Any joy that sparked the Arkansas Razorbacks (11-5, 0-4 SEC) to another good start in hope of getting their first conference win of the season at the Pete Maravich Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Tuesday, dissipated with a 22-8 run by the home-standing LSU Tigers (12-5, 1-3 SEC) to close the first half of play. The run erased a 12-point Razorback lead and gave LSU a 36-34 lead at the half.
Arkansas' hopes of getting out of Baton Rouge with its first conference win of the season were revived early in the second half with a 9-0 run to go up by eight points, but LSU would run off 11 straight points to take control of the game and hold on in the final seconds for a 78-74 win to steal Arkansas' joy.
Everything John Calipari said after loss to LSU
"I thought we played (with) more joy than we have," Arkansas coach John Calipari said after the game. "I know I coached that way, but just like I said, I've got to do a better job. I told (the team) after the game, 'I'm not cracking.' So let's just keep going. Let's get ready for the next one. We got a day off tomorrow and two days in Missouri on the road, another road game."
Arkansas may need the extra day of preparation as Missouri did what Arkansas could not by going on the road and hanging on for an 83-82 win over a No. 5-ranked Florida Gators team which beat the Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena this past Saturday.
Physicality's better but still a problem
"They outscrapped us," Calipari said of LSU. "They trapped us, beat us to some balls and made some big time plays. I gotta do a better job with my team. We get up 12 again. This is the third or fourth game (that has happened this season). We get up 12, and all of a sudden, you turn around and it's you know...
"I thought we were prepared for that moment, but we just made couple turnovers and missed shots. I'll watch the tape, but they out scrapped us. We did some half decent stuff, but not enough."
Despite having five players score in double figures — led by Boogie Fland's 19, Adou Thiero's 13, Jonas Aidoo's 12, D.J. Wagner and Johnell Davis with 10 each, Arkansas couldn't overcome the Tigers who were led by 27 points from Cam Carter and 17 from Jordan Sears. Theiro and Aidoo had 10 rebounds each for Arkansas to record double doubles while LSU was led inside by 10 rebounds and seven points from Daimion Collins.
"He blocked shots and did stuff, and, you know, we were trying to do some stuff to post him up, but, you know, we weren't able to deliver the ball at times," Calipari said of Collins who he coached at his previous stop leading the Kentucky Wildcats. "I I thought Jonas did a good job rebounding. He and Adou both had double rebounds and double doubles.
Troubles at the charity stripe
"But, again, you know, you gotta get to the foul line, and we are a team that normally gets to the foul line. We just didn’t this game. Collins, probably had more than most."
Arkansas improved on their foul shooting of late by making at 11-of-13 from the charity stripe in the game. However the Hogs were outdone by the home team making 26 of their 28 attempts from the foul line.
Looking to the 14 games left in SEC play, Calipari continued to take responsibility for another disappointing start to conference play for the University of Arkansas basketball program. The 0-4 start is Arkansas' first such start since before Calipari joined the SEC at Kentucky in 2008.
However it is not particularly atypical. In the past seven years, Arkansas has started 0-3, 1-5, 0-3, 2-6, 3-1, 1-4 and 1-4 to begin SEC play. Three of those years — two under Calipari's predecessor Eric Musselman 2021 and 2022 and one under Mike Anderson 2018 — Arkansas went on to winning records in the league and advance in the NCAA Tournament.
Can Calipari pull off a similar feat in his first year with the program?
"I'm just disappointed in myself that I'm not getting through to get these guys where we have to get over the hump," the increasingly beleaguered Naismith Hall of Fame coach added. "I may have to drag them to the finish line in some of these games. And if I have to coach that way, I will. I'm trying to create space and give them opportunities."