The energy pregame inside Rupp Arena on Saturday was unprecedented.

A nervous vibe tingled uncomfortably in the air. In anticipation of former Kentucky Head Coach John Calipari, the ambience was palpable as attendees and media alike huddled the visitors’ tunnel, his face displaying empuzzled mild humor.

Calipari was bombarded with mixed, unclear reactions from Big Blue Nation as media members swarmed the once beloved coach as Calipari made his way down the Razorback bench.

However, it was clear upon player introductions that the displeasure was thick at the announcement of ex-Wildcat starters D.J. Wagner, Adou Thiero and Zvonimir Ivisic. Heavy roaring boos poured down on Kentucky’s heralded former head coach.

“I looked up a couple of times and I thought we were losing because I kept looking at Kentucky instead of Arkansas,” Calipari said. “I told Adou, ‘I did that,’ and Adou said, ‘I did the same thing’… 15 years here (coaching Kentucky).”

The successor to Calipari, incumbent Mark Pope, received thunderous praise when announced as head coach of the Wildcats.

“We’re really blessed to have the greatest fan base in the world,” Pope said. “So, every night here (feels like it) was the biggest game ever.”

Persistently, the Lexington crowd bellowed cheers each time Kentucky enforced a turnover or scored the ball. Conversely, Arkansas endured more boos each possession on offense.

“Really, I felt a lot of emotions yesterday, just walking back in the gym for the first time, being on the other side, being on a different team,” Wagner said. “So, it kind of felt a little weird.”

The Razorbacks answered right away with a 3-pointer by guard Johnell Davis, but Kentucky guard Jaxson Robinson answered back with a three of his own. Again, Arkansas hit a deep ball, this time by former Wildcat Ivisic to the home crowd’s displeasure.

Kentucky proceeded to come out the gates hot, connecting on its first six attempts to take a 15-9 lead.

“It never ceases to amaze me, it’s unbelievable,” Pope said. “So much juice in the gym and (Big Blue Nation) it’s a place like no other.”

Wildcat center Amari Williams backed down Ivisic on the block, forcing the Arkansas forward onto his backside as Williams scored an easy two points at the bottom of the basket.

Rupp Arena erupted.

“The atmosphere was just great, I feel like everybody loves to play (in) atmospheres like that,” Wagner said. “So, I feel like it was fun for me, just going out there, just seeing how crazy (it) was, how crazy everyone was going.”

Again, at the first timeout of the game, Big Blue Nation stubbornly reminded its SEC adversaries of its presence. Williams scored back-to-back-to-back possessions as Kentucky’s student section chanted “Who’s your daddy?” ruthlessly to the once fan favorite Ivisic.

“We knew, especially the students, so we knew that the energy was going to be like that,” Williams said. “They wanted to be a distraction, for me it wasn’t a distraction, but we kind of understood that (coming into the game).”

However, Arkansas countered the Wildcats’ interior attack with threes. Davis led the Hogs with three 3-pointers and 12 points, taking a 46-45 halftime lead.

This season, the Razorbacks haven’t been a great 3-point shooting squad. Prior to the game, Calipari’s team had averaged 7.3 made threes per game, which ranks No. 235 nationally. At the half, Arkansas had already hit nine threes, beating the Wildcats’ seven threes despite Kentucky shooting 70% from beyond the arc.

The Razorbacks’ first four scores were all from former Kentucky players, beginning with a jam by forward Thiero followed by Wagner snapping a scoreless streak by scoring a 3-pointer and hard-fought layup. 

“My teammates, my coaches just telling me to stay confident (after not scoring in the first half),” Wagner said. “… that’s something coach (Calipari) emphasizes, if you’re not shooting well, or you’re not making shots, don’t let it mess you up.”

Ivisic sank a pick-and-pop three, which gave Arkansas its biggest lead of the night.

“That is concerning to me, because that’s been a staple for us, we come out of halftime and we’re great,” Pope said. “We were disappointing tonight.”

An 11-point lead forced the quietest moment of the night as Kentucky fans watched its players-turned-foes push the deficit. A difficult and-one 3-point shot hit by forward Ansley Almonor revived Rupp Arena once again. 

Almonor cut into the Razorbacks’ lead by completing the rare four-point play.

With emotions still tense midway through the second half, former Tennessee Volunteer forward Jonas Aidoo fouled Williams. The call was upgraded to a flagrant one, and Williams hit both free-throws.

The Wildcats were trailing nine points despite the efforts made at the line. Following the technical, Arkansas forced the Wildcats into a 1-10 shooting slump and continued to feed a leash to its lead. 

Kentucky cut the deficit to six with a dunk by forward Brandon Garrison, but another Ivisic three ball and a turnover-turned-fastbreak-score delivered a double digit lead for Arkansas.

The excitement in the arena was running thin as the Razorbacks continued to push against Kentucky. 

Faces of fans shown on the jumbotron late in the second half displayed concern, despite four minutes remaining in regulation.

A pair of miscues by freshman Collin Chandler reigned shy boos from the home crowd. Big Blue Nation was obviously deflated and the seats cleared with more than two minutes left in the game as a 14-point deficit loomed too large.

“I felt like (the emotion of the game) could’ve been a factor,” Almonor said. “We heard outside noises, a lot of distractions trying to take us away from the actual game.”

To typify the night, some jawing between Kentucky players on the Razorback sideline sent both teams into a short-lived frenzy that issued technicals on Williams, Davis and Ivisic.

“I got mad with the technical by Billy (Richmond III), I got mad (when) Jonas Aidoo grabbed the guy and took him to the floor,” Calipari said. “Come on, you’re a vet, but I was into the game… trying to drag us over the finish line.”

Again, Big Blue Nation voiced its dismay as the Cats walked off the floor after losing 89-79 to a Arkansas team that had a 1-6 record in the SEC coming into Lexington.

“We needed to win a game, so it didn’t matter who it was against,” Calipari said. “I made it clear it was a privilege and an honor to coach here, we had 15 unbelievable years, a great run.”

Following the game, the visitors’ locker room was blasting music, celebrating their upset victory. A tradition that Calipari would let his Kentucky teams do after big wins.

“You know, we got a decent bit of W’s here, while we (were) here,” Thiero said. “So, it’s good to walk out of here with another win (for all the former Kentucky ties).”

To make matters worse for Wildcat fans: Ivisic, Wagner and Thiero combined for 52 points and decommits Billy Richmond III and Karter Knox scored 14 together. Collectively, these players with Kentucky connections scored 66 of Arkansas’ 79 points.

“Nobody wants to come back to where you were at for a long time, (where he was) winning there; nobody wants to come back and (get a) boo,” Thiero said. “So, getting that (win) we had to do that for (Calipari), he’s always had our backs and tonight I felt like we really had to have his.”

Kentucky will head south for its next matchup against the No. 23 Ole Miss Rebels in Oxford, Mississippi, on Tuesday, Feb. 4. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET with live coverage by ESPN.