John Calipari reveals how he will honor Joe B. Hall vs. Tennessee

On the day of the passing of legendary Kentucky basketball coach Joe B. Hall, the No. 18 ranked Wildcats will play a marquee SEC game against No. 22 Tennessee at Rupp Arena. While UK will be looking to record a win to honor their former coach, current Wildcats’ head man John Calipari will also be doing something in remembrance of his mentor in Lexington.

Joining ESPN’s College GameDay show on Saturday morning ahead of Kentucky’s 1 p.m. ET tipoff against Tennessee, Calipari said he would honor Hall by having a rolled-up game program with him during the game – just like Hall used to.

Additionally, Coach Cal jokingly said he didn’t have enough time to install Hall’s classic 1-3-1 zone defense before game time.

Kentucky comes into Saturday’s game sitting at 13-3 overall with a 3-1 mark in SEC play, while Tennessee is 11-4 and 2-2. The Wildcats are five-point favorites, with the over/under set at 142 total points. ESPN will be carrying the national broadcast.

Former Kentucky Wildcats basketball coach passes away

Joe B. Hall, a fixture in Kentucky basketball history after serving as the Wildcats’ head coach from 1972-85, passed away Saturday morning. He was 93 years old.

“It is with great sadness we share the passing of the great Joe B. Hall,” Kentucky’s official men’s basketball Twitter account posted Saturday. “Our hearts are with the Hall family. We love you, Joe B.”

Hall, who played at Kentucky from 1948-49 and served as an assistant coach from 1965-72 before becoming the Wildcats’ head coach, compiled a 297-100 overall record in Lexington. He led UK to a national championship in 1978 and three Final Fours in 1975, 1978 and 1984.

The National Coach of the Year in 1978, Hall was also named the SEC Coach of the Year four different times – in 1973, 1975, 1978 and 1983. He was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.

The Cynthiana, Kentucky native was born on Nov. 30, 1928.

Calipari shares heartfelt message honoring longtime Kentucky coach Joe B. Hall

Following the unfortunate news of Joe B. Hall’s passing, current Kentucky head coach John Calipari shared a heartfelt message on his Twitter account.

“Coach Joe B. Hall – my friend, my mentor, and an icon in our state in our profession – passed away this morning,” Calipari said. Joe B. Hall took over a program and carried on the winning tradition and legacy of Kentucky basketball.

“Coach Hall made it the job it is today with his hard work, his ingenuity and his great basketball coaching.”

Calipari said that he and Hall saw each other just two days ago, and like always, Hall greeted the Kentucky coach with a smile.

“Coach Hall always met me with a smile, including two days ago when I went to see him and hold his hand,” Calipari said. “He understood everything that was said, and as I prayed for him, he squeezed my hand tight.”