What will the fan reaction be when former Kentucky coach John Calipari returns Saturday night to Rupp Arena as Arkansas head man?

Here's a scouting report and prediction for Arkansas basketball's road game against Kentucky, marking John Calipari's return to Rupp Arena.

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.

Arkansas basketball's next opponent is Kentucky and a reunion for John Calipari. The Hogs' head coach anticipates an emotional return to Rupp Arena.

FAYETTEVILLE — John Calipari was apologetic following his first SEC win as Arkansas’ basketball coach Wednesday. The Razorbacks’ 68-65 victory over Georgia at Bud Walton Arena snapped a five-game losing streak that began Jan. 4 at Tennessee. The 0-5 start to conference play was Arkansas’ worst since joining the SEC in 1991-92.

Ignore the hype. Ignore the noise. Ignore the circus that is sure to surround the return of John Vincent Calipari, who in a 15-year run as the UK coach took the Wildcats to four Final Fours and a national championship before his Big Blue express ran out of steam.

Here’s a cool fact I just learned about Adou Thiero, the guy who won the game for Arkansas: His father, Almamy, played for John Calipari at Memphis. In today’s SI:AM: ✈️ Jets get their man ✅ Conference championship picks 📝 WNBA free agency preview John Calipari’s first season in charge of the Arkansas Razorbacks got off to a nightmarish start.

FAYETTEVILLE — A six-part docuseries chronicling John Calipari’s first season coaching the Arkansas men’s basketball team will premiere Feb. 10 at 9 p.m. on VICE TV. The show, titled “Calipari: Razor’s Edge,” is produced by Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions. It will have hour-long episodes that air weekly each Monday following the debut episode.

Granted, Kentucky was a longtime blue blood in the world of basketball and Arkansas’ climb to success had come during Sutton’s 11 years as the head coach. He laid a foundation that Nolan Richardson used to add a trophy room that included the 1994 national championship.

The Razorbacks (12-7, 1-5 SEC) were one of two winless teams in league play before they upset Georgia on Wednesday. The slow start came after Arkansas finished the non-conference portion of their schedule 11-2, losing only to Baylor and Illinois.

Where does Mark Pope stand on the boo vs. cheer debate currently tearing Big Blue Nation apart as Kentucky prepares for John Calipari‘s return to Rupp Arena? He understands both sides and the wide range of emotions that come with a homecoming of this magnitude.

Arkansas hired John Calipari from Kentucky just last offseason with much fanfare. Kentucky fans were glad Calipari was gone, even if he did run right to an SEC