John Calipari’s return ends in defeat for Kentucky

Arkansas head coach John Calipari, top center, enters the arena before the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Kentucky in Lexington, Ky., Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/James Crisp)

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW)- John Calipari always used to say that Kentucky was every team’s Super Bowl.

On Saturday at Rupp Arena, he proved himself right by beating his former team with shooting prowess and unmatched physicality.

His Razorbacks only needed a one point lead at halftime to propel them to a ten point win, 89-79.

Arkansas never trailed after the break as the Hogs’ smallest lead was three points early in the second stanza.

Calipari and Company earn their second win in the SEC moving to 2-6 and the Wildcats drop to 4-4 in conference.

“Congrats to Arkansas,” said Head Coach Mark Pope. “I thought they played great basketball tonight. Played really tough, really hard. Our guys are pretty disappointed. Complicated stretch for us but I thought for most of the night we showed a ton of fight and we have a good group.”

Winning for Cal

Boos from fans inside Rupp Arena could be heard from pregame warm-ups into the first half until Arkansas led at the break.

But, as the Hogs padded their lead and Rupp’s seats became empty, none were to be heard.

Former Kentucky players, Adou Thiero and DJ Wagner, faced the brunt of the verbal jabs.

“Just walking back in the gym for the first time, being on the other side, on a different team, shooting around as a different team, so it kind of felt like a little weird. Once that was over, it was a little bit easier to lock in and stuff like that and just playing today. The atmosphere was just great,” said Wagner.

Kentucky’s Amari Williams (22) pressures Arkansas’ Adou Thiero, bottom left, during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Lexington, Ky., Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/James Crisp)

Both combined for 38 points versus the Wildcats as another former UK player, Zvonimir Ivisic, scored 14 in a win that Thiero says was sweet for Calipari.

“We had a decent bit of W’s here while we were here, so it feels good to walk out of here with another one,” said Thiero.

The former Kentucky head coach of 15 years realizes that homecoming emotions aside, his team needed a win.

“I got 190 texts by the time the game ended, I’m guessing a bunch of them are former players, not that they are ever going to cheer against Kentucky, they went to school here, but they also have a relationship with me. The only emotion I had was to win the game,” said Calipari.

How The Hogs Went Wild

Arkansas’ largest lead was 14 during the latter stages of the game. They had five players score in double figures and shot over 50% from the field and beyond the arc.

As compared to the Cats, who made half of their free throws, the Hogs converted three fourths of theirs’s.

“Coach said just come here and play with confidence and have fun. Throughout the season, some games we struggled from the three-point line, but Coach always said in practice, just from how much work we put into practice, stuff like that,” said Wagner.

The Razorbacks also held Kentucky to under 50% shooting from the field and the three point line.

An 18-5 advantage on fast break points and 12 points off of 14 UK turnovers helped the Hogs’ cause.

Point Guard Problems

Although Pope says that Andrew Carr, who has been dealing with a back injury, made progress in the loss, Kentucky still has injury issues.

Starting point guard Lamont Butler remains out and lineup changes have been the norm with him sidelined.

The lack of a proven leader and scorer manifested itself in the Cats’ scoring woes versus Arkansas.

Amari Williams, a center, was UK’s leading scorer with 22 points.

Kentucky head coach Mark Pope watches the closing moments of the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Arkansas in Lexington, Ky., Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/James Crisp)

Pope says that he needs to toy with this lineup and guard rotations to find a better fit, but his players who need to step up are growing every day.

“It’s a challenge for us, certainly, but it’s a challenge for everybody.  Like I said, that’s somewhere we will continue to make progress,” said Pope. We are trying to figure out how to proceed right now (with Lamont’s injury).  We just really genuinely don’t know yet.  We’ll figure out more in the next couple of weeks.”

The bottom line, with a starting floor general or not, is that the loss has taken a hopefully short-lived toll on the UK locker room.

“My guys were really hurting in the locker room. They know what this building means, they know what this jersey means.  They see everything and hear everything and they know what matters,” said Pope. “We have to move to the next game, there can’t be carryover.”

Up next for Kentucky is a trip to Oxford, Mississippi on Tuesday where they’ll face the 15-5 Ole Miss Rebels.