas, as did Fland, a Kentucky recruit, and Top 40 recruit Billy Richmond, who also was coming to Kentucky.

Arkansas rolled to an 11-2 start, its best win an 89-87 victory over Michigan. But SEC play has been difficult. Calipari and the Razorbacks lost their first five conference games, and limp into Lexington 1-6.

After telling his players just to get the games close at the end, and he would lead them the rest of the way, following Arkansas’ first SEC win, over Georgia, the Razorbacks faltered late in a 65-62 loss to Oklahoma, their third home-court loss in four games.

Despite Kentucky’s recent SEC struggles, Mark Pope’s Wildcats (14-5, 3-3) should be favored, though as always, Calipari has abundant talent and athleticism.

“They’re playing good,” Calipari said. “We’ve got our hands full. Let’s see what happens. You know, they’re a good team. Mark’s doing a good job with them. So, we’ve just got to keep going, keep fighting, keep figuring this out. What does this team look like? What do we have to play like?”

The game will also mark a return to Rupp for Calipari assistant Kenny Payne, who spent two tumultuous years as head coach at his alma mater, Louisville, before being fired with a record of 12-52. The last time Payne coached in the building, his Louisville team lost to Kentucky 86-63. Before taking the job at Louisville, Payne was an assistant at Kentucky from 2010 to 2020, the last six of those seasons as associate head coach.

Kentucky won’t be able to turn its attention to the game for a couple of days. The Wildcats will try to snap a two-game losing streak at No. 6 Tennessee on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

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