John Calipari got the last laugh on Kentucky even in defeat

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. 

That’s where the Wildcats will always miss having Calipari. In one season, Calipari has already turned Arkansas into an upset hungry team. Last year’s NCAA Tournament run is proof Calipari is still one of the greats and a loss to Kentucky won’t mean much. When it comes down to it, Arkansas will be dangerous in the NCAA Tournament, Kentucky will be just another team. 

Arkansas just showed Kentucky why John Calipari is still one of the great college basketball coaches

People didn’t tune in to see Kentucky play, they wanted to see how Calipari played against his former team. That’s the Calipari effect Kentucky became so accustomed to. People still care to watch Calipari. He’s not just eye candy though, either. If you look back at last year’s playoff run, it was a vintage Calipari led team that instilled fear in every one of their opponents. 

This season, Arkansas has looked like one of the most dangerous teams in college basketball. Not because they’re one of the best, but because they fight. They have just two unranked losses against Auburn and Kentucky. Those aren’t great losses and they were blowouts at that. But Arkansas is still a team that is ready for the NCAA Tournament. 

As of Friday’s Bracketology, Arkansas is a No. 6 seed while Kentucky is a No. 7 seed. Sure, they’re still considered one of the top 68 teams in the country, but Pope hasn’t gotten out of Calipari’s shadow yet. Until he actually proves that Kentucky isn’t just a step above fraudulent, he’ll always be compared to what Calipari accomplished. 

And if Calipari continues to turn Arkansas into a basketball powerhouse, Pope will never catch up to his predecessor. That’s the Calipari effect. Kentucky still needs Calipari, even if they can occasionally beat him in the regular season. 

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