KSR Gameday: No. 12 Kentucky hosts Arkansas in John Calipari's returns to Rupp Arena

ZGeogheganKSR

John Calipari (left) and Mark Pope - Zack Geoghegan, Kentucky Sports Radio

Good morning, folks! How are we feeling today? Nervous? Excited? Ready for it to be Sunday already? I’m currently a mix of everything. We’re 11 hours away from one of the most highly anticipated Kentucky games in quite some time. John Calipari, who won a lot of basketball games during his 15 years in Lexington, will return to Rupp Arena tonight. He’ll look different tonight though, wearing a red blazer on the opposing sideline.

Calipari brings his Arkansas Razorbacks to town for a game that will feature a heavy contingency of national media. North Carolina and Duke may be getting the College Gameday treatment, but there will be plenty of eyes on Kentucky-Arkansas for this primetime ESPN showdown. The cheer/boo debate over Calipari’s introduction has officially put a hole in my brain. Do whatever you’d like, BBN. It won’t bother this writer.

I’ve gone back and forth with this being a “must-win” game for Kentucky and new head coach Mark Pope. I think I’ve safely landed on the other side though. UK has produced an excellent season already with one of the best resumes in the country. Arkansas is not playing good basketball under Calipari (12-8; 1-6 SEC) and this is a home game for the Wildcats, but dropping this one would not be the end of the world — it would just sting like hell in the short-term.

Just got this from a great friend & UK student who got up at 4a this morning— picked up 5 friends & was in line at Rupp at 5am!
Let’s go!!! pic.twitter.com/5rYLSpZoVy
— Dave Buzz Baker (@buzzbaker) February 1, 2025

Luckily, I don’t think it will matter. Kentucky is clearly the better team with better talent. FanDuel has the ‘Cats as 11.5-point favorites as of this morning. KenPom calls for an 84-73 victory. Even without Lamont Butler (who was ruled out last night) and a half-healthy Andrew Carr (probable), UK will have the edge in just about every category. Emotions could play heavily in this game, but at the same time, there are only a handful of Arkansas players (and none from Kentucky other than Travis Perry/Trent Noah) who truly know how high the stakes are for Calipari.

“Probably as we get closer to game time, I know the emotions will build. The fans should be able to do what they want,” Calipari told ESPN’s Jimmy Dykes. “If they want to boo, they can boo. If they want to cheer, they can cheer. I’m not expecting an overwhelming reaction because, at the end of the day, I’m an opposing coach. I’m not coming in here to lose this game.

“I get it. It’s a big game for the fans — ‘We’ve got to crush Cal and Arkansas,’ all of that. I’ve done this long enough. I always say, if I go to an opponent’s court, I almost expect it. I’m not looking up and seeing (who is booing), you just coach the game.”

Calipari will more than likely get some sort of tribute video on the jumbotron before the game. He’s earned that. Now let’s strap in for a long day of anxiety. Make sure you listen to Calipari’s entire 17-minute sitdown interview with Dykes from the Rupp Arena floor. After that, dive in below for the rest of this morning’s news and notes.

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Kentucky vs. Arkansas: How to Watch, Listen

Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
Television: ESPN (Karl Ravech, Jimmy Dykes, Alyssa Lang)
Home Radio: UK Sports Network – 630 WLAP, iHeart Radio (Tom Leach, Goose Givens)
Online Radio: iHeart
Satellite Radio: Sirius 84
Live Stats: StatBroadcast

You can also follow the game via our new LIVE BLOG on the website, which will begin an hour before tip-off, or join the conversation on KSBoard.

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Come to KSBar for a LIVE Sources Say

After you get done watching Seth Greenberg sit on his high horse during College Gameday, come to KSBar and Grille for some real entertainment. We’ve got a special LIVE episode of Sources Say planned to begin around 1:00 p.m. EST. As always, Jack Pilgrim and Shawn Smith will run point. I’ll fill in alongside them and we’ll have a rotating fourth guest (some Arkansas media members, some Kentucky) for however long we decide to talk.

So come hang out with us as we talk Kentucky-Arkansas until our lips fall off. How else are you going to pass the time for this late-night tipoff?

Subscribe to the KSR YouTube Channel for press conferences, interviews, original shows, fan features, and exclusive content.

Kentucky FB All-American Herschel Turner passes away

UK announced on Friday that Herschel Turner, who was an All-America and All-SEC lineman for the Wildcats from 1961-63, died at the age of 82. He was a three-year letterman with Kentucky, playing offensive and defensive tackle along with offensive guard. Turner was coached by both Blanton Collier (1961) and Charlie Bradshaw (1962-63).

After spending the 1960 season on the freshman team, Turner became an All-SEC Sophomore Team performer. He followed that up with All-SEC nods as a junior and senior, including an All-American accolade in his senior campaign. The native of Breathitt County went on to be selected in the second round of the 964 NFL Draft by St. Louis, but injuries cut his pro career short after two seasons.

Rest in Peace to a Bluegrass Star.

UK Gymnastics knocks off No. 11 Auburn on Excite Night

Memorial Coliseum was packed with over 6,000 screaming fans for last night’s Excite Night featuring No. 7 Kentucky Gymnastics (4-2) and No. 11 Auburn (8-2). With the crowd behind them, Kentucky topped 197 for the second time this month in a 197.050-196.600 victory over the Tigers. UK won four out of five individual events while adding seven team titles across three apparatus.

Up next? A first-time conference matchup with the top-ranked Oklahoma Sooners next Friday in Norman.