For Kentucky, the game before The Game was a tough one on paper — a Tuesday night road contest against Rick Barnes' Tennessee Vols, who were ranked No. 1 in the country just a few weeks ago and listed as 10.

Calipari returns to Kentucky for the first time Saturday when the Wildcats host Arkansas. The Razorbacks (12-8, 1-6) have this week off but No. 12 Kentucky (14-5, 3-3) has a huge game tonight at No. 8 Tennessee (17-3, 4-3).

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.

John Calipari knows all too well how passionate the Kentucky fan base is, and so he's not naive about what Saturday night could be like.

The coaching contract details for Mark Pope at Kentucky and John Calipari at Arkansas ahead of Saturday’s SEC basketball showdown in Rupp Arena.

John Calipari's legacy in Lexington extends beyond what his Kentucky Wildcats did on the court. Kentucky residents share meaningful moments for them.

John Calipari won more than 400 games during his 15 seasons leading Kentucky basketball. Many of those wins came in Lexington. These five stand out.

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

Notable notes, stats that stand out, and emerging trends as college basketball closes out the month of January.

With the Razorbacks struggling to stay out of last place in the SEC standings, Saturday's matchup isn’t sexy at all. Calipari’s return is just another game as he’s clearly entering the find out phase of his coaching career.

John Calipari will make his anticipated return to Lexington when the Arkansas Razorbacks take on the Kentucky Wildcats. For Kentucky fans, the choice of cheering or booing their former coach has the fanbase divided.