One thing John Calipari is going to do is draw a crowd. Whether he’s on the sidelines at Arkansas or Kentucky, people are going to watch. And when it pits Calipari against his former team, win or loss, he’ll get the last laugh. Kentucky vs. Arkansas was the most watched game on ESPN this season, meaning even when Calipari loses, he still wins.
To make it worse, Kentucky can celebrate a win over Calipari like it’s a national championship, but they’re season is very much in limbo. The Wildcats are a fringe March Madness team right now, while Calipari’s squad is deep in the field.
Kentucky’s marginal win over Arkansas proves just how much it misses John Calipari
Say what you want about how things ended for John Calipari at Kentucky, they haven’t been the same since he’s left. Sure, it’s only been a season, but both North Carolina and Duke lost their legendary coaches and they’ve still remained relevant. Kentucky on the other hand is fighting for March Madness relevancy.
Last year, the Wildcats reached the Sweet 16, but they weren’t a threat to do much in a loaded SEC field in the NCAA Tournament. This year, they’re even less threatening; but sure, a moral win over Arkansas is worth celebrating.
This season, Mark Pope has the Wildcats at 17-7. The win over Arkansas moves the Wildcats into the No. 2 spot in the SEC. Of course, all that means is they have the No. 2 seed in the SEC Tournament as of now, though that’s certain to change. Kentucky still has a shot to make noise this year, but they’re not nearly as feared as they used to be…