With just one day to go until Thanksgiving, all eyes are on Arkansas basketball. The No. 22 Razorbacks (5‑1) are about to take on No. 4 Duke (7‑0) at the United Center in a top‑25 clash. But while everyone is talking about stats and strategy, John Calipari is focused on something much simpler and, he believes, far more important if his team wants to come out on top.

Calipari recently appeared on the CBS Sports College Basketball podcast, where he opened up about the challenges his team has faced in recent days. “I’ve been hard here the last two days because we’re not getting it yet,” he admitted, acknowledging that despite hard work, the Razorbacks haven’t fully reached their potential.

The solution, according to him, is simple but not easy: players must focus on the team, not themselves.

“How connected you have to be,” John Calipari said. “You can’t be out there trying to do your own thing. You can’t be out there doing because the minute your stuff goes wrong, which half the time it does, you’re down, you’re moving your head, you’re hitting the floor, you’re losing your mind because you are so concerned about you. Lose yourself in the team.”

John Calipari believes the problem isn’t skill or tactics but the team’s culture and leadership. “Our culture is not what it needs to be within this team. More leadership. They got to be more empowered. They are not ready to be. I am saying I am trying to do too much. I am going home. I am a little tired. So I’m too involved in this because I can’t get ’em by just talking to ’em.”

Arkansas enters this matchup after a 69‑66 loss to Michigan State and four wins against lower-tier opponents, some of which were unexpectedly close, including games against Samford (79-75) and Winthrop (84-83).

Duke, on the other hand, has already shown its strength with double-digit wins over Texas and Kansas. With talent like that on the other side, Arkansas knows this game won’t be easy, but that challenge might be exactly what they need.

“That is what I am battling right now,” Calipari said. “And now we have to go play Duke, and we’re not connected how we have to be.” His words make one thing clear: the Razorbacks’ biggest obstacle isn’t Duke, it’s themselves. And Calipari knows that isn’t his only concern.

Another big hurdle awaits John Calipari and the Razorbacks

Arkansas and Duke have a short but competitive history. The Razorbacks lead the series 3-2, with their last victory coming on Nov. 29, 2023, when Arkansas defeated Duke 80-75 at Bud Walton Arena. But past wins won’t make this game easy; the Blue Devils are a different, undefeated team this season.  And we know Thursday’s matchup marks the first of two consecutive games against ACC opponents for Arkansas, with the Razorbacks set to host No. 6 Louisville on Dec. 3.

Duke is 7-0 going into the game, having defeated every opponent by double digits. On November 18, they narrowly defeated Kansas by 12 points. The Blue Devils, ranked No. 4 in the AP Top 25, are a well-oiled machine, while Arkansas, ranked No. 22, is still figuring things out. But numbers alone don’t scare John Calipari. He is aware that skill can also tip the scales.

Calipari is fully aware of the unique difficulties this team poses.  The twin sons of NBA All-Star and Duke legend Carlos Boozer, Cameron and Cayden, whom Calipari recruited along with other key players like Patrick Ngongba II and Isaiah Evans, bring size, skill, and versatility that can overwhelm any defense.

“Duke’s gonna be a hard game. The Boozer brothers, you know, we recruited them. I know how good they are. The Evans kid, the way they shoot it. Big Patrick, I recruited him, I know how good he is. They got a bunch of guys that are really talented and really big lengthwise, you know, obviously can shoot it, play pretty like organized, and they’re a pretty new team,” Calipari said.

Through these words, John Calipari conveys a hint of concern. While he remains focused on preparing his own Razorbacks, he acknowledges that Duke’s skilled freshmen and organized system under Jon Scheyer will make this Thanksgiving showdown anything but easy.