John Calipari probably wanted a smoother ride in his first season with Arkansas basketball, but what matters is making the NCAA Tournament. That’s what the Razorbacks (19-12, 8-10 SEC) are poised to do after escaping with a 93-92 win over Mississippi State on Saturday.
Now the key is to not lose to South Carolina in the first round of the SEC Tournament on Wednesday. The Gamecocks (12-19, 2-16) are last in the conference but embarrassed Arkansas 72-53 on March 1 behind a 35-point explosion by sophomore guard Collin Murray-Boyles.
That loss was the wake-up call Arkansas needed, as it redeemed itself with a 90-77 road victory over Vanderbilt on Tuesday before Saturday’s win over the Bulldogs (20-11, 8-10 SEC). The Razorbacks were safely in Joe Lunardi’s tournament field as one of the last four byes before the Mississippi State game, so this latest Quad 2 win will boost them even more, via ESPN.
Still, the Hogs’ regular-season resume isn’t enough to guarantee them a bid if they lose twice to South Carolina. Their 5-9 record against Quad 1 opponents isn’t exceptional, with the 76-52 loss to Tennessee on Jan. 4, 83-65 loss to Missouri on Jan. 18, and 65-62 home defeat to Oklahoma on Jan. 25 all sticking out. Note that the Sooners are just 6-12 in Big 12 play.
Arkansas will at least get to avoid the Gamecocks’ home crowd this time, as the SEC Tournament will be in Nashville. There’s no excuse for the Hogs to lose on paper, as sophomore guard D.J. Wagner (10.7 PPG), senior guard Johnell Davis (11 PPG), and sophomore forward Zvonimir Ivisic (9.9 PPG) should provide enough firepower to beat the conference’s worst team, even without their top two scorers. Murray-Boyles largely carries South Carolina, although senior guard Jamarii Thomas (12.8 PPG) must be accounted for too.
Junior forward Adou Thiero (15.6 PPG) and freshman guard Boogie Fland (15.1 PPG) have each missed the last four games for the Hogs, and the latter underwent season-ending thumb surgery on Jan. 22. However, Arkansas is 3-1 over that span, including an 86-81 overtime victory over Texas on Feb. 26.
Calipari deserves credit for keeping the team short-handed team competitive. Still, the selection committee can only give so much grace if the Hogs suffer another bad loss.
John Calipari drops epic soundbite after Arkansas basketball’s win
The legendary coach was feeling himself on the postgame radio after his team’s thrilling win on Saturday, via Rivals’ Jackson Collier.
“Everyone put us in a coffin after 0-5… they just forgot the nails,” he said.
The Razorbacks lost their first five SEC games after going undefeated in December, a stunning collapse that would’ve doomed a lesser program. However, Calipari isn’t one to give up in January.
The three-time Naismith College Coach of the Year righted the ship in February, starting with an 89-79 road win over Kentucky at the top of the month, his first time facing the school where he made his legacy. Thiero, who played two seasons with the No. 19 Wildcats (21-10, 10-8 SEC), led with 21 points (5-10 FG, 1-3 3 PT) and tallied eight rebounds with three steals over 34 minutes.
Arkansas followed that up with two wins over Texas, a 70-58 victory over LSU on Feb. 12, and a 92-85 upset of Missouri on Feb. 22. Add those to the March wins, and the Hogs should be a No. 9 seed in March Madness if they handle business on Wednesday.
It’ll be hard to get far in the dance without Thiero, but Calipari has shown that he can squeeze every ounce of potential out of his roster.
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