John Calipari on his return to Rupp Arena: 'My guess is I'm gonna get booed'

Will John Calipari get booed in his return to Rupp Arena?
Jan 25, 2025; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks head coach John Calipari reacts to a play int he second half against the Oklahoma Sooners at Bud Walton Arena. Oklahoma won 65-62. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images
Jan 25, 2025; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks head coach John Calipari reacts to a play int he second half against the Oklahoma Sooners at Bud Walton Arena. Oklahoma won 65-62. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images / Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

While the Kentucky Wildcats are getting ready to take on Tennessee, their next opponent, the Arkansas Razorbacks, don't have a midweek game. This means on John Calipari's Monday radio show Kentucky was the main topic.

This game coming up on Saturday between the Kentucky Wildcats and Arkansas Razorbacks has been highly anticipated by the entire college basketball world. Arkansas struggles have taken some of the excitement away from this game, but many are still excited to see Calipari's return to Lexington.

On his radio show, Coach Calipari was asked about his return to Lexington, and he had this to say, "I'm just preparing my team, and we're gonna have three players who played there. My guess is they're gonna get booed. My guess is I'm gonna get booed. And you all are saying, 'Oh yeah, you know, but that's all part of it.' I mean, shoot, you get booed. I've done this so long, I tell you, I've got bazooka holes in my body, so when you shoot arrows, it doesn't even hit skin."

The reaction Coach Calipari will receive in Rupp Arena is going to be very interesting. There will be a part of the fan base that will boo and a portion that will cheer. The part that will be interesting is to see how many fans fall under each of these two categories on Saturday in Rupp Arena.

While it ended with a few years of struggles, Coach Calipari brought the Kentucky Wildcats their eighth national title and many unforgettable memories.


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Andrew Stefaniak
ANDREW STEFANIAK

Andrew Stefaniak is the publisher of Kentucky Wildcats On SI and host of the Wildcats Today Podcast.