DALLAS — If Kentucky had hired its first choice to replace John Calipari, the new Arkansas men’s basketball coach could have been facing Scott Drew on Feb. 1 when he returns to Lexington, Ky., to play the Wildcats.
Instead, Calipari and the No. 16 Razorbacks will face Drew and the No. 8 Baylor Bears at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday at American Airlines Arena.
Drew, who led Baylor to the 2021 national championship and has a 444-245 record in his 21st season as the Bears’ coach with 6 Sweet 16 appearances, was the first coach called by Kentucky athletics director Mitch Barnhart, according to multiple media outlets when Calipari resigned after 15 seasons with the Wildcats.