Winning a Kentucky derby means little to Hog fans without victory at Texas

Now that the blue-blooded basketball snobs in Lexington Kentucky have gotten their comeuppance once again, let’s take this opportunity to speak on behalf of those in Razorback Nation who love Arkansas more than we hate Kentucky.

While the butt-hurt prognosticators console themselves by telling everyone willing to listen that Saturday’s 89-79 Razorback win at Rupp Arena was “Arkansas’ Super Bowl,” the reality is winning a regular-season game at Kentucky is what it always is — an appetizer.

As the old adage goes, “The race goes not to the swiftest, but to the one who endures to the end.” All Saturday’s win did was pull Arkansas to within two games of the 'Mild' cats and a game-and-a-half behind the Texas Longhorns at the halfway mark of an SEC, which a consensus considers the “toughest conference in the country.” Some say EVER.

Winning a Kentucky Derby?

Of course, the game also meant a great deal to former Kentucky coach John Calipari, his current players who followed him from Kentucky to Arkansas and the Big Blue fans they left behind. It meant so much in fact, it should be dubbed the unofficial 2025 Kentucky Derby. After all, Calipari spent 15 years at Kentucky — winning a national champion and going to three Final Fours.

On Saturday, the college basketball world all beheld what it meant to those — in Kentucky and around the country — who worship at the alter of "Big Blue Nation." What didn’t show prior to Saturday was how much it meant for Calipari and company to play for Razorback Nation.

Arkansas fans were as ecstatic as anyone to see their Hogs get a breakthrough win in SEC play, but the question remains. What took so long? And can we get y'all to play that way at Austin...at College Station...in Nashville...on the plains of Auburn, Ala., or for that matter, in Bud Walton Arena?

Since joining the SEC in 1992, Arkansas has probably hung more L’s on BBN than any other SEC rival. That includes four of the first six in the series to go with four of the last seven. Getting the win in his first trip back to Lexington since coming to The Hill in Fayetteville was a nice feather in Cal’s cap. However, true aficionados of Razorback basketball understand this isn’t all about Calipari. It's too much about the entitlement of Kentucky's big blue ego.

Writing an new chapter at Arkansas

After an excruciatingly slow start to the opening leg of his first SEC run at Arkansas, Calipari’s Hogs have shown of late the type of fight Razorback Nation expects. After losing freshman point guard sensation Boogie Fland to a season-ending injury, Calipari has done what great coaches do. He's doing what great Arkansas coaches do. He’s finding a way to win with what he has.

Since losing Fland, Calipari and his much-maligned coaching staff have revamped their offensive approach by running it through veteran transfer guard Johnell Davis. Davis took his previous teams at Florida Atlantic on deep NCAA Tournament runs, and running a system which caters to his strengths — rather than the NBA style offense the staff traditionally favors — has allowed each member of the remaining rotation to settle into the roles that fit them best.

DJ Wagner, a former No. 1 rated player coming out of high school, finally seemed to accept his role as a pass-first-shoot-second distributor against Kentucky. The result was a season-high in assists (8) and points (17 — all in the second half) vs his former team. Fellow Kentucky transfer and team leader in scoring and rebounding Adou Thiero is likewise embracing his role as an energizing slasher who gets to the line and helps out on the boards.

Likewise, freshman Karter Knox is finding his rhythm, battling for lose balls and rebounds then channeling that success into made shots from deep and the charity stripe. Under-utilized and more talented fellow-freshman Billy Richmond is starting to learn similar lessons.

Problems persist in the paint

In the front court, Arkansas still can use all the help it can get. The emerging version of Calipari's Razorbacks still have a persisting area of concern: rebounding and defending the post where opposing centers have registered some of their best games against Arkansas.

Arkansas’ lone returnee Trevin Brazile and Kentucky transfer Zvonimir Ivisc are pulling their weight — more from outside than in. Big Z provides some handy rim protection, but like Brazile often gets bullied in the paint — even by shorter opposition at times.

Calipari desperately needs someone to do the job Tennessee transfer Jonas Aidoo was brought in to do. That’s the final piece for Cal and company to figure out. If Aidoo can heal from whatever is ailing him, Calipari just may "drag this team over the finish line" and get back into the post season tournament conversation.

A run at redemption

Since losing Fland and making the changes, the Razorbacks have won two of three and easily could be on a three-game win streak. That’s if Davis — still shaky from trying to play second-fiddle to a freshman in the backcourt — had either went to the basket with confidence in the final seconds against Oklahoma or deferred to an open Wagner. Davis did neither and still has some living up to billing of his own to do.

In order to make up for losing three of their first four home games, Arkansas — as a team — needs to do at Texas what they did at Kentucky. Another win would go a long ways to re-fitting Calipari's Hogs with some dancing shoes.

The win at Rupp was a welcome sight for sure, but it hardly redeems Calipari — nor the team — for the uninspired efforts we all saw going into his own personal Kentucky derby. As many local and national observers have stated it was a big moment for Calipari and the players who followed him from Kentucky.

They all brought their A-games to Lexington on Saturday. But with Wednesday’s game at Austin on tap against another of Arkansas’ most historic rivals, enquiring minds still want to know, "Was the team we saw Saturday playing to spite Kentucky? Is it asking to much to get that inspired play for Arkansas — if not yourselves?"

Appointment at Austin

Welp. There’s no time like the present, and Calipari and his players should understand. It’s time to play for Razorback Nation.

Forget Kentucky. We're on to Austin.

Our basketball rivalry with these Longhorn runs deeper than Kentucky — and unlike Kentucky — there's bad blood from football adding fuel to this fire.

We’re not trying to prove Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian right when he said before his team’s foray season into the SEC this year that, “It seems like Arkansas fans hate Texas more than they love Arkansas.” We understand feeling some type of way about Kentucky, but where is the love for Arkansas?

Despite what folks in Kentucky (and evidently a lot of Arkansas fans as well) tend to forget, Arkansas has had Hall of Fame coaches, top recruiting classes, top transfer classes, Final Fours and an NCAA Championship appearances before Calipari. That's old hat to Razorbackers who know their history.

We are no more impressed with winning a Kentucky derby than a trifecta at Oaklawn. We expect to win as much as any blue blood in the country, and nothing makes ours boil like losing to the Texas Longhorns.

No fear wearing Razorback red

It would be nice to see Calipari rekindle that same fire he found to do his pre-game pressers and shoot arounds that he suddenly rediscovered before Kentucky going into Austin. The same fearless focus and determination Calipari’s Hogs found against the Cats needs to be fanned further into a fire that burns a trail through the SEC the rest of the way.

Calipari’s predecessor, Eric Musselman, made a name for himself, recovering from slow burns in January to get hot in February and March. Those teams played their best basketball just in time for some for March Madness. And make no mistake, Calipari was brought here to do better.

Sure. The blue bloods have high standards, but so does Razorback Nation.

Whether Texas is more talented or better coached than Kentucky remains to be seen. But what we saw on Saturday proved one thing: Arkansas is more talented and better coached than Kentucky and most of the teams they’ve played this season. There maybe teams genuinely more talented or better coached than Arkansas ahead, but that's never stopped us from beating them before.

This basketball season is not over until it is over for the Arkansas Razorbacks. Thanks to the win at Kentucky, there remains a possibility of writing the remarkable story Calipari prophesied. They just have to do it for themselves and for Arkansas — not to spite Kentucky.