Arkansas coach John Calipari has led the Razorbacks to No. 17 in the AP Top 25 Poll rankings after a 7-2 start to the season. Meanwhile, Calipari’s former team, the Kentucky Wildcats under embattled coach Mark Pope, has tumbled out of the rankings after a blowout loss to the Gonzaga Bulldogs last week.
After the humiliating loss to the Bulldogs, Kentucky fans inside Bridgestone Arena booed off their team and coach, placing Pope on the hot seat. Some Wildcats fans on various social media platforms even called for the return of Calipari, who departed for Arkansas last year.
Derek Anderson Blasts John Calipari Amid Calls for Kentucky Return
Not everyone is enthusiastic for a Calipari comeback to Lexington. Former Kentucky star Derek Anderson, who has been a harsh critic of Calipari in the past, blasted the Arkansas coach’s methods under a fan’s comment on X.
“No, we do NOT need him!! Recruiting without teaching is not how UK history is done,” Anderson tweeted.
After starting his college basketball career playing for the Ohio State Buckeyes (1992-1994), Anderson transferred to Kentucky in 1995. He helped to lead the Wildcats to the 1996 national championship under coach Rick Pitino, playing alongside current coach Mark Pope. He was picked No. 13 overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 1997 NBA Draft.
During Monday’s segment of “Inside College Basketball,” CBS Sports analyst Jon Rothstein rubbed salt in Kentucky fans’ wounds by pointing out the upward trajectory of Calipari’s Razorbacks vis-à-vis their team this season.
“For the Kentucky fan out there right now, I wonder what it’s like to look up and evaluate the SEC and look at, objectively, who the two best teams are,” Rothstein said. “Nate Oats at Alabama, that doesn’t obviously twist the knife really. But John Calipari at Arkansas are clearly one of the top two teams.”
“Calipari, when he was at Kentucky, was always going to get the best players in the country, was always going to have a team that was in the mix to go far in the NCAA Tournament… If you’re a Kentucky fan right now, it’s gotta be a very proud day for Calipari knowing that it looks like he has the most complete team in the SEC in Arkansas.”
Since replacing Calipari at Kentucky, Pope led the Wildcats to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament and a 24-12 record last season. On the other hand, Caliapri also led the Razorbacks to the Sweet 16 and a 22-14 record in his first season in charge.
