Only One Thing Prevents Hogs-'Cats Game from Being Huge

What can make Arkansas-Kentucky go from marquee to just intriguing

Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari with Kentucky last season in a game at Bud Walton Arena on Jan. 27, 2024. / Andy Hodges-allHOGS Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Since we don't have anything else to do during the summer until the annual shooting-the-breeze session of football media days, folks are starting to look at basketball schedules. Inevitably, that comes with predictions, as always.

Even the Kentucky Wildcats sites are getting into the action with Wildcats Today on SI predicting the Arkansas Razorbacks coming to town with John Calipari coaching against them for the first time in 15 years will be the college basketball game of the year. That's making a lot of of assumptions.

Granted, the Hogs will roll in with players who have more experience in Rupp Arena than the Wildcats. Calipari brought a lot of his best players form Kentucky with him to Arkansas since changing locations in April.

Calipari and Mark Pope, who replaced him at Kentucky, both have to win games. Without that, this will just turn into an interesting sidebar to the actual game. There won't be a lot of interest in two teams struggling to find their way no matter when the game is scheduled.

Oh, there will be interest with both teams' fan bases. The Razorbacks will be looking to finally return to consistently getting wins in these types of games.

A lot of the Wildcats' fans may need a few years before being able to appreciate what they had for those 15 seasons. They tend to get bitter with a quick exit from March Madness.

Both teams play a strong enough preseason to potentially make the matchup a big national game if they stack wins. Otherwise, it'll just be an interesting SEC regular-season game that has more than the routine storylines.

Winning enough games by New Year's Day could turn it into a major game nationally. However, if either team loses a bunch of marquee games the luster will be gone.

It makes for a nice way to kill time in July. It's going to be a long time until anyone knows whether that will happen.

HOGS FEED:

• Watch: Arkansas better fit for Calipari than Kentucky; Pittman personality makeover

• Hogs' performances in Cape Cod League puts pressure on Arkansas staff

• Razorbacks have bigger problems than debating Texas' and Oklahoma's impact

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