'A Homecoming Like No Other' Will Have Nation Watching

Emotions could nearly overwhelm Arkansas quartet prior to game in Lexington

Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari will return to Kentucky for his first Rupp reunion when the Hogs play the No. 12 Wildcats Saturday on ESPN. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Will John Calipari get a little choked up Saturday night, maybe even a bit misty eyed when he walks into his old office -- that historic place called Rupp Arena -- and is greeted by 23,500 fans nearly all dressed in blue? Probably not, but it might've happened the night before.

On Friday night, Arkansas' coach will guide his team through a practice in Rupp. On the outside, he'll be business-like, try to act like it's just another game. On the inside, emotions will be churning as friendly ghosts appear along with magnificent memories.

Don't doubt for a moment that Calipari will think of many of his former stars while glancing around Rupp and walking the hardwood floor where he conducted thousands of practices. During his 15 seasons as Kentucky's coach, 35 of his players were first-round NBA draft picks, and 23 were lottery selections.

All of the hype about Calipari going back to Kentucky, all of the attention from media around the country, and all the anticipation by UK and UA fans is why ESPN dubbed it "A Homecoming Like No Other."

As usual, Calipari insists he cares more about his players than himself. He's acknowledged the difficulty of returning to Rupp Arena and the town where he was once treated like a king. But in Thursday's press conference, he also talked about three players who followed him from Kentucky to Arkansas: D.J. Wagner, Adou Thiero and Zvonimir Ivisic.

That trio will also have memories of Rupp Arena and their time on the Kentucky team, as will walk-on Kareem Watkins. Tyler Ulis will feel it almost as much as Calipari. Ulis, a first-year Arkansas assistant, was the 2016 SEC Player of the Year and a first-team All-American. He was a student assistant coach at Kentucky for two years and also followed Calipari to Fayetteville.

But it's Wagner, Thiero and Big Z that Calipari is concerned about. He said, "I’ve just got to talk to them about being calm in the storm. I’ve got to talk to them about the anxiety early. It’s going to be there. That’s why, when everybody was just concerned about me walking into Rupp, what about those three, too? And my focus was more on those three walking in than me.

"And I’ll say it again, you’re not erasing what happened there for me. And so my memories of my players that I coached there. They’re Kentucky fans, but I coached them. So they also have a relationship with me. What my hope is, what we did there we (can) do here (at Arkansas)."

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Obviously, Coach Cal's first season with the Razorbacks is far from how he and excited fans envisioned. Reasons are many:
* Calipari's decision to have a short roster, only nine he'd count on.
* Injuries that cost Jonas Aidoo, Johnell Davis and Big Z practice time.
* Injuries and the short roster put the Hogs behind schedule in practices.
* Lack of multiple, consistent scorers, especially 3-point shooters.
* Failure to close games effectively in the final minutes or the last 10.

Then there is the absence of what we'll call the Coach Cal effect, the magic touch that seemed to propel his teams at UMass, Memphis and yes, Kentucky, to achieve great success. The Hall of Fame coach has often referred to the process of installing his culture, his program, and the man's track record says to trust him. It'll get done.

Addressing the Hogs' 1-6 start in SEC games, Calipari said, "Now, in league play we’re off to a little slower start than I thought we’d be. But that’s all right. Let’s grow from this. Let me grow from this. We want to do the same here (we did at Kentucky). Have the same stuff with the players, the accomplishments, competing for championships and all this stuff. We want to do it here."

Well, he'll need a deeper bench and better shooters, for starters. The Hogs' 3-point game is dismal with the team netting 32% from deep. Big Z leads the way at a credible 40% but only Trevon Brazile and injured Boogie Fland (both 36%) are higher than 32%. By contrast, Kentucky is at 37%.

When Calipari walks into Rupp for practice or in pre-game warmups, he'll be reminded of past success if he looks to the rafters in Rupp. Four others coaches have banners hanging in their honor: Adolph Rupp, Joe B. Hall, Rick Pitino and Tubby Smith. Some day, Cal's name might be up there.

For now, he's hoping the Hogs play well and his three former Wildcats aren't affected by the hype and the Rupp reunion. "All of us walking in, yeah, it’s going to touch us," Calipari said.

"It’s going to be emotional. Am I looking forward to it? It’s the next game for me, yet there’s going to be some added stuff. Seeing friends, being around people that I care about, that I love. Having thoughts of walking in and seeing that place, yeah, it’ll be different."

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