There was plenty on the line on Saturday night in Fayetteville. The identical records of John Calipari and Mark Pope since the former left Kentucky for Arkansas were everywhere you looked on ESPN and social media. The Hogs were ascending with a star point guard. The Cats were down after a no show on Tuesday against Vanderbilt. UK needed to get off the mat to prevent Pope from starting his Kentucky tenure 0-2 against Cal.
That’s exactly what the Wildcats did in a 85-77 victory in Bud Walton Arena on Saturday night.