5 keys that defined Calipari's Kentucky basketball legacy - ESPN

On Saturday, John Calipari will return to Lexington for the first time since he left Kentucky for Arkansas in April.

His homecoming is one of the biggest events of the 2024-25 men's college basketball calendar. Calipari is, after all, responsible for taking Kentucky to seven Elite Eights, four Final Fours and one national championship title, as well as for finding and signing elite young talent who went on to be NBA stars.

«Walking in that arena, storied arena, and walking in the wrong door, the other door,» Calipari said during his weekly radio show ahead of Saturday's showdown (9 p.m. ET, ESPN). «Seeing my friends the night before. Having my friends — dear friends, lifelong friends — but they're Kentucky fans. Their whole life they've been Kentucky fans. I just hope they're neutral. But they are Kentucky fans. We gave our heart and soul. [My wife] was like a mother to those kids. So, yes, there is going to be some emotion.»

For all of Calipari's successes, the end of his tenure in Lexington was frustrating — for everyone. When he left, his legacy was marred by two NCAA tournament first-round upsets in the previous three seasons, a public spat with the school's football coach and a lack of bringing Kentucky more of the national titles fans were accustomed to.

He was expected to bring his earlier successes to the Wildcats' SEC rivals in Fayetteville, but the Razorbacks are currently struggling in SEC play, having lost six of their past seven games. Additionally, star freshman and NBA prospect Boogie Fland is out for the season because of a hand injury. The Razorbacks will need a miraculous finish to play their way onto the NCAA tournament bubble.

It's a stark contrast to how Kentucky is faring in its new era, under coach