John Calipari didn’t need a scouting report to understand the storm coming. He once chased Cameron Boozer in recruiting, only to watch the prized prospect choose Duke Blue Devils instead. Now, the Blue Devils’ young star is punishing every team that missed out, and the Arkansas Razorbacks were next. Boozer’s 35-point eruption powered Duke’s 80-71 win, but was he truly the Razorbacks’ biggest problem?

Not really, if you ask John Calipari, who just called him a “beast”. Yes, Boozer dominated with 35 points and nine rebounds. He even stretched Duke’s lead to 32-22 after capping a 10-0 run with a three-pointer. But when asked about the loss, Calipari pointed inward.

“Yeah, we had a chance to win. You could say this guy or that guy, but we had our chance. We made two or three plays in a row, and they went straight where they wanted, and we didn’t answer,” he said in the post-game press conference. 

Arkansas had an early 12-5 lead before Duke tied the game with a 7-0 run. Next, the Blue Devils held only a six-point lead in the first 20 minutes. Both teams posted almost identical numbers. Each went 6-for-16 from three and 5-for-7 from the free-throw line. They even attempted the same number of field goals (33). The only difference was Duke making 15 shots to Arkansas’ 12. So quite evidently, the game was very much within reach.

And the back-and-forth continued in the second half. Arkansas stormed back as Meleek Thomas drilled a three to give the Razorbacks the lead – their first since the 10-minute mark of the first half. Duke responded, but Arkansas briefly jumped back ahead with about 13 minutes left.

Then, Razorbacks led by five entering the final stretch, but Duke finally broke through. Caleb Foster buried a three, which was Duke’s first field goal in over four minutes. He was followed by Boozer, who turned a defensive rebound into a fast-break dunk. All this was enough to cut the deficit to 60-58.

From there, Boozer, Foster, and the rest of the Blue Devils kept scoring. And Arkansas had no response. Finally, it was a loss for the Razorbacks. As Calipari said, Arkansas had its chances – but couldn’t capitalize due to its persistent issues.

Well, there’s a pattern. Even against Michigan State, they were ahead in the final quarter but collapsed down the stretch. They scored just three points in the final 3:57. A similar drought doomed them on Thanksgiving, as they made only two field goals across the final six minutes. But Duke finished on a 19-7 run, which was enough to get the win.

“We just have to figure out how to finish games collectively. Be connected,” Calipari said. And that’s the key. Notably, Arkansas’ final two baskets came from Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas. 

But, it was only the freshman duo who carried the offence, while Acuff scored 21, and Thomas added 13. So, the solution to limiting Arkansas was pretty simple. 

How did Duke’s Jon Scheyer strategise the Arkansas defeat?

As Jon Scheyer noticed the pattern, he limited Arkansas’ young backcourt. That was enough to unlock Duke’s defense late. “Guarding the ball with Caleb (Foster) on Acuff,” Scheyer said. “Nick Khamenia had some great moments with Thomas. It started with guarding the ball. Our switches were tight, and we tried to make them score over the top.”

And it worked too. Outside of Acuff, Thomas, and Trevon Brazile – who had 11 points and 11 rebounds – Arkansas lacked consistent production. While Karter Knox and D.J. Wagner were expected to be the Razorbacks’ top two players, they combined for just five points. Neither is averaging more than eight.

So, the problems are clear. Arkansas needs more consistent scoring across the roster. But can they?? Well, that’s to be seen as the team now faces a tough stretch with No. 4 Louisville, No. 2 Houston, and No. 20 Texas Tech coming up in the next four weeks.