John Calipari was not “in a good place” despite 65-49 win vs. Troy: “Need to teach these guys how to win”
Arkansas coach John Calipari expressed his frustration after his third game in charge of the Razorbacks, despite their 65-49 win on Wednesday night against Troy. Calipari was dissatisfied on the sidelines with the way No. 18-ranked Arkansas finished the matchup, where it missed two field goals and made three turnovers in the final 3:30.
“I was not in a good place in the locker room after the game,” Calipari said postgame. “And the reason is, I need to teach these guys how to win and how to finish games.
“You don’t come down and throw a lob pass out of bounds and throw a deep pass out of bounds. And to shoot a quick 3, with 2 minutes to go. Drive the wrong way, we’re running offense, you dribble the ball out of bounds.”
Despite everything, Arkansas put together a strong second half in its 16-point win at the Bud Walton Arena. Trailing by one at halftime, the Razorbacks outscored Troy 39-22 over the final 20 minutes. They also went on a 13-3 run over six minutes, extending their lead to 54-41 before calling a timeout with six minutes remaining.
Despite this, Calipari believes that if Arkansas finishes an SEC matchup the way it finished the Troy game, the team will likely lose.
“We’re not a great 3-point shooting team,” Calipari said. “If it’s contested at all, you should drive the ball. … But the end of the game, I was not happy at all.”
Calipari is still navigating his way with the Fayetteville-based school. The Razorbacks finished with a 16-17 record last year, falling to South Carolina in the second round of the SEC Tournament and failing to punch a ticket into March Madness.
After the season ended, coach Eric Musselman ended his five-year stint with Arkansas and accepted the vacant position with the USC Trojans. Calipari then signed with the program after a 15-year coaching job with Kentucky.
John Calipari hopes to build a winning culture with Arkansas
Last season, the Razorbacks tallied a 6-12 record in the Southeastern Conference, finishing in a tie for 11th place with the Georgia Bulldogs. It was also Arkansas' first losing season since 2009-10 after making deep runs into March Madness from 2021 to 2023.
Almost the entire Arkansas roster from the 2023-24 season either entered the transfer portal or graduated after the season, and with Musselman's departure for USC, the team faced a major overhaul. However, Arkansas made significant moves to reload for the 2024-2025 season.
Calipari’s arrival at Arkansas was followed by the additions of former Kentucky players D.J. Wagner, Adou Thiero and Zvonimir Ivisic. The Razorbacks also signed Johnell Davis, Jonas Aidoo and Melo Sanchez. In addition, they brought in six high school recruits from the 2024 class, including Boogie Fland, Karter Knox and Billy Richmond.
With Calipari on the sidelines, Arkansas hopes that it gets its second tournament championship, 30 years since lifting the trophy in 1994.
With the win over Troy, Arkansas currently holds a 2-1 record after splitting results with Lipscomb and Baylor. The Hogs host the next three games at home against Pacific (Monday), Little Rock (Nov. 22) and Maryland-Eastern Shore (Nov. 25).