Surprisingly, after spending 15 years at Kentucky, legendary head coach John Calipari is leaving the school to become head coach at Arkansas. The Wildcats, who were seeded third in the NCAA Tournament, haven’t advanced past the first round for three years in a row, despite Calipari’s ability to consistently attract elite recruiting classes. During his tenure, the Wildcats have only won one national championship.
Late on Sunday night, there were rumors circulating that Calipari was close to signing a contract to become the head coach of the Razorbacks. After USC head coach Andy Enfield left for SMU and was replaced in Los Angeles by former Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman, this is the most recent domino to fall in a string of moves.
There will be repercussions for all of college basketball from Calipari’s exit from Big Blue Nation. During his tenure at Kentucky, the 65-year-old established himself as one of the nation’s top recruiters and a trailblazer of the one-and-done era, turning himself into an iconic figure.The Wildcats had more 2024 McDonald’s All-Americans than any other program, led by center Jayden Quaintance, forward Karter Knox, and guard Boogie Fland. However, the question of how many of these elite recruits will remain with Kentucky now that Calipari is gone remains unanswered for the time being. Take a look at the Wildcats’ incoming recruiting class below, along with the latest information on their decision to stay with Kentucky or re-open their recruiting.
