“It’s even stupider because Arkansas has now become dangerous”: NCAA analyst credits John Calipari’s team after Alabama clash
NCAA analyst Jeff Goodman praised John Calipari's team for its amazing comeback against Alabama on Saturday. Although they lost, the team showed that it could compete with the best in college basketball.
The Arkansas Razorbacks' recent performance has caught Goodman's attention. He gave credit to Calipari’s team on Sunday in "The Field Of 68: After Dark" podcast on YouTube, alongside Rob Dauster and Mike LaTulip.
"It's even stupider (how good the SEC is) because Arkansas has now become, you know, dangerous over the last, like, week and a half, you know, where before it was almost, like, honestly, you were kind of circling Arkansas and being like 'All right, they're kind of a dead team,' but, I'm telling you, it's crazy to say since Boogie Fland went out, and Nelly Davis became Nelly Davis again, and it's funny, Mike had a great point.
"We're watching the end of that game tonight, and, Mike said at the end of the game, they inbounded the ball to Nelly, and he gave the ball up right away, instead of keeping it in, as a 90% free-throw shooter, he gave it to Big Z (Zvonimir Ivisic) who missed, I think, the first of two at that point." (0:32-1:36)
The NCAA pundit praised the Arkansas team, describing them as "dangerous" and highlighting their impressive comeback against Alabama, a team widely regarded as one of the most talented in the country.
Goodman also commended them for refusing to give up and for staying competitive throughout the game.
Arkansas' most recent victories came against the then No. 12 Kentucky Wildcats and the Texas Longhorns. However, they lost the hard-fought matchup to the Crimson Tide on Saturday.
Calipari’s team finding its feet
After a tough start to the season, the Arkansas Razorbacks refused to throw in the towel and have instead shown determination to turn their season around.
Despite their efforts, Calipari's team has struggled, sitting in 14th place in the Southeastern Conference standings with a 14-9 (3-7) record this season.
The Razorbacks had a narrow defeat to the No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide in their last game, falling 85-81. After trailing 40-34 at halftime, they mounted a strong comeback in the second half, outscoring Alabama 47-45, but ultimately came up just short.
Calipari's men will look to bounce back from the defeat when they face the LSU Tigers on Wednesday at the Bud Walton Arena. They are 3-2 in their last five games.