John Calipari stat with Arkansas should infuriate Kentucky fans

Growing is a part of life, as John Calipari found out the hard way when he took a job in Fayetteville, Arkansas to lead the Razorbacks basketball program. Leaving a true Blue Blood in Kentucky for Arkansas was a strange approach, but one both sides can agree was the right decision given Cal's recent failures in Lexington.

Calipari's previous recruiting approach -- one that thrived in the one-and-done era with top-ranked freshmen -- no longer has the same amount of success since the implementation of the transfer portal. Veteran-led teams have knocked Kentucky out of the past two NCAA Tournaments, and Dan Hurley's National Championship-winning UConn Huskies were fueled by upperclassmen, primarily.

Upon arriving in Arkansas, Calipari had to build a team from scratch. He did just that, primarily through the transfer portal. Cole Forsman of Sports Illustrated considers Arkansas a clear winner in the transfer portal thus far.

"Calipari built Arkansas into a top-20 team from scratch essentially. DJ Wagner, Zvonimir Ivisic and Adou Thiero followed Calipari from Kentucky, while FAU transfer Johnell Davis decided to withdraw from the NBA Draft and join the Razorbacks as well. Tennessee transfer Jonas Aidoo, one of the best defenders in college basketball, was another big addition to the frontcourt. Calipari still has wiggle room left to work with," Forsman wrote.

John Calipari finally understands the transfer portal, but it's too late

Even before he left for Arkansas, Calipari acknowledged something had to chance at Kentucky. Cal's system was a broken one, and while he was a beloved figure by former star players -- many of whom remained in Lexington for a year or two tops -- the Wildcats haven't made a Final Four in nearly a decade. For some schools, Calipari would have a lifetime contract, and the fanbase would be eternally grateful. Those programs are not Kentucky, as Calipari realizes.

"I think some people were happy," Calipari told CBS Sports in early May. "[Some were saying], 'We've had this guy 15 years and we've only won 500 games.' [Actually 410] We only won one national title and four Final Fours and eight Elite Eights? What the hell is going on here?'"

Sarcasm aside, Calipari once said that coaching at Kentucky was his dream job. Nonetheless, programs with such high expectations cannot grow stagnant, which was exactly the case for BBN.