John Calipari picked up his first win over a top-10 team as the Arkansas Razorbacks head coach, and fittingly, it came against one of his favorite opponents — the sixth-ranked Louisville Cardinals. With this victory, Coach Cal earned his 20th win against the Cards and improved his record to 14–3 in his last 17 meetings with them.

But more importantly, he exposed a weakness in the ACC giants that the other 17 ACC teams will surely take note of as conference play approaches.

According to Jeff Goodman, Arkansas did a phenomenal job defending as a unit and keeping Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr. in check. “They did a great job defensively, especially in the first half. Mikel Brown couldn’t get anywhere in the first half, and he’s one of the best point guards in the country,” Jeff Goodman said. “He was better in the second half, but he was rattled. They were rattled. And again, I was just really impressed with their defensive effort.”

Right from the start, Pat Kelsey’s side struggled to handle Arkansas’ length and athleticism, and it clearly threw them off. The Razorbacks outrebounded the Cardinals 46–36, shot 42 percent from the field, and never allowed them to mount a real comeback. But the most impressive part was how well Arkansas managed to keep Mikel Brown in check throughout the game.

John Calipari’s team held Brown to just 2-of-9 shooting from the field, and he made only one three-pointer in seven attempts. He finished the first half with just six points, 1 assist, and 2 rebounds. With their lead guard struggling, the Cardinals’ offense stalled, managing only 29 points in the opening half.

This was very similar to what happened to Brown Jr. in the game against Cincinnati. In that matchup, he finished the first half with just 10 points on 2-of-7 shooting and made only one three-pointer on five attempts. Without his offensive impact, the Cardinals’ offense sputtered again, managing only 28 first-half points.

In both games, Mikel Brown looked much better in the second half, and his team followed his lead. Against Calipari’s Razorbacks, the Cardinals scored 51 points after halftime, with Brown putting up 16 of them. It still wasn’t enough for the win, but the momentum shift was clear.

Against Cincinnati, though, his second-half burst made all the difference. Brown dropped 12 points after the break, and the Cardinals erupted for 46 second-half points to complete the comeback and secure the win.

One thing becomes pretty clear that when teams manage to keep Mikel Brown from finding his groove, their chances of beating Louisville go way up. John Calipari became the first coach to shut him down and hand the Cardinals their first loss of the season, and you can bet other ACC teams will try to copy that blueprint. But pulling it off is a lot easier said than done.

But what should have been a night remembered for one of Arkansas’ biggest wins in recent history ended up being overshadowed by the behavior of their own fans.

John Calipari Has No Choice but to silence the Arkansas Crowd

Ahead of the game at Bud Walton Arena, Coach Cal had asked the home crowd to bring more energy. What he didn’t expect was the entire arena breaking into “overrated” chants aimed at the Cardinals players after the win. Calipari clearly didn’t appreciate the Razorbacks fans going after the Cardinals players, and he had no choice but to step in.

“Please do me a favor. No overrating stuff. No booing please, Great, appreciate you fans,” coach Cal told the crowd. Arkansas fans are one of the most passionate groups in the country, but calling Louisville “overrated” made no sense. The better Louisville is viewed, the stronger Arkansas’ NCAA Tournament resume becomes — but that point was clearly lost on the crowd.

This was the first-ranked win of the season for Coach Cal and his team, but the road ahead won’t get any easier. Even with a strong 6–2 start, Arkansas still has tough games coming up against Texas Tech and Houston. We’ll soon find out whether this Razorbacks side is truly legit or if they’re headed for the same kind of slump that led to their 0–5 SEC start last season.

Top Stories

Bills Legend Jim Kelly Announces Final Cancer Update After Years of Battle

Calls Mount Against Refs’ Controversial Decision Involving Dak Prescott in Cowboys vs Lions TNF Game

Paris Olympics Snubs McDonald’s, but Usain Bolt Survived on 1,000 Chicken Nuggets During Beijing Games

Jared Goff Makes Bold Super Bowl Promise After Lions’ Win

Luka Doncic Inquired About Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade That Will Put 6 Lakers Stars At Risk – Reports

Robert Saleh Makes Final Decision on Head Coaching Job Away From Kyle Shanahan & 49ers