For Kentucky, the game before The Game was a tough one on paper — a Tuesday night road contest against Rick Barnes' Tennessee Vols, who were ranked No. 1 in the country just a few weeks ago and listed as 10.

Rick Pitino is asking Kentucky fans to be respectful, Matt Laurance is expecting they will be, and John Calipari isn't sure what will hapopen. Coach Cal's return to Lexington as Arkansas coach should be something to watch this college basketball weekend.

Ignore the hype. Ignore the noise. Ignore the circus that is sure to surround the return of John Vincent Calipari, who in a 15-year run as the UK coach took the Wildcats to four Final Fours and a national championship before his Big Blue express ran out of steam.

Rick Pitino returned to Rupp Arena to face UK in 2001. John Calipari will face Kentucky basketball in Lexington next. How will his experience compare?

How far apart are Kentucky and John Calipari in the latest SEC Power Rankings? The two sides will come face-to-face this weekend.

Current St. John's coach and former Kentucky coach Rick Pitino tells Wildcats fans to cheer John Calipari when he returns to Lexington.

It also ensured Calipari’s return to Rupp Arena would be one of the most anticipated games of the 2024-25 season. Saturday is the Razorbacks and Wildcats’ only scheduled meeting this year, and if the returns of Chris Beard to Texas Tech and Ed Cooley to Providence taught us anything,