John Calipari Returns To Kentucky For First Time Since Leaving For Arkansas
For 15 years, John Calipari served as the Kentucky men’s basketball coach, an eternity for any coaching job, particularly a high-profile position. Adolph Rupp is the only man to spend more time as Kentucky’s coach. Kentucky’s home court is named after Rupp, who won 876 games and four national titles in 41 seasons.
As for Calipari, who left for Arkansas after last season? He likely won’t be remembered in the same light, at least for now, despite winning an NCAA tournament championship and sending dozens of players to the NBA.
On Saturday night, Calipari returns to Kentucky for the first time when the Razorbacks face the Wildcats in a Southeastern Conference game. It has long been one of the most anticipated games of the regular season, but it is even more so now with the teams going in opposite directions. Kentucky (15-5) is ranked 12th in the Associated Press poll, while Arkansas (12-8) is unranked and 1-6 in the SEC.
“There’ll be some emotions walking into Rupp Arena,” Calipari told reporters during a Thursday news conference. “There will be. For me, you’re not going to erase from my mind what we’ve done there. You can’t erase history.”
Indeed, Calipari made an immediate impact at Kentucky, leading the Wildcats to a 35-3 record and Elite Eight appearance in the 2010 NCAA tournament in his first season. That June, five Kentucky players were selected in the first round of the NBA draft, a record for one school.
In all, 37 Kentucky players were first round NBA draft picks during Calipari’s tenure, including three overall No. 1 picks in John Wall (2010), Anthony Davis (2012) and Karl-Anthony Towns (2015). Five of the NBA’s top 15 scorers this season played for Calipari at Kentucky: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (32.5 points per game), Tyrese Maxey (27.1), Davis (25.7), Davis (25.7), De’Aaron Fox (25.1) and Towns (24.6). Meanwhile, Towns, Davis, Gilgeous-Alexander and former Kentucky guard Tyler Herro will all play in this month’s All-Star Game
