Arkansas HC John Calipari is already going head to head with Mark Pope, his replacement at Kentucky

New Arkansas Razorbacks head coach John Calipari, who resigned from his position as the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats earlier this month, is already going head to head with Mark Pope, his replacement in Lexington. 

According to On3, Arkansas and Kentucky are both pursuing Oklahoma State transfer center Brandon Garrison. 

From On3: The transfer portal is spinning. Several college basketball teams are under new leadership and are fighting to building a team in the next few months; two of which are Mark Pope at Kentucky and John Calipari at Arkansas.

A source told On3 that the two are both looking to bring in former McDonald’s All-American Brandon Garrison, a transfer from Oklahoma State, for a visit next week.

Garrison averaged 7.5 points per game and 5.3 rebounds per game as a freshman last season for the Cowboys. 

It'll be interesting to see how this battle plays out between Calipari and Pope (assuming one of them wins the battle....Oklahoma and Texas are also very much in the mix). 

If Pope can land Garrison over Calipari, it would instantly fire up the Kentucky fan base, providing some instant validation for the Wildcats' decision to hire Pope. 

Conversely, if Calipari lands Garrison over Pope, it would show that the Wildcats have more catching up to do in college basketball than Kentucky fans likely realized. And it would give Calipari an early win over his old employer (which could help him build some momentum at Arkansas).