Former Kentucky basketball coach Cal taunts Oakland "You want to beat me again?"

In a twist of college basketball fate, John Calipari found himself on the opposite end of the court from Oakland University. This time, however, it was under the banner of his new team, the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Calipari, a name synonymous with college basketball thought he finally found the team to break the second weekend drought. However, he had his 15-year tenure at Kentucky end with an unexpected and stinging first-round loss to the No. 14 seed Oakland Golden Grizzlies in the NCAA Tournament. This upset was not just a loss but a catalyst for change, an event that marked the end of an era in Lexington and the beginning of a new chapter in Fayetteville.

After the defeat, which saw Kentucky fall 80-76, Calipari made the surprising announcement that he would be stepping down from his position at Kentucky. The move was quickly followed by his appointment as the head coach at Arkansas, a team in the same Southeastern Conference but with its own ambitions to reclaim basketball prominence.

Fast forward to a recent game, and the narrative took another turn. Arkansas, now led by Calipari, faced the same Oakland team that had been the harbinger of his Kentucky exit. The match was a chance for redemption for Cal. Arkansas trounced Oakland with a convincing 92-62 victory.

The game was not without its moments of tension though. At halftime, Oakland was only down by three points, suggesting the possibility of another upset. However, the second half saw a different Arkansas team, one that outscored Oakland 50-23.

Post-game, Calipari, with a mix of humor and relief, commented on the matchup, saying, "Greg, you just beat me in the NCAA tournament, now you want to beat me again?" This quip was directed at Oakland's head coach Greg Kampe, who is a close friend of Cal, Of course Kentucky is now 11-2 as is Arkansasa.

As the season progresses, all eyes will be on Calipari and Pope to see which will end up having the better season.