Three takeaways from John Calipari’s triumphant return to Rupp Arena against Kentucky
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Game day: Arkansas 89, No. 12 Kentucky 79
Click below for more of the Herald-Leader and Kentucky.com’s coverage of Saturday night’s men’s basketball game between Kentucky and Arkansas in Rupp Arena.
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Three takeaways from Kentucky basketball’s 89-79 loss to Arkansas at Rupp Arena on Saturday night:
1. Arkansas had John Calipari’s back
The night’s most telling quote came from an ex-Cat by the name of Adou Thiero, who scored a team-high 21 points for Arkansas: “He’s always had our backs and tonight I feel like we had his.”
“He” being John Calipari, of course. I don’t agree with those who say that beating his former employer on its home floor is his most satisfying win — I’d vote for Cal’s national title victory in 2012 — but Saturday had to be in the running.
“We needed to win a game,” Calipari said afterward. “It didn’t matter who it was against.”
Arkansas won this game by doing some Arkansas-like things. The Razorbacks entered Saturday night hitting a mere 24.8% of their 3-point shots in SEC play. They exited having hit 13 of 25 for 52%.
Another former Cat, Zvonimir Ivisic, was 4-for-7 from beyond the arc. Johnell Davis was 3-for-6. Former UK signee Karter Knox was 2-for-3. Former Cat D.J. Wagner was 2-for-4. That’s the same Wagner who before Saturday had made five of 27 shots from 3 for 18.5% against SEC competition.
Wagner was brilliant in the second half. All 17 of his points came in the second half. He also contributed eight assists while turning the ball over once. Davis, who had struggled since transferring from North Florida to Fayetteville, was credited with six assists to go with his 18 points.
2. Kentucky has roster problems
Not having starting point guard Lamont Butler because of a shoulder injury didn’t hurt the Cats in their 78-73 win at No. 8 Tennessee on Tuesday. Not having Butler for a second straight game on Saturday hurt quite a bit.
“We’re navigating some roster situations right now that have me feeling a little restricted,” UK coach Mark Pope said.
On the offensive end, the result has been a rise in the turnover rate. With Butler trying to play through the pain in the loss at Vanderbilt, the Cats turned it over 17 times. Saturday, Kentucky committed 14 turnovers that turned into 12 points for the Razorbacks. Fast-break points: Arkansas 18, Kentucky 5.
Were this the start of the season, Kerr Kriisa would replace Butler. But it’s not the start of the season. And Kriisa has not played since Dec. 7 after undergoing foot surgery. There has not been an optimistic timetable for his return.
Travis Perry is going to be a good player. But he’s a freshman, who had trouble staying in front of the quick Wagner. Collin Chandler is going to be a good player. But he’s a freshman, who has only been added to the rotation in the last couple of games. Chandler played 15 minutes at Tennessee. He played 17 against Arkansas.
For a brief stretch in the second half, Perry and Chandler were on the floor at the same time. That’s not ideal.
“We’re kind of just trying to navigate the space,” Pope said.
As for Butler’s possible return, Pope was noncommittal. “We’ll figure out more in the next couple of weeks,” he said.
3. UK’s loss was disappointing, not season-ending
Kentucky fans don’t want to hear it, of course. Big Blue Nation wanted to beat its former coach, one it booed upon his introduction. Or maybe Big Blue Nation just didn’t want to lose to its former coach. But it did.
“My guys are really hurting in the locker room,” Pope said. “They know what this building means. They know what the jersey means.”
But they also have to know there are 10 games left in the regular season. The Cats are 4-4 in the SEC heading into Tuesday night’s game at Ole Miss. Chris Beard’s Rebels are 5-4 in league play. They are the only conference team to beat Alabama. They played league-leader Auburn tough on Saturday before falling 92-82.
In the meantime, Pope admitted Saturday he and his staff have some things to figure out. Andrew Carr made more of a contribution Saturday, but you can tell he’s still limited by his back problems. The turnovers are a problem. And while Kentucky is statistically one of the better 3-point defensive teams in the nation, the fact remains that it gave up 13 made 3s to a team that ordinarily doesn’t make 3s.
“Whether they’re hitting shots or not, you can’t make that like an excuse,” UK’s Jaxson Robinson said. “We got to figure out a way to stop their runs. We didn’t do that tonight and we lost.”
This story was originally published February 2, 2025 at 1:11 AM.
