John Calipari booed in return to Kentucky, but gets last laugh as Arkansas pulls off upset

Last April, John Calipari decided to "step away" from the University of Kentucky aft 15 seasons; a time later, helium joined the University of Arkansas.

Well, Calipari returned to Kentucky connected Saturday night, and contempt a title successful 2012 and a .771 winning percent there, boos inactive managed to beryllium large arsenic helium returned.

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Well, Calipari got the past laugh, arsenic his Razorbacks took location an 89-79 upset triumph implicit the 12th-ranked squad successful the country.

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Arkansas caput manager John Calipari gives high-fives to his squad during the Kentucky game, Saturday Feb. 1, 2025, astatine Rupp Arena successful Lexington. (Matt Stone/Courier Journal/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

Calipari admitted that it took immoderate getting utilized to.

"It’s hard to triumph successful here. And I’ve got to beryllium honorable with you, I looked up a mates of times and I thought we were losing due to the fact that I kept looking astatine Kentucky alternatively of Arkansas," Calipari said. "I made it wide it was a privilege and an grant to manager here. We had 15 unbelievable years of a large tally and support."

With Kentucky, Calipari made the NCAA Tournament each but 2 seasons. Last year's squad was knocked retired successful the archetypal circular arsenic a No. 3 effect against Jack Gohlke and No. 14 Oakland. In 2022, the Wildcats were upset by No. 15 St. Peter's, and they mislaid successful the Round of 32 successful 2023.

Arkansas Razorbacks caput manager John Calipari stands connected the tribunal earlier the crippled against the Kentucky Wildcats astatine Rupp Arena astatine Central Bank Center. (Jordan Prather-Imagn Images)

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Calipari went 410-122 (.771) with the Wildcats – this year's Arkansas team is present 13-8 but 2-6 successful conference.

The Hall of Fame manager is the winningest progressive manager successful men’s assemblage hoops and has an 867-271 people during his stops astatine Massachusetts, Memphis, Kentucky and present Arkansas. He was 248-26 astatine Rupp Arena and led the Wildcats to a 93-77 triumph implicit Vanderbilt successful his past location crippled astatine Kentucky past March 6.

It wasn't conscionable a instrumentality for Calipari. Adou Thiero, D.J. Wagner, and Zvonimir Ivisic combined to people 42 points against their erstwhile squad successful Lexington en way to the win.

Arkansas manager John Calipari takes the tribunal earlier the Kentucky Wildcats' game, Saturday Feb. 1, 2025, successful Lexington. (Matt Stone/Courier Journal/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

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With Arkansas starring 46-45 astatine the half, Thiero and Wagner combined for a 12-2 tally and a 58-47 pb to commencement the 2nd half. Thiero opened with a dunk and ended the tally with a three, and the Razorbacks ne'er looked back.

Fox News' Paulina Dedaj and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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