4. Surviving the hunger games ahead
No one knows better than Calipari what awaits his team in 2025 SEC play. Losing their front running status maybe just what the doctor ordered. Cal's Hogs needed to work up an appetite and play hungry — starting this Saturday with noon-time commencement ceremonies at Thompson Bolding Arena.
The infatuation with having a hall of fame coach and a highly-regarded recruiting class may have deceived most observers inside Arkansas into thinking their new coach and cast of players would be the envy of the SEC. Outside of Arkansas however most observers looked at the match between Calipari and the Razorbacks a bunch of has beens on the rebound.
Cal's Hogs have since recovered some of their street cred thanks to a win over a then-ranked Michigan team in Ann Arbor. However when asked about how much that win could carry over into SEC play, the usually loquacious don of college basketball hyperventilated and was at a complete loss for words.
In both pre-conference losses at Baylor and Illinois, Arkansas played like front runners and never led. They fell down by double digits early. They rallied enough to keep the final score respectable but seemed perplexed that the Bears and Illini were not as impressed by Cal and company simply showing up.