Mark Pope's Kentucky team made the trip to Knoxville to take on the Tennessee Volunteers in a game no one thought the shorthanded Wildcats would win. Despite this, without Lamont Butler and Andrew Carr,
The coaching contract details for Mark Pope at Kentucky and John Calipari at Arkansas ahead of Saturday’s SEC basketball showdown in Rupp Arena.
Both the Arkansas and Kentucky programs have three signees in the 2025 class, and both will bring in five-star talent later this year. The Hogs and Wildcats also both have at least one McDonald’s All-American as part of their respective 2025 recruiting groups.
There’s more at stake in Tuesday night’s Kentucky-Tennessee basketball game than simply a win against an SEC rival.
Unlike Lamont Butler, Andrew Carr was unable to take the floor against the Commodores on Saturday afternoon. A back injury prevented the fifth year senior from practicing for multiple weeks, and on Saturday, Pope made the decision to keep him out for the game.
Predictions, picks and odds as No. 8 Tennessee basketball faces No. 12 Kentucky. Plus, injury updates and the latest news
Pope's Wildcats have enjoyed a fast start this season. His success has reached a point where media pundits like ESPN's Jay Williams deemed him the favorite to earn national Coach of the Year honors. However, Kentucky's latest loss to Vanderbilt has effectively crushed the dream, and even the fans know it.
Kentucky was upset by Vanderbilt on the road Saturday in a game where they just let it slip right out of their hands. Coming back from a 14-point hole at halftime, the Wildcats eventually took the lead thanks to a run,
John Calipari's anticipated return to Kentucky is just 1 of the 10 things Neil Blackmon is overreacting to this week in SEC basketball.
Arkansas basketball is irrelevant in its first season under John Calipari. Cal's return to Rupp Arena is now just another game for Kentucky basketball
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.