John Calipari reveals how he will react if Kentucky fans boo him in Rupp Arena

On Friday, Arkansas head coach John Calipari will make his first appearance as an opposing head coach in Rupp Arena since leaving Kentucky last spring. On the eve of the massive showdown, ESPN’s Jimmy Dykes sat down with Calipari and asked him how he expects the crowd to react to his return.

“I haven’t spent much time thinking about it,” Calipari said. “I was just locked into focusing on what we got to do and being at peace with what we have. Now, probably as we get closer to game time… Look, the fans should be able to do what they want.

“If they want to boo; if they want to cheer, they want to cheer. I’m not expecting like an overwhelming [cheer] because I’m an opposing coach and I’m coming in here not to lose this game. I get it. It’s a big game for the fans, you know, ‘We got to crush Cal and Arkansas and all that.’ I get it. I’ve done this long enough.”

College basketball fans across the nation have debated non-stop this week about how Kentucky fans will welcome Calipari back to Lexington. While many fans had a knee-jerk reaction to Calipari’s decision to leave, time has dampened the frustration of many members of Big Blue Nation.

It doesn’t hurt that Kentucky is having an excellent season without the 65-year-old head coach striding up and down the sidelines. The Wildcats are 15-5 this season and have six wins against Top-15 opponents.

In comparison, Arkansas is 12-8 but 1-6 in conference play and currently one of the few SEC teams not projected to reach the NCAA Tournament. In many ways, the anger Kentucky fans initially felt for Calipari has turned into an odd melancholy.

Alas, they shouldn’t feel too bad for the man who brought home the 2012 National Championship to Kentucky. He certainly won’t feel bad for Kentucky when his team takes the court on Saturday night.

“My focus will be right on these lines, right in there, and my focus is going to be my kids,” Calipari said. “How do I keep them going? Me coaching and kind of staying ahead of the game in this kind of game, and trying to drag them across the finish line if I have to. I’m hoping they drag me across the finish line.”

John Calipari and his Razorbacks will square off against Kentucky at 9 p.m. ET inside Rupp Arena. The game will air live on ESPN.