Undermanned Razorbacks talk winning through adversity, holding off Texas in OT

John Calipari has preached all season to the Southeastern Conference's youngest — and injury riddled — team that every player in the rotation must play well in order for them to reach their goals. With only seven players practically available in a pivotal rematch of teams on the NCAA Tournament bubble against the visiting Texas Longhorns (16-12, 5-10 SEC), Calipari's Arkansas Razorbacks (17-11, 6-9 SEC) had all five starters score in double figures to withstand a late Longhorn rally before sealing an 86-81 overtime win in Bud Walton Arena on Wednesday.

Everything said after the Razorbacks' win over Texas

"I thought coach Cal did a great job of subbing," Calipari's top assistant Kenny Payne told the media after the game. "It's a big adjustment. Cal is a believer that. Okay I got seven. You seven should be really happy because you're not coming out the game. You all have got to play and contribute.

"So that's our philosophy. That's his philosophy, and I thought every guy that came into the game gave us positive energy. They produced."

Sophomore transfers Zvonimir Ivisic and DJ Wagner led the way with 18 and 16 points respectively. Ivisic, a 7-2 center from Croatia, added seven rebounds while Wagner had five assists (and five turnovers) in his point guard role. Senior guard Johnell Davis chipped in with 14 points and four rebounds while freshman wing Karter Knox and senior forward Trevon Brazil had a dozen each.

The Battle of Brazile

Brazile, who has struggled to stay on the floor in recent games due to erratic play, finally put everything together with eight rebounds also in the game. In an inspiring coach move, Calipari inserted Brazile into the starting lineup in place of the team's leading scorer and rebounder Adou Thiero who was reportedly out with a back injury.

Brazile, who has battled through injuries himself in his career, tested the NBA waters a season ago before deciding to come back to Arkansas as the program's only returner in Calipari's first year with the program. He came through Wednesday when his team needed him most. He said afterwards that having an opportunity to play through his mistakes was all the difference.

"We talked about success is when opportunity meets preparation," Payne said. "So somebody else had to step up, and we really thought it'd be multitude of guys, and it was. I thought TB did an unbelievable job of bringing us energy, rebounding, made a couple threes. And, his defense was pretty good.

"I just thought the fact that he shot the ball and on the first two threes that he made, he shot them with confidence. He didn't hesitate. He didn't think about it. And he shot it instinctively, and they went in, and it gave him energy."

Knox, who Payne said played through and injury suffered in a recent accident, also was a key factor in securing the win in Thiero's absence.

Karter Country

"Karter had a a little accident yesterday where he wasn't able to practice, and he fought through and got his treatment and got healthy enough to come out and play today.," Payne said. "And he was never in doubt of playing in his mind. Those are the type guys you win with. Guys that will fight through the nagging injuries, to come out and help you win."

The rising freshman averages 7.6 points on the season, but has now scored in double figures in each of the last five contests. During that stretch he has been one of the hottest shooters in the SEC and has done done a good job of getting foul line the last two games with Theiro on the mend. He was five of six in free throw attempts against Texas and made three of four in Saturday's upset of No. 15 Missouri.

"I think Karter played really well for us. He attacked them. He put them on their heels," Payne said. "He drew fouls like you said. He went to the free throw line. You know, somebody else may have played better at a stretch or had success, at a stretch that allowed us to keep him on the bench or whatever. But Karter played great. We need Karter Knox."

Even without Thiero, Terry said Arkansas' relentless attack of the basket while getting timely three pointers from their stretch big men has played a factor in the Razorbacks sweeping the season series.

"They still just put their heads down to drive and, you know, hope that again that you you foul them and put them at the foul line and stuff," he said. "And they got there. They got to the foul line. We bailed them out on a couple of shots that they had no chance of making. So, no. They didn't play any different than they played the last time."

Texas Freshman Sensation

Arkansas led for most of the game and led 42-30 at halftime. The lead stayed comfortably near double digits for most of the second half until Longhorn freshman sensation got hot down the stretch. Johnson, who averages 20 points on the season, put up 17 points in the second half to help force the game into overtime.

"I think Trey Johnson is one of the prolific scores in college basketball," Payne said. "I think that he's. a unique player at a time when this generation of of scorers have stipulations on how they score. 'I wanto to shoot the three.' Well, this kid will post you up. He will shoot the three. He will take layups. He'll drive you to the lane. He'll play off the dribble. He'll shoot one-foot step backs. He's old school, and it's a joy to see a a kid that young be that gifted as a scorer.

The future is bright for him, and he cost us probably. He had 39 points. And we were trapping him and trying to trap him. He's crafty. He's long. He's he has a knack for putting that ball in a basket.

Johnson scored all 12 of Texas' points in the extra session for a program record 39 points for a freshman in the game. Arkansas was able to pull the game out thanks to a flagrant foul of Arkansas center Jonas Aidoo called on an inbounds play late in overtime.

Aidoo, who finished with eight points, four rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot off the bench for Arkansas, calmly knocked down both foul shots — despite averaging a career low 59 percent from the charity stripe.

Hats off to Horns

Afterwards the Longhorn coach pointed to the discrepancy in fouls as the difference in the game.

"Thought they made a couple big shots down the stretch. It's a difference in the game," Terry said. "They got to the foul line 31 times. We got there 13 times, 14 at the half for them. But again, I commend my guys who are playing really hard tonight, putting forth a great effort."

Arthur Kaluma had a 13-point -11-rebound double double for the Longhorns. Kadin Shedrick also had a good night with 12 points and eight boards in the losing effort.

"First of all, hats should go off to Texas. Thought they played hard," Payne said. "They fought their tail off to get back in the game. They are playing desperate. They're trying like we are, to find a way to get in that tournament. "(Our) hats goes off to them for for fighting the way they did. (The game) could've easily went the other way."

Moving forward Payne said the team's ability to continue to learn from their earlier mistakes and fight through adversity will determine how far they can go.

"A very valuable lesson is that we've overcame adversity," he said "The way we started this team from the beginning of the season to now, none of these kids are the same. They all have grown. They've all have grown through adversity.

"To lose Boogie Fland the way we did, and to lose Adou for this game. Somebody had to step up. How do you make up for I don't know what? Adou was averaging sixteen and six or seven (rebounds). We need him and the other guys had to have his back and make sure they fought for us to get wins."

Fighting Razorbackers of Bud Walton

Payne, who previously coached at Kentucky under Calpari before spending the last two seasons as head coach in Louisville, also credited the Razorback faithful who saw the team win back-to-back home games for the first time this season.

"I've been really impressed with the crowd," he said. "I think that from the Missouri game, you heard coach (Dennis) Gates talk about the energy in the building and how it propelled us as a team. I would say the same thing tonight. You know, they were fighting with us.

"That's what we need. We need and sometimes fans don't really understand the importance it is to have them in there being loud and screaming and fighting with us. But we need them, and they've been great this whole year."

Back on the Road

The Razorbacks next go back on the road with back to back games against South Carolina and Vanderbilt. The Gamecocks beat the Longhorns last Saturday and will be looking to pop Arkansas' bubble — especially if Thiero is unable to play this weekend.

"Coach (Calipari) talked about yesterday in our staff meeting, we're one of the youngest teams in this conference.," Calipari said. "There's something to say about that. Guys are learning about themselves, and like I said from the beginning. The way we started this season to where we are now, these young men are not the same.

"They've learned a lot. They've overcame a lot, and we need all of them to contribute in a way, that it helps us win. It helps us be the type of team that we brought them here to be. And you learn that through adversity, and we've been through some of that. "