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Rick Pitino calls on Kentucky fans to show John Calipari ‘respect and admiration’ in Rupp return
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Rick Pitino called on Kentucky fans to show “respect and admiration” for former head basketball coach John Calipari when he returns to Rupp Arena on Saturday.
Arkansas (12-8, 1-6 SEC) heads to Lexington on Saturday to face No. 12 Kentucky (15-5, 4-3). KenPom projects an 11-point win for the Wildcats over a Razorback team that has struggled heavily since league play opened. If not for the coaching factor, Saturday’s game might not move the needle for casual observers. And yet it promises to be one of the more dramatic events of the day across college basketball.
Calipari will return to Rupp Arena for the first time as a visitor. After 15 seasons with the Wildcats and a national championship in 2011-12, the partnership between Coach Cal and Big Blue ran afoul and Calipari left to remake himself in Fayetteville.
Rather than focus on the difficult years to close out his Kentucky tenure, Pitino, a former UK head coach himself, implored fans to show appreciation for the good Calipari did during his time with the program and likened the upcoming trip to his first game back at Kentucky as a visitor.
“I didn’t steer you wrong with Mark Pope when I sent out that last video and I certainly won’t steer you wrong with this video,” he said in a social media post. “(The) toughest day of my coaching career at Louisville was when I had to walk into Rupp Arena. I tried not to show it, but when I went home, the reception tore me apart because I love that place so much.”
Pitino professed he’s not close with Calipari, but went on to defend the latter’s decision to leave Lexington last offseason.
“It was a mutual thing,” Pitino said. “The fans wanted a change. John read the tea leaves. He needed a change. He really didn’t want to leave but what did he do for you? He brought the best talent in the history of the game, of any university in America, to Lexington. He also won a national championship. He also — his style of play was extremely entertaining.”
Calipari said on his radio show this week that he expects the boo birds to be out in full force, but also joked that he has “bazooka holes” in his body that have been accumulating throughout his coaching career and “when you shoot arrows, it doesn’t even hit skin.”
At Kentucky, Calipari went 410-123 with 6 regular-season conference championships, 6 SEC Tournament championships, and 4 Final Four appearances.
“He’s coming back on Saturday and I want all of you to show the great class that you have, 23,000-plus people giving him a huge standing ovation,” Pitino said. “Show him what respect and admiration is all about. I know you have the class. I’ve always believed in you. Do it once again.”
Tipoff is set for 9 p.m. ET on ESPN on Saturday. Kentucky residents can use our DraftKings Kentucky bonus to bet on the game.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
