Ark.’s Fayetteville John Calipari, the coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks, was worried about whether his team accomplished enough to qualify for the NCAA Tournament on Sunday.
The public was repeatedly reminded by a number of national college basketball reporters and pundits that Arkansas would have to play tight if it were to advance to the 68-point tournament. Some even assumed that declaring the return of freshman guard Boogie Fland brought the argument to a head.
No, that shouldn’t be the case at all. After the calendar turned to February, Arkansas updated their inspirational self-help article with a decisive victory over Kentucky inside Rupp Arena. The win wasn’t a coincidence, as Calipari led his team to an 8-5 record in their last 13 games while shooting 35% from three-point range, largely without their two top scorers.
Many of the teams that Arkansas had defeated in the previous forty-five days heard their names announced as the CBS broadcast’s minutes went by. As the last SEC team to be revealed, the Razorbacks had to wait more than half an hour, but it wasn’t that close.
“We struggled early, and my teams have struggled early in the past, but not like that,” Calipari stated on Sunday. “But these kids learn some really excellent life lessons from this, like sticking together, overcoming adversity, and realizing that your struggle is with yourself.
“The ability to declare, ‘Well, we’re in the tournament.'” [Providence] will not be easy. We’re in, even if it might be the most difficult.
The majority of the Calipari teams he has put together in the last 20 years are younger than this Arkansas squad. Naturally, Trevon Brazile, Adou Thiero, Jonas Aidoo, and Johnell Davis are all seasoned upperclassmen who were supposed to provide the foundation. The only issue is that they were all accessible only a few times.
At Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Arkansas Razorbacks forward Jonas Aidoo plays against the Texas Longhorns. / Nilsen Roman -Hogs on SI Pictures
“Injuries are the biggest thing you can’t plan for,” Calipari stated. “The events involving Jonas, including his four-month absence and the need for surgery. The incident in which Nelly fell from the golf cart? Spending so much time out? Then Adou appeared out of nowhere. Then Boogie appeared out of nowhere. Both of your top scorers are out. You can’t foresee everything.”
Over the last five to six months, his club has struggled immensely to find its footing since none of its key players have been healthy for an extended length of time. The squad lost by an average of nine points per game, made 37% of its field goal attempts, and shot a dismal 25% from three as they faltered through January, finishing 1-6 in the SEC.
Any team in the nation, regardless of age, skill, or experience, would have struggled to sort things out and ultimately let go of the rope. As an alternative, Arkansas stayed the course in Year 1 and chose to follow Calipari’s advice to “refuse to lose.”
The Razorbacks, who rank No. 20 in KenPom’s college basketball efficiency rankings, are among the NCAA Tournament’s top defensive teams. Arkansas needs to bring additional defense before traveling to Providence, Rhode Island, even though shots don’t often fall in neutral site venues.
Calipari declared, “We’re the youngest team in the SEC.” Yes, we are older in my opinion than some of my previous squads. However, our crew is still young. We protect, you see. All of that is what we do. We simply go through phases when we don’t make baskets.
The main focus of Calipari’s Sunday topic was how his team bounced back after a couple weeks of poor play. The Hogs are glad they’re in and prepared to battle through one of the most difficult sets of games in the NCAA Tournament bracket, even though it ultimately affected seeding.
Calipari remarked, “[The teams] was great in practice today, terrific,” They were conversing with each other and acting appropriately; there was a vibe about them. The other one assures you lose, but that doesn’t guarantee you win. Thus, they’re doing appropriately.
On Thursday, March 20, at 6:10 p.m. CT, No. 7 seed Kansas will play No. 10 seed Arkansas. The victor of the match will face the winner of Omaha, ranked No. 15, and St. John’s, ranked No. 2.
