John Calipari's return to Kentucky wasn't as boo-filled as expected

The Feb. 1 college basketball slate was absolutely loaded, but no game stood out more on the schedule than Arkansas at Kentucky. Not because it's an especially interesting matchup, but because of who coaches the Razorbacks and where the game is located.

John Calipari, after 15 (mostly) magical seasons at Kentucky, departed this offseason for a new gig at Arkansas. The Wildcats turned to former BYU head coach and UK alum Mark Pope, who has remolded the program in his image, with older, more experienced stars and a focus on continuity, rather than NBA development.

Cal has taken the opposite approach in Fayetteville, essentially transplanting half his roster with Kentucky holdovers and leaning, once again, on the high-level recruits and youthful athleticism that defined his teams in Lexington.

It has been tough-sledding for Arkansas, who entered Saturday's showdown with No. 12 Kentucky a crisp 1-6 in SEC play. It generally takes time to build a program from the ground up and Calipari, for all his well-deserved criticisms, deserves time to right the ship. He is going to bring unprecedented recruiting success to the Razorbacks program in due time.

That said, many of the fans in Rupp Arena were not so pleased to welcome their former head coach back to Big Blue Nation. For all his success at Kentucky, Cal's NBA pipeline approach did not always lead to postseason winning. The fans have not forgotten the last few March Madness disappointments.

John Calipari gets a lot of boos in Kentucky return — but a few cheers, too

It's not hard to find negativity in sports fandom — those of us sitting at home tend to develop very strongly-held opinions and tire of incompetence quickly — but there are also plenty of nice, sunny moments, too. Calipari's long-awaited return to Rupp was not entirely marred in boos and blasphemy. There were some audible cheers as he emerged from the tunnel dressed in Arkansas maroon.

It can take years, even decades for fans to fully process their feelings about an era of their favorite sports team or program. Down the line, Calipari will undoubtedly be appreciated in Lexington, where he won 410 games and led the Wildcats to a national title in 2012.

There haven't been many more successful coaches over the years, and none churned out top NBA talent like Calipari. Disagree with his methods all you want, but his track record of developing elite pros is incredible. It speaks to his dedication on an individual level. Cal was always in the room on draft night, and his players always speak fondly of their time under his tutelage.

He is starting in the hole with Arkansas, and it will take time to rebuild the program, but he'll get the Razorbacks on the winning track eventually. His actual coaching methods merit strict scrutiny, as Cal's rotation choices in those latter Kentucky years were baffling. But, talent often wins out in college hoops, and none can attract and develop it more prolifically than the current head coach in Fayetteville.