“It’s not okay to say we’ll be alright,” said John Calipari after a heartbreaking loss to Texas A&M. And how can one digest such a loss? The Razorbacks coach made an impressive comeback after a huge losing streak to start Arkansas’ conference play. However, it might be for naught. A win against the Aggies would have all but guaranteed the Razorbacks a spot in the NCAA tournament, but now they have to look towards Auburn and the rest of their games.

Analysts have dwindling hopes for Arkansas making a post-season appearance this year. On The Field of 68: After Dark, show hosts Rob Dauster, John Fanta, and Jeff Goodman discuss the Hogs’ most recent loss. “They absolutely had a chance to beat Texas A&M today,” Dauster said, before giving a grim prediction for the Razorbacks’ next game. “I don’t think that Arkansas is going to go in Neville arena and beat Auburn. Although I will say the best chance to beat this Auburn team is coming off of a win on the road against Alabama.”

Taking on the #1 team in the country will be a tall task for Calipari and his squad. Although they have created a lot of upset victories this year, Auburn is a different story. When talking about what Arkansas will need in order to win, Rob Dauster said that they might have to win four games out of their remaining matchups. They have to play Missouri, Texas, and Mississippi State at home, and go to South Carolina and Vanderbilt. It’s a tough schedule for Arkansas, and according to Dauster, they might be unable to pull it off. “Do I trust Arkansas to be able to do that? Not really.”

However, national analyst Jeff Goodman disagreed. He talked about how Arkansas might be alright even if they are four behind going .500. “As long as you win a game in the SEC tournament, I think you’re okay.” The analyst said. Regardless of whether they have to win three or four, Calipari has a lot of work to do. What he has been trying to fix first, however, is the attitude and mentality of his team.

John Calipari’s ‘one rule’ broken by the Razorbacks in their A&M upset

What more can Arkansas do? It seems like every time something looks to be going their way, it ends up crashing and burning. Coach Cal, after losing, talked about his team in great detail. In the postgame press conference, he discussed the one rule he had for his Razorbacks—if they’re driving baseline, they should take a shot.

“What did we do? Turned it over, didn’t shoot it.” The legendary coach said about his team. HC John Calipari hated the hesitation and the lack of intent. He doubled down on his rule, explaining why he wanted them to shoot the ball. “Three things can happen. One, you make it. Two, you miss it, but because they’re running, you rebound it. Three, they rebound it. Fine, that’s a break-out turnover they score on.”

The Arkansas Razorbacks men’s basketball coach wants aggression. He wants his team to fight, he wants them to defend and crash the boards. Mainly, the legendary coach would like for his Razorbacks to grasp this chance and take it all the way. The comeback that they’ve made is nothing short of special, but to see it squandered like this? We can see why he’s upset.

Arkansas has a daunting task in front of them. Calipari and his squad need to lock in these last few games if they want to have a chance at competing for the national title. There is definitely an opportunity, but we will have to see whether the Hogs will grasp it.