You have to give John Calipari credit for finding a foolproof way to avoid extending his streak of failures in the early rounds of the NCAA tournaments.
You can’t get Gohlked again if you’re watching from the couch.
Arkansas is in great danger of missing the NCAA Tournament in Calipari’s highly anticipated debut season after an uneventful non-league performance and a nightmare start in the SEC. The preseason No. 16 Razorbacks lost 78-74 at LSU on Tuesday night to fall to 11-6 overall and 0-4 in the SEC.
It was worrying when then-No. 1 Tennessee beat Arkansas by 24 in Knoxville on the first Saturday in January. The warning signs became more ominous when the Razorbacks followed up with back-to-back home losses against nationally ranked Ole Miss and Florida last week. Now it’s a time of complete panic in Hog Country after Arkansas went to Baton Rouge for an apparent make-or-break game against one of the only non-NCAA SEC tournament contenders and somehow lost it too .
Despite playing without its third and fourth leading scorers due to injury, LSU erased deficits of 12 points late in the first half and eight points a few minutes into the second half. The Tigers (12-5, 1-3) built a nine-point lead with less than five minutes remaining, then withstood a full-court press and a late scoring burst from Arkansas freshman standout Boogie Fland, to close the victory. .
Calipari postgame press conference Tuesday night was reminiscent of many he delivered after losses at the end of his tenure at Kentucky. He took the blame for not preparing his team well enough, but offered few details about the adjustments he intended to make.
On two occasions, Calipari told reporters in Baton Rouge: “I have to do a better job with my team.” He later described himself as disappointed in “not being able to get to these guys” and stated that “I might have to drag them to the finish line in some of these close games.”
There’s still time for Arkansas to dig itself out of this midseason hole, but the Razorbacks’ path to the NCAA tournament is uphill and full of obstacles. A neutral-court win over Michigan is Arkansas’ only win in Quadrant 1 or 2 this season in seven times. The Razorbacks’ second-best win of the season is… Lipscomb? Troy? Maybe the 4-13 ACC Miami doormat?
The SEC’s historic strength could be Arkansas’ salvation or demise. On the one hand, there are still plenty of chances for big wins in a league with nine teams in the current AP Top 25. by Ken Pomeroythe Razorbacks will only be favorites in five of their remaining 14 conference games. At this point, Arkansas is more likely to finish in the bottom third of the SEC than make the NCAA tournament.
The fact that Calipari’s former program is flourishing in his absence only highlights Arkansas’ struggles. Kentucky coach Mark Pope did not inherit a single returning player from Calipari, yet the roster he rebuilt on the fly through the transfer portal is 14-3 overall and 3-1 in the SEC . Powered by its sleek, modern offense, Kentucky boasts impressive wins over Duke, Gonzaga, Louisville, Florida, Mississippi State and Texas A&M. If the season ended today, the Wildcats would be no worse than a third-place finish in the NCAA tournament.
Deep-pocketed Arkansas backers envisioned a similar outcome when they spent big money to lure Calipari from Kentucky last spring. The fresh start seemed to be beneficial for both parties, as Calipari needed an outlet from Lexington and Arkansas for a jolt of excitement.
Calipari’s tenure at Kentucky was perfect, until it wasn’t. For nearly a decade, he fulfilled Big Blue Nation’s wildest dreams. The revolving door of unique talent he recruited won SEC titles, made deep NCAA tournament appearances and even captured the 2012 national title. But the program that came within two wins of a historic 40-0 season in 2015 never He approached those heights again. The atmosphere in Lexington became especially toxic after Calipari’s Wildcats lost to 15th-seeded St. Peters in the first round of the 2022 NCAA tournament and to 14th-seeded Oakland last year.
What observers have learned since then is that a new beginning requires more than a change of direction and an influx of red jackets and zip-up sweaters. You can’t hire a 65-year-old coach, allow him to bring in a variety of longtime assistants, and then expect different results.
Armed with a war chest of NIL money that few other programs could match, Calipari assembled a roster that neither fits well with each other nor adapts to the modern game. Fland and fellow perimeter players DJ Wagner, Johnell Davis and Karter Knox can hit a 3-pointer, but they are better with the ball in their hands attacking downhill. The spacing gets worse with forward Adou Thiero and center Jonas Aidoo together in the attacking zone, as neither is a threat from 3-point range.
Arkansas is shooting 33.7% from behind the arc as a team and ranks 248th nationally in percentage of points scored from 3-point range. Opposing defenses can afford to clog driving lanes, pile up paint and challenge the Razorbacks to take contested jumpers early in the shot clock.
The hallmark of Calipari’s best Kentucky teams were long, athletic defenses that aggressively pursued three-point shooters but left nothing easy at the rim. This Arkansas team is better defensively than some of Calipari’s most recent Kentucky teams, but it commits too many fouls and gives up too many second-chance points to make up for the Razorbacks’ offensive woes.
Against LSU, it didn’t help that a tough decision was made against Arkansas at a key moment in the second half. LSU led 53-52 when the referees called this a flagrant foul against Arkansas’ Trevon Brazile. The Razorbacks trailed 58-52 when they got the ball back.
How will Arkansas respond to a dismal start in SEC play made worse by the loss to LSU? With effort and energy, says Calipari, despite a difficult schedule. Arkansas visits Missouri on Saturday and then hosts Georgia and Oklahoma. Showdowns with Kentucky, Alabama, Auburn, Texas and Texas A&M await in February.
“I told them after the game, ‘I’m not going to break down, so let’s move on,’” Calipari said Tuesday.
The Razorbacks have no choice.
Either they turn around their disappointing season now, or Calipari’s debut campaign in Fayetteville will end before the NCAA tournament.