Arkansas basketball's season came to an abrupt end on Thursday night after blowing a massive lead against Texas Tech in the Sweet Sixteen. It's hard for fans to look back at the season with fresh wounds, but it helps the healing process to put last night's game in context of the season as a whole.
In John Calipari's first year in Fayetteville, he and his Razorbacks took the fanbase on an almost sickening rollercoaster ride, going from the lowest of lows to the highest of highs game after game. But how exactly did the Hall of Famer do in his inaugural season at Arkansas?
Grading John Calipari's first season at Arkansas
Offensively, the Razorbacks weren't bad, especially down the stretch. But during the nonconference, Arkansas struggled to create rhythm with the ball in their hand. The one bright spot before Boogie Fland's injury was Michigan.
The 89 points scored against the Wolverines were spread out between Adou Thiero, Fland, and the players who inevitably brought Arkansas back to life: DJ Wagner, Jonas Aidoo, and Trevon Brazile. For whatever reason, Wagner, Aidoo, and Brazile (specifically the latter two) went completely missing between the Michigan game and Arkansas' second win over Texas. Before that, Adou Thiero carried the team on his shoulders until his injury against Missouri.
The Hogs' biggest weakness was their tendency to go cold from the floor for long periods of time, and it's one of the reasons Arkansas' season is over. With just under five minutes left Thursday night, Texas Tech went on a 16-3 run to tie the game.
Part of that lull in the offense stems from the Razorbacks' inability to hit 3-point shots at times. The half-court offense would stagnate, especially when they were tired, and Arkansas would settle for shots behind the line. If the Hogs made 25 percent of their misses in those situations, they probably would have won against Tech (shot 2/10 in the second half) and many more games this season.
With all that in mind, Arkansas still averaged 76.8 points a game, shooting 46 percent from the field. So, to put them any lower than a B- would be undeserving.
The bread and butter for the 2024-25 Arkansas basketball team was their defense. While their struggle on offense put the team behind more often than not, the defense always kept the Hogs within striking distance.
Averaging 71.4 points a game, Arkansas only gave up more than 75 points in regulation nine times this season. The length of Aidoo, Brazile, and Zvonimir Ivisic made it incredibly hard for teams in the paint. And while Arkansas started slow defending the 3-point line, by season's end, the Hogs' opponents averaged only 31 percent.
Finishing sixth in blocks (5.6) and averaging 7.5 steals per game, the Hogs were excellent at ending offensive possessions before the opposing team had a chance to shoot. But it's after they shot that proved difficult for the Razorbacks.
Arkansas finished ranked 214th in the country in rebound margin. With all the length that the Hogs boasted, it went to waste when the ball bounded off the rim. Even worst was all the offensive rebounds. Arkansas ranks 293rd out of 364 teams in offensive rebound (9.6) given up a game.
Although the ending to John Calipari's first season at Arkansas was heartbreaking and a little controversial, you can't grade his season performance on the final game. And what he's accomplished over the course of the season is nothing short of incredible.
To take a team that started 0-5 in conference play to the Sweet Sixteen is a coaching job not many in the country could do, even with the talent Arkansas had. And let's not forget that along the way to the Sweet Sixteen, Calipari had to defeat two of the most prolific winners in college basketball (Bill Self and Rick Pitino) to get there. Most importantly, he got the team to play through overwhelming adversity this season.
The main reason this isn't an A+ — apart from some frustrating in-game moves — is because Calipari put himself in that bind. The decision to only take nine scholarship players was a huge mistake. The injuries nearly ended Arkansas' season before it began. Instead of using it as an excuse, Coach Cal did everything he could to right the ship, and it paid off.
While the beginning and end of the season didn't play out the way Arkansas fans would've hoped, it was a great start to Calipari's tenure in Fayetteville. However, it's hard to say the Hogs overperformed with preseason expectations. If you started the expectations around January, then absolutely. But no matter how you look at the season, Arkansas at the very least met expectations. Calipari's set up the Razorbacks for success next season, which, for most coaches' first season, is all that's asked.
There are only two players out of eligibility (Aidoo and Davis). Potentially, Coach Cal could return most of this team for another year with a chance to build on this season. Thiero and Fland are most likely going pro, according to their draft outlooks, but crazier things have happened, so there's no need to give up hope. The biggest question marks are DJ Wagner, Trevon Brazile, and Big Z, who could do either, depending on the feedback they hear from the NBA.
Regardless, with the talent coming in, the Hogs should be primed for a comeback in season two of the Calipari ride.