The Wildcats are beating expectations and playing pretty ball in Year 1, but their new coach's link with the fan base is powering the vibes.

Mark Pope left BYU 10 months ago to return to his alma mater Kentucky, where he plied his craft at the direction of legendary coach Rick Pitino. Now, as head coach roaming the sidelines of Rupp Arena, that leap of faith is paying off big time.

A basketball game will be played on Saturday, in case you haven’t heard. It’s a pretty big one with a lot on the line, Coach Cal’s homecoming at Rupp Arena — now in a red blazer rather than blue. We’ll talk about the emotions that come with that as fans and media debate whether they’ll cheer or boo until they’re blue in the face when Arkansas