Arkansas just played its best game of the season. As 10.5 underdog to Kentucky, the Razorbacks flipped the script and won by 10, beating the Cats in John Calipari's homecoming, 89-79.
While there's a long way to go before this team earns an NCAA tournament bid, tonight felt like the first step. The Razorbacks took the court at Rupp Arena to boos and jeer, which in hindsight, might have fueled their performance. Arkansas started the game with four 3-points, while Kentucky nipped at its heels with deep shots of its own.
The first half looked like two heavyweight fighters trading haymakers, but the Hogs went into halftime up by one point. It was explosive, and luckily for the Razorbacks, it didn't go away in the locker room. Arkansas came out with a 13-2 run, catalyzed by an Alley-oop from DJ Wagner to Adou Thiero (how poetic).
For the next 16 minutes, Arkansas kept the Wildcats at arm's length. Kentucky had a few runs, but it couldn't stop the Hogs offense, forcing BBN to head for the doors early and making ESPN look silly for not choosing the game for College GameDay.
Kentucky fans hitting the exits early. Calipari just pantsed BBN in his old building. Wow. pic.twitter.com/RiA9WGcOE3
— SEC Unfiltered (@SECUnfiltered) February 2, 2025
Three players either scored 20 points or were within three of hitting the mark. Johnell Davis, Thiero, and Wagner scored 18, 21, and 17 points, respectively. However, on a night when Arkansas rained threes all game long, nearly doubling its season average in makes, it was Zvonimir Ivisic who led the team with four.
Whether it was the break Arkansas needed to turn the ship around or an anomaly, it feels amazing to be a Hog fan at this moment. As the Razorbacks beat a relatively new rival, they'll make a trip to Austin, TX, to play an old rival but new SEC opponent in Texas, where they'll face another former Hog, Tramon Mark.