The bullet grazed the Arkansas Razorbacks against Samford. Till the last 3 minutes, Arkansas led by as many as 13. However, the Bulldogs pressed until the last second. To the relief of John Calipari, the Razorbacks eked out a 79-75 win.  While the Razorbacks got the W, it was too close for comfort. After the game, John Calipari shouldered the blame and committed to preparing this team better moving forward. 

It was all hunky dory until the final three minutes, when Samford made their move, and the Razorbacks just watched them for a while. “You get up 13-15 and I’m yelling, ‘Pull it out, and a guy just went and shot it.’ They make a three, they make a two, all of a sudden it’s nine. And again, trying to teach them how to win a game when you’re at that point,” John Calipari said after the game. “We ran an offense where we were moving the ball just to use time, and then go into it, and no one went into it. They all just stood and like ‘throw me the ball.’ My fault, because we’ve done it, but we haven’t done it enough, to really drill it and be there.”

The wait-and-watch game almost backfired. They were trying to run out the clock even with 5 minutes to go. To do that successfully, moving around the ball is still important. Their offense became stagnant, resulting in contested shots with seconds left on the shot clock. Samford was disciplined in its defense as the Razorbacks did not make a field goal over the final 2:49. Their lack of familiarity, even in scrimmages, showed. Fortunately, their earlier 12-0 run was just enough to give them the win. For a backcourt fronted by two freshmen, these late-game errors are inevitable, but Calipari’s patience clearly has limits.

“We’ve got a chance of being good,” Calipari further said. “But I’ve got to do my job. This isn’t about this team. This is about me and what I’m accepting. Trying to do individual meetings to let them know. But also let them know, last year I played six guys. I’ll do that again. I’ll play six. You either deserve to be out there or you don’t.”

It’s still early in the season, and some cracks are bound to show at this point. Calipari blames himself, but it’s clear the players should also match the standard he is setting. The team has time to drill down on the fundamentals and teach this squad how to close out games. That will be even more essential against better teams. 

Against Michigan, they went into the half leading by three but played catch-up for most of the second. The No. 22-ranked Wolverines did not give them a chance to claw back, effectively getting the win. Calipari will need to work on these tendencies moving forward. On the other hand, it was still a win.

They were dominant for most of this game, shooting 45% from the field and 35% from the three-point line. The boards were dicey again, but Razorbacks finished with a 38-37 edge. Calipari’s side caught Samford on the break 17 times. While the Darius Acuff Jr.-Meleek Thomas duo grabbed the headlines, it was an unsung hero that got them the win, according to Calipari.

John Calipari Points Out His Man Of The Match

For the Hogs, it was Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas powering the offense.  Acuff led the way with 20 points and 5 assists, while Thomas chipped in 17 points and 8 rebounds. Trevon Brazile backed this duo with 15 points, while Billy Richmond and DJ Wagner both scored 10. Among those double-digit scorers, it was Richmond who caught Calipari’s eye. The coach credited him for the crucial win 

“The reason we won the game,” Calipari said. “One player. Yeah, it was Billy Richmond. And you know what Billy did? He played so hard and grabbed balls and tipped that Karter knew, ‘I’m never going to play unless I do the same.'”

Remember that 12-0 run that was enough for Arkansas’ win? It was sparked by a pair of second-chance buckets off offensive rebounds by Billy Richmond III, which pushed the lead to 15. Richmond was efficient from the field (4/7). His 4 offensive rebounds were more than anyone in this game, giving Arkansas the edge. 

It was Richmond who provided the spark to fend off Samford’s repeated comeback attempts. With this choice and the strong backing of Richmond, we also understand how important it is to step up in big moments for Calipari. His squad will need to take notice and try and capitalise on the important moments of the game.

Because a team can play well for most of the game, but the game could be decided in that short stretch. Calipari and Co. continue at home against Winthrop on Tuesday. They will face Jackson St before the big test against Duke and Louisville, who will not forgive such lapses. And John Calipari knows it.