Final April, John Calipari determined to “step away” from the College of Kentucky after 15 seasons; a day later, he joined the College of Arkansas.
Nicely, Calipari returned to Kentucky on Saturday evening, and regardless of a championship in 2012 and a .771 profitable share there, boos nonetheless managed to be loud as he returned.
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Nicely, Calipari obtained the final giggle, as his Razorbacks took house an 89-79 upset victory over the Twelfth-ranked group within the nation.
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Arkansas head coach John Calipari offers high-fives to his group in the course of the Kentucky recreation, Saturday Feb. 1, 2025, at Rupp Area in Lexington. (Matt Stone/Courier Journal/USA At present Community by way of Imagn Photos)
Calipari admitted that it took some getting used to.
“It’s onerous to win in right here. And I’ve obtained to be trustworthy with you, I seemed up a few occasions and I assumed we had been dropping as a result of I stored Kentucky as an alternative of Arkansas,” Calipari stated. “I made it clear it was a privilege and an honor to teach right here. We had 15 unbelievable years of an excellent run and help.”
With Kentucky, Calipari made the NCAA Match all however two seasons. Final yr’s group was knocked out within the first spherical as a No. 3 seed towards Jack Gohlke and No. 14 Oakland. In 2022, the Wildcats had been upset by No. 15 St. Peter’s, and so they misplaced within the Spherical of 32 in 2023.
Arkansas Razorbacks head coach John Calipari stands on the courtroom earlier than the sport towards the Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Area at Central Financial institution Heart. (Jordan Prather-Imagn Photos)
Calipari went 410-122 (.771) with the Wildcats – this yr’s Arkansas group is now 13-8 however 2-6 in convention.
The Corridor of Fame coach is the winningest energetic coach in males’s faculty basketball and has an 867-271 mark throughout his stops at Massachusetts, Memphis, Kentucky and now Arkansas. He was 248-26 at Rupp Area and led the Wildcats to a 93-77 win over Vanderbilt in his final house recreation at Kentucky final March 6.
It wasn’t only a return for Calipari. Adou Thiero, D.J. Wagner, and Zvonimir Ivisic mixed to attain 42 factors towards their former group in Lexington en path to the win.
Arkansas coach John Calipari takes the courtroom earlier than the Kentucky Wildcats’ recreation, Saturday Feb. 1, 2025, in Lexington. (Matt Stone/Courier Journal/USA At present Community by way of Imagn Photos)
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With Arkansas main 46-45 on the half, Thiero and Wagner mixed for a 12-2 run and a 58-47 result in begin the second half. Thiero opened with a dunk and ended the run with a 3, and the Razorbacks by no means seemed again.
Fox Information’ Paulina Dedaj and the Related Press contributed to this report.
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