There was once a time where John Calipari’s return to Rupp Arena on Feb. 1 was thought of as a game that would rival college basketball’s greatest regular-season games ever.
With a few days remaining until tipoff, that sentiment couldn’t be further from the truth.
Kentucky’s gritty victory over No. 8 Tennessee on Tuesday lifted the inconsistent Wildcats back above .500 in SEC play at 4-3, keeping the game from being a matchup between two teams with losing records in conference play.
The struggling Razorbacks sit at 1-6 in SEC play following a 65-62 loss to Oklahoma on Jan. 25, with their lone win coming against a Georgia squad that sits at 3-5 in conference play.
Needless to say, the excitement for the contest has noticeably dropped off in recent weeks.
Mark Pope’s Wildcats will undoubtedly be favored in front of a raucous home crowd ready to welcome Calipari home. On his weekly radio show with the Razorback Sports Network’s Chuck Barrett, Calipari made it clear that he isn’t expecting a warm welcome for himself or former Kentucky players upon their return.
“We’re going to have three players (D.J. Wagner, Adou Thiero, Zvonimir Ivisic) that played there,” Calipari said, via SI.com’s Andrew Stefaniak. “My guess is, they’re gonna get booed. My guess is, I’m going to get booed. That’s all part of it.
“It’ll be interesting. I can’t say I’m looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to coaching, but to walk in, the vibe, I don’t know how I’m going to take it to be honest with you. That was a special time in my life.”
The special time Calipari spent at Kentucky has been succeeded by a disappointing start to his tenure at Arkansas. The glitz and glamour of his return to the place he called home for 15 seasons has largely been stripped away due to Arkansas’ slow start, but a victory would go a long way in spurring a renaissance for the Razorbacks.
While the story surrounding the game will be on what will surely be an emotional return for Calipari, he and the Hogs will have to put that out of their minds quickly. Arkansas is in desperate need of a victory to keep its NCAA Tournament hopes alive, and the Razorbacks will have to be sharp in order to not let Kentucky pull away early.