Rick Pitino wants Kentucky to treat John Calipari like one of their own when he returns this week. Calipari will return to Rupp Arena for the first time since he left Kentucky to become the head coach at Arkansas in April of last year.

John Calipari will make his first visit to Rupp Arena on Saturday since leaving Kentucky for Arkansas. His longtime coaching rival wants Big Blue Nation to treat Calipari with respect.

FAYETTEVILLE — St. John's basketball coach Rick Pitino, who led Kentucky to a national championship at Kentucky in 1996, posted a video to social media Thursday morning with a plea to Big Blue Nation. Pitino asked Kentucky fans to give Arkansas coach John Calipari a standing ovation Saturday when he returns to the place he coached for 15 years.

Rick Pitino knows a thing or two about leaving Kentucky -- and returning. And now with John Calipari set to return to Rupp Arena with Arkansas on Saturday night (9 p.m., ESPN), the St. John’s coach has some advice on how Big Blue Nation should treat their former coach.