Ranked opponents, ranked problems! Arkansas Razorbacks, under Hall of Fame coach John Calipari, have now dropped their third straight conference game, this time to the eighth-ranked Florida Gators. And while fans are understandably frustrated, Coach Cal seems to be deflecting the heat by drawing parallels to none other than the NBA’s defending champions, the Boston Celtics.
In his post-game comments, Calipari remarked, “Teams go through this. I think there’s an NBA team everybody’s screaming about right now. Celtics.” For context, the Celtics, valued at $6 billion (per Forbes), endured a rough December, losing four of seven games despite winning the 2024 NBA championship.
Although they are back on track to defend their title, Cal’s point was even the most celebrated teams hit rough patches. But he isn’t brushing aside Arkansas’s struggles entirely. He admitted, “This stretch could keep going for a while, and I got to be stronger than them. I got to let them know this is all part of it.”
Well, let’s just say it’s both hopeful and concerning, given Arkansas’ current predicament. But it’s worth noting that Arkansas’s three SEC losses have all come against ranked teams. First, there was the defeat against No. 1 Tennessee, then a stumble versus No. 23 Ole Miss, and now the loss to No. 8 Florida.
The veteran coach said in the post-game conference, “That was a top-10 team. We did good stuff to them. We created good shots and good opportunities at the rim and free throws. We did some good stuff, not enough.” And everything boils down to ‘it wasn’t enough’.
Florida’s offense wasn’t exactly at its best, yet the Razorbacks couldn’t capitalize. Arkansas shot a dismal 30% from the field, hitting just 18 of 60 attempts. At one point, they were 1-of-11 on layups. Even the basics seemed out of reach, and they fell 71-63.
Florida’s defense deserves credit, but the Razorbacks made it easy. Amid the technical shortcomings, Calipari believes Arkansas’s biggest issue isn’t tactics or talent. It’s, surprisingly, the emotion.
Emotional reset! John Calipari believes emotion is key to Arkansas’ turnaround
“He dunks it, goes to the crowd, goes crazy. Why isn’t that us?” Calipari said, referencing a highlight left-handed dunk by D.J. Wagner that totally energized the team. “Why aren’t you absolutely excited about playing?”
Coach put forward simple demands. “Just defend, dive on the floor, talk, be a great teammate, chest bump, get everybody going, and you’ll bounce out of that,” he said as he confessed they haven’t learned that yet. And honestly, Arkansas’s challenges go beyond their shooting woes, including the coach’s shortcoming that frustrates the fandom.
The team is still trying to come together after being limited to just five players during preseason practices. The coach has lamented the lack of scrimmages and the inability to gel as a unit. Seniors Jonas Aidoo and Johnell Davis are trying to step up as leaders but are still in the learning phase.
“We got to be more vocal,” Aidoo said. This is leading to seemingly easy plays that feel insurmountable. To address these issues, Cal hinted at lineup changes, possibly opting for a bigger but less effective shooting lineup featuring Aidoo and Trevon Brazile.
But the first button to press, according to him, is an emotional reset. Without that, the technical fixes might not matter. And while Arkansas’s 11-5 record isn’t catastrophic, their 0-3 SEC start is troubling. Will they turn things around before sinking further?
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