Mark Pope gets real on John Calipari and his impact on Kentucky: "A real gift to this community"

As a former Kentucky Wildcat, Mark Pope understands why former coach John Calipari is highly regarded by the university. He sees him as a "real gift" to the community.

Pope shared his thoughts on No. 12-ranked Kentucky's matchup against Calipari's Arkansas Razorbacks during Thursday's press conference. He also talked about Calipari's impact on the Wildcats community, as he dedicated 15 years to elevating the program's culture from 2009 to 2024.

"We're pretty laser-focused on what we're doing just because it's my alma mater and because I care and love it, but it was limited through the course of the season," Pope said (02:30).

"But everybody in college basketball was touched and moved, and kind of trying to follow the lead of the incredible work that Cal did in the community. He was such an incredible ambassador for college basketball, and Kentucky basketball for so long, and he was so active out in the community. He was a real gift to this entire community."

How Mark Pope, Kentucky matches up against Arkansas

This matchup marks John Calipari's return to Rupp Arena, paving the way for a big game for Mark Pope and his team.

Kentucky has a 15-5 overall record (4-3 Southeastern Conference). The Wildcats are averaging 87.6 points on 48.5% shooting, including 37.4% from beyond the arc, beating opponents by a margin of 11.8 points.

Oteha Oweh is the team's leading scorer with 15.8 points, along with 4.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.7 steals. With Lamont Butler out due to injury, Jaxson Robinson comes next with 13.1 ppg and 3.7 rpg while Koby Brea provides 11.2 ppg and 3.1 rpg.

As for Arkansas, it enters the game with a 12-8 overall record (1-6 SEC). The Razorbacks are putting up 76.2 points on shooting splits of 46.4% overall and 32.5% from downtown. Adou Thiero leads the team with 16.1 ppg and 6.2 rpg.

After Saturday's game, Pope and the No. 12-ranked Wildcats will prepare for their next matchup as they'll face the No. 23-ranked Ole Miss Rebels on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET.