Calipari vs Pope: Rebuilding Powerhouses

0:00On March 27, John Calapari, now coaching Arkansas, fired back subtly at his successor at Kentucky, Mark Pope. Pope recently spent four minutes on his radio show, boasting about the seventh ranked Wildcats improvement since he took over. He pointed out their winning percentage over the last two years, Beats Calapari's final four seasons there, even if just by a bit. Kentucky sits at 46 wins and 26 losses under Pope. Meanwhile, Calapari's last four years with the Wildcats brought 80 wins and 46 losses, but they never got past the second round of the NCAA. Tournament in three tries. The team bowed out early again this year, losing to Iowa State in that round. Calapari built a powerhouse at Kentucky over 15 years, posting a 410 win, 123 loss record. He won the national title in 2012 and developed NBA stars like Anthony Davis, Devon Booker, and Carl Anthony Towns. Last year, he left for a five-year deal with Arkansas where it's $7 million a season.

1:03After Arkansas, the fourth seeded Razorbecks fell to top seeded Arizona in the sweet 16 on Thursday. Calapari noted in his post-game talk that everyone in college basketball faces similar struggles right now. It's a nod to both programs exiting the tournament before the final weekend. This back and forth highlights the pressure on both coaches as they rebuild powerhouse programs and mid-early disappointments.