"I love the drama": Mark Pope reacts to Rick Pitino's comments on Kentucky fans' treatment of John Calipari

John Calipari is set to face Kentucky for the first time since he parted ways with the Wildcats and joined Arkansas. Wildcats head coach Mark Pope also seems to be looking forward to playing against Calipari, who won the national championship with Kentucky in 2012.

While addressing the highly anticipated matchup against Calipari's team, Pope had some kind words for the Wildcats legend. However, Pope's coach from his college days, Rick Pitino, believes Kentucky fans do not respect Calipari as much as they should.

Therefore, Pitino felt compelled to urge the Big Blue Nation to welcome John Calipari back with class and give him a standing ovation during the game.

"I want all of you to show the great class that you have. 23,000 plus people giving him a huge standing ovation. Show him what respect and admiration is all about," Pitino said.

Mark Pope was asked about Kentucky fans being told how to behave and react.

"I love the drama um you know I think it's Kentucky right? It follows us in everything we do, it's one of the beautiful things about getting a chance to play here and coach here and be associated with this program is we care," Pope said at the pre game press conference.

"And people feel how much we care and so they care to be interested and so I love that I love that people are interested in in what's happening here and and it's always been that way and I assume it always will.”

Mark Pope gives the ultimate prop to John Calipari

During the pre-game press conference, Mark Pope unloaded immense respect for John Calipari.

"On a personal level, I love competing against people that I admire and look up to and love and Coach Cal is certainly one of those people. I mean he's a Hall of Fame Coach," Pope told reporters. "He's a legend in the sport and he's rewritten a lot of the book on how things are done and um he's one of the best that there ever was. He's also got an unbelievable legacy here at the University of Kentucky."

"You know it's like instate game in just in the sense of that vibe you get there's nobody you love to compete against more than your brother, somebody in the family, or somebody you're tied to you, and and um you're searching for bragging rights," Pope continued.

"And all the things that come with it and all the drama and emotion that comes with it is it makes it really special.”

Calipari was the head coach at Kentucky for 15 years from 2009 to 2024. With the help of Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Calipari won the 2012 NCAA National Championship.