Razorbacks Book Rematch With Calipari’s Familiar Foe Oakland Golden Grizzles

Arkansas’ John Calipari will seek at least a little revenge for his final game as coach of the Kentucky Wildcats as he begins his tenure as the Razorbacks’ coach. The Hogs will take on the Oakland Golden Grizzlies as part of the team’s non-conference schedule inside Bud Walton Arena on Dec. 30, according to Rocco Miller.

Oakland knocked Calipari out of the 2024 NCAA Tournament in the first round, 80-76, marking his 532nd and final game as Kentucky’s head coach and his fourth straight season without a Sweet 16 appearance.

The Golden Grizzlies are coached by Greg Kampe, the longest active tenured coach in college basketball. Kampe enters his 40th season at Oakland, first taking over the program as a Division II school in 1984. He has amassed nearly 700 wins there.

Kampe and Calipari are close friends and joked prior to the NCAA Tournament bracket being released that they might face one another after the Golden Grizzlies won the Horizon League and secured a spot in March Madness.

Now the two will meet again, only Calipari will be wearing Razorback Red instead of Kentucky Blue. Thankfully for the Razorbacks, they won’t have to deal with Jack Gohlke, who hit 10 threes and scored 32 points to secure the upset.