REPORT: Mark Pope Send Another Unexpected Strong Message After…

This weekend is shaping up to be a massive one in college basketball, with plenty of exciting matchups, but none more anticipated than the showdown between the Kentucky Wildcats and the Arkansas Razorbacks in Lexington.

While this game is always significant, this year it carries extra weight as John Calipari returns to Lexington for the first time since leaving. The topic has been a major point of discussion in college basketball, and it came up during Mark Pope’s weekly radio show on Wednesday.

“Listen, we’ve been fortunate at the University of Kentucky to have some of the greatest coaches to ever coach the game of basketball. Cal is certainly one of those,” Pope said. “He’s a Hall of Fame coach, and his 15 years at Kentucky were remarkable. What he achieved here was incredible. He… in some ways, revolutionized the game of college basketball. He’s left a legacy that may never be replicated in the same way he did it.”

Pope, who is a passionate member of Big Blue Nation (BBN), also spoke about Calipari on a personal level. “I love Cal for what he did for Kentucky basketball, and on a very personal level, he’s been a great mentor and friend to Lee Anne and me.”

 

 

 

Pope believes that eventually, Calipari will return to Lexington and be celebrated by BBN for his contributions to the program, but emphasized that Saturday’s game is about more than sentiment—it’s about winning.

“As time goes on and circumstances change, there’s going to be a time when Cal walks back into this arena, and he’s going to feel all the love BBN has to offer because that’s what we do with our family,” Pope said. “We’ll see Saturday. It’s going to be a competition, but I have so much love for Cal and am grateful for all he did for Kentucky. I’m grateful that I get to be here and enjoy the fruits of his incredible work. I know everyone in BBN feels the same way, but I also know everyone wants to win this game on Saturday.”

It’s going to be an intense and emotional Saturday.