Kentucky and Arkansas both have new head basketball coaches, and these coaches are set to face off in Rupp Arena on Saturday evening. Coach Mark Pope and John

Mark Pope‘s gameday shoes on Saturday will look a bit more colorful than usual. Along with it being John Calipari‘s return to Lexington after his 15-year stint as the Wildcats’ head coach, Kentucky and Arkansas (along with many other schools across the country this week) will recognize the Coaches vs.

Contrast that success with Calipari’s first Arkansas team, which needed six tries to notch its first SEC win of the year, and Kentucky fans figure to have plenty of ammunition Saturday. The Razorbacks are just 12-8 overall, and their 1-6 start to SEC play has them looking like a long shot for an NCAA Tournament berth.

The coaching contract details for Mark Pope at Kentucky and John Calipari at Arkansas ahead of Saturday’s SEC basketball showdown in Rupp Arena.

While Arkansas and Kentucky currently find themselves at opposites ends of the SEC men’s basketball hierarchy, both the Razorbacks and Wildcats are right next to each other in another important ranking.

The Wildcats are beating expectations and playing pretty ball in Year 1, but their new coach's link with the fan base is powering the vibes.

Pope took over after John Calipari left for Arkansas in a stunning turn of events. However, Pope wasted no time winning over the fanbase, especially since he is a former Kencutky basketball player. Moreover, moves such as this one only helped Pope's case more, and fans were excited to see the fan interaction with the Wildcats coach.

There'll be mixed emotions Saturday at Rupp Arena when former Kentucky head coach John Calipari returns after leaving the Wildcats for Arkansas last year.

Just how impressive was Kentucky basketball's 3-point shooting in Tuesday's win over Tennessee? The Courier Journal puts it into perspective.

Tennessee fought back within 74-73 with 28.6 seconds left on a Chaz Lanier 3-pointer but Otega Oweh, who had 14 points, buried four free throws to seal the deal. The win moved Kentucky to 15-5, 4-3 in the SEC and dropped Tennessee to 17-4, 4-4. The Hogs are a stunning 12-8, 1-6.

Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope talks about former UK coach John Calipari ahead of his return to Rupp Arena with the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday night.