Mark Pope on John Calipari: "We'll be cheering for him every day like crazy except for Feb. 1"

Mark Pope just wrapped up his turn at SEC Basketball Media Day, and, as expected, it didn’t take long for him to be asked about John Calipari. Bob Holt, a longtime Arkansas beat writer, asked Pope about his relationship with Calipari and the dynamic now that Cal is in Fayetteville. Also as expected, Pope had nothing but praise for his predecessor, praising both the work Cal did in Lexington and the help he has given Pope and his wife Lee Anne throughout his coaching career.

“You’ll never hear me say a negative word about Coach Cal, because there’s not a lot to say. He’s a Hall of Fame coach. As a diehard Kentucky fan and alumnus and former player, I’m grateful for everything, all the incredible things that Cal accomplished at the University of Kentucky.

“And he’s also been a good friend, he’s been a terrific mentor, and he’s always been generous to Lee Anne and I as we’ve gone through our coaching journey. And so we wish him the best in everything that he does, and will forever be grateful for everything that he did at Kentucky. And we’ll be cheering for him every day like crazy, except for February 1.”

February 1 is, of course, the date of the Kentucky vs. Arkansas game in Lexington. I’m not sure all of Big Blue Nation shares Pope’s sentiment about cheering for Cal and the Razorbacks in every other game, but it’s nice to hear Pope take the high road. We’ll hear what John Calipari has to say when he takes the SEC Media Day stage at 4:35 p.m. ET.

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