Brad Calipari returns to Rupp Arena, but this time to play against Kentucky in Detroit Mercy uniform

By Keith Taylor
Kentucky Today

Brad Calipari will play against his dad for the first time next season.

Calipari, a graduate senior at Detroit Mercy, will make a return trip to Rupp Arena, this time as a player when the Titans meet Kentucky on Nov. 13 in Lexington. The contest is part of the Bluegrass Showcase, featuring the University of Richmond and Hartford.

Brad Calipari played for his dad (UK head coach John Calipari) for three years (one as a redshirt) before transferring last season. He played in 27 games last season at Detroit Mercy and made six starts.

The younger Calipari averaged 6.1 points per game last season and shot a team-high 38 percent from behind the arc for Detroit Mercy. He also connected on 46 shots from 3-point range.

Detroit Mercy is coached by Mike Davis, who succeeded Bobby Knight at Indiana University nearly 20 years ago. Kentucky hasn’t played the Titans since an 86-46 win at Rupp Arena in 1983.

Kentucky will host Hartford on Nov. 17 and conclude play in the event against Richmond on Nov. 23. The Wildcats are 1-1 all-time against Detroit Mercy and own a 1-0 lead in the series with Hartford.

UK will meet Richmond for the first time in school history. The Spiders were eyeing an NCAA Tournament berth last season before the COVID-19 pandemic. At 24-7, Richmond ranked 38th in the final NCAA Evaluation Tool rankings.

Richmond could return virtually its entire team if juniors Jacob Gilyard, Blake Francis and Grant Golden withdraw from the NBA Draft. All three announced in early April they were entering their names in the draft while maintaining their eligibility.

Keith Taylor is sports editor for Kentucky Today. Reach him at keith.taylor@kentuckytoday.com or twitter @keithtaylor21.