IN PICS: John Calipari poses with Bam Adebayo as Arkansas welcomes former Kentucky star
Arkansas coach John Calipari and his team hosted Miami Heat forward and former Kentucky star Bam Adebayo at one of their practices on Tuesday. The Razorbacks are in Miami for the SEC/ACC Challenge against the Hurricanes, so Adebayo had to stop by and see his former coach.
Adebayo played his freshman year under Calipari at Kentucky in the 2016-17 season and had an impressive year before declaring for the 2017 NBA draft. He started all 38 games and established himself as the team’s dominant post presence.
He earned All-SEC Second Team and SEC All-Freshman Team honors, was named to the SEC All-Tournament Team and won SEC Freshman of the Week twice.
Adebayo averaged 13.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, leading Kentucky in rebounds and blocks. His consistency in key moments helped Kentucky secure the SEC Tournament title and advance deep into the NCAA Tournament.
John Calipari and Arkansas face first road test against Miami
Arkansas will face its first true road test under John Calipari on Tuesday as they travel to Miami for the SEC/ACC Challenge. Arkansas (5-2) and Miami (3-4) are looking to rebound from recent setbacks and secure their first win against a power-conference opponent this season.
Following a 90-77 loss to Illinois in Kansas City on Thursday, Calipari emphasized the need for growth.
"This team is going to be fine. Thank God it's November," Calipari said. "We have not practiced. We haven't really even scrimmaged because we haven't had 10 guys. So, we have a lot of work to do."
The Razorbacks' two losses this season, to Illinois and Baylor, saw them drop out of the latest AP Top 25 poll released on Monday. Miami, coming off an 83-79 loss to Charleston Southern, has struggled with injuries and inconsistency, losing four consecutive games, including defeats to mid-major teams like VCU and Drake.
Calipari will rally his troops to deliver on the road as they gather momentum for the season going forward.