Tag: John Calipari

John Calipari got loudly booed in his Kentucky return with Arkansas

John Calipari got his boos during his return to Kentucky.

Arkansas men’s basketball coach John Calipari made his anticipated return to Rupp Arena on Saturday night as he faced his old team Kentucky on the road.

As expected, Calipari got very loud boos from Big Blue Nation as he took the court for the evening’s big game. Like, a lot of boos.

To be fair, there was a spattering of applause for Calipari, who is one of the most successful coaches in Wildcats history. It made sense for at least a couple of Kentucky fans to give Coach Cal his immediate due in his return.

However, he was still the enemy on Saturday night, and Kentucky fans gave him a shower of boos that you could hear a mile away.

Feature image courtesy of ESPN. 

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Should Kentucky fans boo or cheer for John Calipari in his return to Rupp Arena? Why not both!

To boo or not to boo, that is the question.

Kentucky men’s basketball fans have a difficult decision ahead of them on Saturday evening when former coach John Calipari makes his grand return to Rupp Arena with Arkansas.

To boo or not to boo, that is the question.

Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to cheer the Wildcat years of Cal’s outrageous fortune or to take arms against the sea of troubles of his departure and by opposing jeer him. To boo—to root, no more.

Calipari’s anticipated return to Lexington should bring plenty of mixed emotions for Kentucky fans, and the question of whether to ceremoniously boo Calipari or give him his flowers has been making the rounds in Big Blue Nation.

Calipari said he expects to get booed during his first game back as the coach of another team and doesn’t seem too bothered by it.

“You get booed,” Calipari said, via Hogs Plus. “I’ve done this so long… I tell you, I got bazooka holes in my body. So when you shoot arrows, it doesn’t even hit skin. It just goes through one of those bazooka holes.”

New Kentucky coach Mark Pope gave Calipari plenty of love on his radio show but also left the door open for all kinds of Kentucky feelings at Calipari’s return.

“It’s a little bit of a complicated relationship right now because he’s coaching the other team,” Pope said, adding that he knows Rupp Arena will be an emotional place to be on Saturday.

“It’s 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.”

There seems to be a very clear answer to this question. Like that kid in the Ovaltine commercial said, why can’t it be both?

Calipari is probably going to have a moment during the game where attention is brought to him on the jumbotron, and Kentucky fans will give him a standing ovation. That’s just common practice when a former player or coach returns to the arena they once occupied. Calipari will most likely get that.

On the other end, Calipari seems very prepared for the boos that he’ll get when he arrives. And he should be! Booing your old coach is just part of the territory, particularly when you’re such a big personality as Calipari is. He’s going to take those boos in stride; Wildcat fans should go wild with them.

At the end of the day, both Kentucky and Arkansas will want to leave the arena that night with a win. That’s the main concern for both of these programs. Whether or not Calipari gets booed shouldn’t really matter, but … c’mon now, he absolutely should… but he should also get cheers!

Pope is right; it’s just complicated right now. However, Kentucky fans shouldn’t have to necessarily choose what emotion they show. Booing and cheering will rightfully mix in the air at Rupp on Saturday, but getting one over on the old coach on the basketball court should be the main priority.

As long as somebody buys Coach Cal one of those famous ice cream cones for old time’s sake, all will be well.

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No. 1 Tennessee defeats Arkansas in SEC opener

No. 1 Tennessee opens SEC basketball play with a win versus Arkansas and John Calipari.

No. 1 Tennessee (14-0, 1-0 SEC) defeated Arkansas (11-3, 0-1 SEC), 76-52, on Saturday at Food City Center to open Southeastern Conference play.

Rankings reflect the USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll. The Vols are ranked No. 1 for a fourth consecutive week.

Saturday marked John Calipari’s first game as Arkansas’ head coach against Tennessee. The SEC matchup also featured Tennessee transfer forward Jonas Aidoo’s return to Food City Center with Arkansas.

Aidoo started for the Razorbacks and totaled four points, five rebounds, three blocks and two steals.

Tennessee guard Chaz Lanier led all scorers with 29 points. He converted 10-of-20 field goal attempts, 5-of-9 three-point attempts and 4-of-4 free throw attempts.

Zakai Zeigler led the Vols in assists (7), while Igor Milicic Jr. was Tennessee’s leader for rebounds (18).

The Vols totaled nine bench points, 26 points in the paint, 13 points off turnovers, 16 second chance points and three fast break points.

Tennessee will next play on Jan. 7 at Florida. Tipoff between the Vols and Gators is slated for 7 p.m. EST (ESPN2).

2024-25 Tennessee Vols basketball schedule results

Oct. 27 versus Indiana (L, 66-62 — exhibition)

Nov. 4 versus Gardner-Webb (W, 80-64)

Nov. 9 at Louisville (W, 77-55)

Nov. 13 versus Montana (W, 92-57)

Nov. 17 versus Austin Peay (W, 103-68)

Nov. 21 versus Virginia (W, 64-42 — Naussau, Bahamas)

Nov. 22 versus Baylor (W, 77-62 — Naussau, Bahamas)

Nov. 27 versus UT Martin (W, 78-35)

Dec. 3 versus Syracuse (W, 96-70)

Dec. 10 versus Miami (W, 75-62 — New York, New York)

Dec. 14 at Illinois (W, 66-64)

Dec. 17 versus Western Carolina (W, 84-36)

Dec. 23 versus Middle Tennessee State (W, 82-64)

Dec. 31 versus Norfolk State (W, 67-52)

Jan. 4 versus Arkansas (W, 76-52)

Draft prospect Boogie Fland: ‘When the game’s on the line, I want the ball in my hands – that’s where I thrive’

Boogie Fland, a projected first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft (No. 20 on our latest Aggregate Mock Draft), is quickly making a name for himself as a freshman under John Calipari in his first year coaching Arkansas after leaving Kentucky. Standing …

Boogie Fland, a projected first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft (No. 20 on our latest Aggregate Mock Draft), is quickly making a name for himself as a freshman under John Calipari in his first year coaching Arkansas after leaving Kentucky.

Standing at about 6-foot-2 and weighing just under 180 pounds, Fland will draw comparisons to a former Calipari-coached guard Rob Dillingham, the 8th overall pick in last year’s draft, or a little-known guard drafted out of Vanderbilt named Darius Garland.

Known for his shooting touch, poise, playmaking and his ability to thrive both on-ball and off-ball, Fland is already showcasing his potential as a future NBA guard.

Following a clutch performance against Miami, Fland spoke with HoopsHype and reflected on the start of his true freshman season, his ability to close games, his playstyle, playing in high-intensity situations early in the year and more.

Pat Forde wonders if Mark Stoops’ situation at Kentucky echoes John Calipari

Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde draws a comparison between Mark Stoops’ tenure at Kentucky and that of former Wildcats basketball coach John Calipari.

In the wake of Kentucky’s 31-6 loss to South Carolina at Kroger Field in Lexington last Saturday, there was plenty to dissect.

How did the Wildcats seem so overmatched against a South Carolina team that was a 9.5-point underdog (per FanDuel Sportsbook)?

Why was the passing game so brutal, with Georgia transfer Brock Vandagriff completing 3-of-10 passes for just 30 yards and an interception on his way to being benched in the second half?

How was the defense unable to shut down the South Carolina offense in crunch time (the same offense that struggled for four quarters against Old Dominion only a week earlier)?

In the aftermath of all this, one veteran college football analyst believes Kentucky coach Mark Stoops has “lost his mojo.”

Regarding Stoops, Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde included Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart on his weekly list of college football’s “12 Angriest Men.” Forde used the piece to take shots at Stoops and even wondered if his tenure in Lexington was beginning to resemble that of former Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari, who left Lexington for the Arkansas job back in April.

Forde wrote of Barnhart and Stoops:

“The Kentucky Wildcats athletics director could be finding himself trending back to where he ended the basketball season—with a once-popular coach who has lost his mojo but would cost a fortune to fire.

John Calipari bailed out Barnhart by bolting to Arkansas. Mark Stoops tried to do the same last year, on the verge of getting the Texas A&M job before rich and important Aggies squashed the move. So Stoops stayed on for his 12th season at the kind of place where it isn’t easy to keep winning. … Kentucky now has lost three straight to South Carolina and seven of its last eight SEC games.

In late 2022, Stoops agreed to a deal paying him $9 million a year through ’31. He’s 15–13 since the start of that season.”

RELATED: Is Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops on the hot seat?

To be fair, Kentucky came into the season knowing it had one of the toughest schedules in the country. But that wasn’t supposed to include South Carolina, a team that finished 5-7 a year ago and is no one’s idea of an upper-echelon SEC program.

The Wildcats still have the unenviable task of facing Georgia, Texas, Ole Miss and Tennessee in conference play this year, in addition to its annual rivalry with Louisville. Four of those programs are currently ranked in the Top 10; the Bulldogs, Longhorns and Rebels are all currently in the top five of the US LBM Coaches Poll. Louisville, a dark horse contender for the ACC title, is up to No. 21.

One game shouldn’t put a coach on the hot seat. But as Forde pointed out, Stoops has now lost three straight to the Gamecocks. The Wildcats’ 10 wins from 2021, which were all vacated over the summer, are also beginning to feel a lot longer ago than that as the gap widens between Kentucky and the top-tier SEC programs.

The Wildcats return to action Saturday when they host No. 1 Georgia at 7:30 p.m. ET at Kroger Field. The game can be seen on ABC.

Follow us @UKWildcatsWire on X and on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Kentucky Wildcats news, notes and opinions.

Date set for John Calipari’s return to Lexington to face Kentucky

John Calipari will return to face the Kentucky Wildcats on February 1 with the Arkansas Razorbacks in SEC play.

The SEC basketball schedule was released on Tuesday, giving fans a first look at when and where each conference game will take place in the 2024-25 college basketball season.

Without a doubt the most exciting matchup is Arkansas at Kentucky – the return of longtime Wildcats coach John Calipari to Lexington.

The game, which will take place on February 1, not only brings Cal back to the program he coached for 15 years and brought a national championship in 2012, it also marks the return of former Kentucky players DJ Wagner, Adou Thiero, and Zvonimir Ivisic who followed Calipari to Fayetteville in the transfer portal.

Calipari also snatched three recruits who were previously committed to Kentucky: Boogie Fland, Karter Knox, and Billy Richmond, giving BBN plenty of familiar faces to cheer against.

Calipari bolted for Arkansas this offseason after previous Hogs coach Eric Musselman took the open position at USC, replacing Andy Enfield. The ‘Cats brought in BYU coach Mark Pope to replace him.

Pope is an alumni who was team captain when Kentucky won the title under Rick Pitino in 1996, and he no doubt wants to secure a win here to prove to the fanbase he’s the right man for this job despite limited NCAA Tournament success prior to his hiring.

John Calipari, Arkansas land decommit from Big Ten school

Casmir Chavis, a three-star guard in the 2024 recruiting class, committed to John Calipari and the Arkansas Razorbacks on Wednesday.

John Calipari may be in new threads, but he continues to do what he does best: recruit high school talent.

The Arkansas Razorbacks landed a commitment from Casper Chavis on Wednesday, the fourth incoming freshman for coach Cal alongside former Kentucky commits Boogie Fland, Karter Knox, and Billy Richmond.

Chavis is a three-star point guard who is ranked No. 177 in the class according to 247Sports’ composite rankings. The 6’3 guard is from Minneapolis and initially committed to the Washington Huskies back in November over Georgia, Arizona State, and West Virginia.

However, Chavis was released from his NLI after coach Mike Hopkins was fired, and now he joins a new look Hogs roster in Fayetteville that has just one returner in veteran forward Trevon Brazile.

“I decided to choose Arkansas because the development I can get from the coaching staff is one of the best in the country and how good the community is towards the team. Plus the relationship we built made it better just getting to know each other. Coach Calipari has been able to get previous players in my position to the NBA so that’s why I ended up choosing Arkansas.”

Chavis will be behind sophomore DJ Wagner, who followed Calipari from Kentucky, as well as Florida Atlantic transfer Johnell Davis and Fland, the No. 18 ranked prospect in the class.

Arkansas basketball to face Illinois on Thanksgiving Day, per AD

Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman said Thursday that his school would play Arkansas on Thanksgiving Day 2024 in Kansas City.

Turkey, the Macy’s parade, the Detroit Lions at noon followed by the Dallas Cowboys in the late-afternoon window on national TV. All of these are Thanksgiving Day traditions.

The Arkansas men’s basketball team? At least for 2024, the Razorbacks will reportedly be part of the holiday festivities when they play Illinois in a nationally televised game on CBS on Thanksgiving Day. The game will reportedly be played in Kansas City.

Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman made the announcement in a media gathering with reporters Thursday. The Razorbacks’ game against the Illini reportedly will tip off following the conclusion of the Chicago Bears-Detroit Lions game, which will also be televised by CBS this year.

Tipoff has not been officially announced, but with Chicago vs. Detroit scheduled for an 11:30 a.m. CDT kickoff, it would likely put Arkansas vs. Illinois tipping off around 3 p.m.

Illinois is the fourth reported non-conference game on the Razorback’s 2024-25 schedule. Arkansas will also play Miami in Coral Gables as part of the ACC-SEC Challenge on December 3.

It has been widely reported that the Razorbacks will also face Michigan in the annual Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York on December 10.

The Hogs will host Oakland on December 30 at Bud Walton Arena. Arkansas’ matchup against Miami is the only non-conference game officially announced by both schools.

Arkansas last met Illinois in March 2023, a 73-63 Razorbacks victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Des Moines, Iowa. The Illini lead the all-time series against Arkansas, 5-1.

Illinois advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament last season before falling to eventual national champion UConn.

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Calipari’s first transfer class still ranked No. 1 in the nation

It’s proof that what Musselman built can not only be continued to increased.

John Calipari had to completely rebuild the Arkansas basketball roster when he arrived in April. The good news is the program and the coach sold themselves.

Arkansas had turned into a legitimate power – not the most elite tier, but a strong one – under previous coach Eric Musselman. He had taken the Razorbacks to three straight Sweet Sixteens, including two consecutive Elite Eights, before the wheels came off in 2023-24 and he left for USC after the season.

Calipari arrived to Fayetteville shortly thereafter with zero scholarship players remaining on the roster. Forward Trevon Brazile ultimately decided to return, but the rest of the group had to be filled in a hurry. In this day and age, that’s easier with the transfer portal.

Three players joined him from Kentucky in guard DJ Wagner, forward Adou Thiero and center Avonimir Ivisic. All-SEC big man Jonas Aidoo headed to Fayetteville from Tennessee. And Johnell Davis left Florida Atlantic to become a Hogs basketball player.

Those five have provided Arkansas with the No. 1 transfer-portal recruiting class in the country, per 247Sports’ rankings. Combined with incoming freshmen Boogie Fland, Karter Knox and Billy Richmond – plus the returning Brazile – Arkansas’ roster is that of a likely top-10 team in the preseason.

And it’s proof that what Musselman built can not only be continued to increased.

John Calipari teases Arkansas’ non-conference schedule at SEC meetings

Arkansas coach John Calipari released an update on the Razorbacks’ non-conference schedule Wednesday at the SEC spring meetings in Florida.

Arkansas basketball coach John Calipari provided a scheduling update of sorts at the SEC spring meetings in Florida Wednesday.

While he didn’t name any opponents, Calipari told assembled reporters that the Razorbacks will play non-conference games in Dallas and North Little Rock. Calipari added that he also wants Arkansas to play at Madison Square Garden in New York.

“Most of the stuff is done (in terms of) who we’re playing, and then there may be one team that I try to do a home-and-home with,” Calipari said. “But we’re going to play in North Little Rock. We’re going to play in Dallas. You need national games. You’ve got to play in Madison Square Garden.”

Calipari added that networks like ESPN and CBS had reached out to him about televising games.

“Some of the games I’ve scheduled, you get calls from ESPN, different events, CBS (asking), ‘Can you do this? Can you do this?'” Calipari said. “Until I get the rest of the roster, I probably won’t fully do the schedule, but we’re in good shape right now. I’m juiced about it. Like, let’s go.”

While Arkansas waits to finalize its non-conference schedule, the 2024-25 SEC schedule was released earlier this month. Arkansas will play both home and away games against LSU, Missouri and Texas. They’ll face Kentucky at Rupp Arena when Calipari makes his highly anticipated return to Lexington. Official dates and tipoff times for conference games have not been announced.

RELATED: Arkansas’ all-time series record against every 2024-25 SEC basketball opponent

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