Arkansas's Coach John Calipari Appreciates New Opportunity Following underwhelming NCAA Tournament Performances at Kentucky
Arkansas's Coach John Calipari Appreciates New Opportunity Following underwhelming NCAA Tournament Performances at Kentucky
As Arkansas head coach Eric Calipari exited the press room at Madison Square Garden post-win against Michigan on Tuesday night, he showcased his phone. Ex-player Karl-Anthony Towns, now with the New York Knicks and previously coached by Calipari at Kentucky, was on the line.
"He never stops talking," Calipari stated. "He's chattered his entire life."
Calipari alerted Towns that the media were privy to their conversation.
"Fantastic – they'll be eager to listen," Towns replied. "I saw your big guys sinking 3's. I'm curious, what caused this sudden transformation? It appears you had a spiritual awakening."
Calipari reproached Towns, asserting he could sink free throws but "you struggled with pick-and-roll defense. That hasn't changed" before adding "you're bothersome" and "you know I adore you."
The friendly exchanges showcased a lighter side of Calipari, who has faced criticism for underperforming, particularly in the NCAA tournament. After 15 years with Kentucky, Calipari left for the Arkansas coaching position in April, offering him a fresh start at age 65.
Arkansas has displayed its talent this season but has also revealed its lack of unity on certain occasions, which is understandable given the team only includes one returning player (forward Trevon Brazile) who battled injuries and sickness.
On Tuesday night, the Razorbacks trailed No. 14 Michigan by 15 points in the initial half before storming back to take an 18-point lead halfway through the second half. Michigan whittled down their deficit to just 1, but missed a buzzer-beating shot, securing Arkansas's 2-point victory, its biggest so far this season.
Calipari regretted Michigan making 57.6% of their field goals and 44.4% of their 3-pointers post-game. He also voiced dissatisfaction with Arkansas falling short on their free throws, following a trend which includes 11 missed free throws in a 90-77 loss against Illinois on Thanksgiving at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Arkansas's other loss was on Nov. 9, when Baylor triumphed at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.
“We’re not there yet,” Calipari said. “We've got some players who don't perform well if they’re not playing well for their team. We’ll overcome this, but this win was pleasant.”
Arkansas started the season at position 16 in the Associated Press poll, however, fell out due to the Illinois loss. Despite having a depleted roster, Calipari claimed the team had only practiced together twice due to injuries, revealing that at one point during the season they were left with just 5 healthy players.
In each of its 10 games, Arkansas has fielded four guards: freshman Boogie Fland and transfers D.J. Wagner (Kentucky), Adou Thiero (Kentucky) and Johnell Davis (Florida Atlantic). Thiero leads the team with 18 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, while Fland follows up with 11 points per game. Wagner scores 9.8 points per game, and Davis, averaging 9 points per game and shooting 45.2% from the field, has seen a significant drop compared to last season's performance of 18.2 points per game and 48.3% shots made.
Davis, a preseason third-team All-American by CBS and Fox Sports, scored only 6 points on 2-of-8 attempts during the Jimmy V Classic. However, Calipari expressed confidence, stating "he's going to improve" and "he'll be alright." Fland (20 points and 7 assists) and Wagner (16 points and 5 assists) took the frontline, but the Razorbacks still weren't at full strength as reserves Zvonimir Ivisic and Billy Richmond III were affected by the flu.
“We haven't even tapped our potential,” Calipari said. “We’ve got to practice together. We’ve got to get healthy.”
Arkansas faces Central Arkansas (ranked 335th out of 364 Division 1 teams in Ken Pomeroy's rankings) next, earlier this Saturday, followed by North Carolina A&T (308th) and Oakland (184th). The following competition will be against No. 1 Tennessee on Jan. 4, marking their Southeastern Conference opener. Tennessee has clinched each of its games this season by at least 13 points.
Tennessee is among the nine SEC teams in this week's AP top 25, alongside No. 2 Auburn, No. 5 Kentucky, No. 7 Alabama, No. 9 Florida, No. 12 Oklahoma, No. 17 Texas A&M, No. 19 Ole Miss and No. 25 Mississippi State. This season the league's teams have won 87.5% of their matches, boasting a 133-19 record, and are 17-7 against teams ranked in the AP top 25.
Typically, as a coach, you'd be thinking, "Alright, did we manage some victories in this league?'" Calipari explained. But then he started contemplating, "Are we the win itself?" due to our play for a while. Maybe they're thinking, "Jeez, we're facing Arkansas. Thank goodness for that." But there are no easy victories. I can scan the league from top to bottom...They're telling me this is like SEC baseball now, where it doesn't matter who you play - losing is a possibility for all. And that might just be the case.
Calipari, who was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015, has an impressive record, having won 863 games in his career, more than any active Division 1 men’s coach and tied for the eighth spot all-time. Alongside Rick Pitino, he's one of the few men’s coaches to guide three teams to Final Four appearances. In 2012, Calipari even led Kentucky to the national championship.
However, his recent performance hasn't been as remarkable. Since 2019, Calipari has only won one NCAA tournament game. In 2021, Kentucky was left out of the tournament, while in 2022 and 2024, they lost in the first round as a No. 2 and No. 3 seed respectively.
After Arkansas coach Eric Musselman decided to depart for USC last season, Arkansas set their sights on Calipari, who accepted a five-year, $35 million deal. Calipari enjoys the support of prominent backers such as billionaire John Tyson, chairman of Tyson Foods with a net worth of $2.9 billion, according to Our Website; Johnelle Hunt, co-founder of a transportation company with a net worth of $4.6 billion; and Warren Stephens, founder of the Stephens Inc. investment bank with a net worth of $3.4 billion.
"At this point in my life and career, this was ideal," Calipari declared. "The opening page of a new book, and it’s an adventure. I’m going to have fun and enjoy it. I’m happy. Do I look happy? Even if we lost, I'd question if I'd be happy. But throughout the game, I'm happy. I love coaching this group. I’ve got a job to do."
Calipari discussed the financial backing of his new position at Arkansas, stating, "I'm fortunate to have the support of influential figures like John Tyson, Johnelle Hunt, and Warren Stephens, who believe in the business potential of sports and money in this league."
In light of Arkansas's recent victory over Michigan, Calipari expressed his enthusiasm for the sports money aspect, mentioning, "This victory against such a formidable opponent has the potential to bring significant business opportunities, further cementing the association between business and sports in the SEC."