John Calipari didn’t spend much of Wednesday night standing back and letting Arkansas sort itself out.
In the Razorbacks’ 76-53 win over Robert Morris at Bud Walton Arena, Calipari was far more vocal and far more involved than he had been for much of his time in Fayetteville. The edge showed up early, with a heated exchange with Miikka Muurinen just 20 seconds into the second half and a string of angry fist pumps in the first half as Arkansas labored to create separation from an RMU team that arrived 0-2 after blowout losses to Nevada and UIC.
“Did you kind of notice I coached a little more aggressive today than maybe ever since I’ve been here? That was the 1995 version, the UMass version,” Calipari said, “Which is, I am now having to lead this team.
Do I want to do it? What’s my job?
What do I tell you every year I’m trying to do? Empower them.”
The Razorbacks opened slowly, falling behind 5-0 at the first media timeout and missing their first five shots. That sluggish start kept Robert Morris hanging around much longer than Arkansas would have liked, and the game stayed uncomfortable into the middle of the second half.
“I was really upset,” Calipari said. “Cooper missed a two footer to start the game.
Either I don’t start you, or we’re not throwing you the ball to start the game. You can’t miss two footers to start the game, and then we turned it over, probably four to five times.
You won’t believe this: you don’t even get a shot when you turn it over. Do you know that?
Now you just turn it over. You’re not even getting to shoot it, and then you ask me what happened.
We turned it over. We missed a bunny.
Missed another bunny. Two, three crazy passes.
I think we had six turnovers with 10 minutes to go in the half.”
Arkansas still took a 39-30 lead into halftime, but Robert Morris kept the pressure on and trimmed the margin to 50-45 with 12:25 left.
That’s when the Razorbacks finally snapped it open, ripping off an 18-1 run to put the game away and avoid any repeat of the 2025 Winthrop scare that had Razorback fans on edge.
The win wasn’t clean, and it wasn’t always comfortable. But after the black eye against Virginia, it was the kind of response Arkansas needed.
“ I am not 40 anymore, but you know what? Whatever they need me to be, that’s what I’m going to be,” Calipari said. “Whatever they need from me, that’s who I’m going to be.”
Arkansas next hosts Central Arkansas at 7 p.m. inside Bud Walton Arena, with coverage on SECN+ and the Razorback Sports Network.
In Other News...
Arkansas Softball Just Landed A Pitching Prospect Fans Will Want To Watch
Arkansas added another name to its future pitching picture with the commitment of Quinlyn Bary, a highly regarded recruit from Severna Park High School in Maryland who has drawn national attention as well as recognition in her home state. Bary has built her reputation as a two-way threat in high school, putting together strong numbers in the circle and at the plate while earning honors such as first-team all-county and all-metro recognition.
For the Razorbacks, the appeal goes beyond the rankings. Bary arrives with a polished resume, a clear academic plan as a psychology major, and the kind of profile that suggests she could develop into a meaningful piece of the programs next wave. Coach Deifel and Arkansas have welcomed her into the fold, and fans now have another young arm to keep an eye on as the program continues to build for the future. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas May Have Found Its Floor General Sooner Than Expected
Davion Thompson did not wait long to make his presence felt for Arkansas. The 17-year-old freshman guard put together a composed all-around showing in the Razorbacks 76-53 win over Robert Morris, finishing with 15 points, five rebounds and seven assists while running the offense with the kind of poise that can settle a young team early in the season.
John Calipari has already made it clear Thompson is earning trust fast, praising his maturity and the way he is handling the job as Arkansas floor general. For a roster still sorting out roles, Thompsons emergence as the primary point guard gives the Razorbacks something they can build around, even if the bigger question is how quickly that responsibility keeps growing from here. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Heads Into South Carolina With Two Availability Questions Looming
South Carolinas quarterback situation is the biggest note to monitor as the Razorbacks head into the matchup, with LaNorris Sellers listed as questionable after dealing with an ankle injury. The expectation, though, is that he will be on the field, and the concern level around his availability is described as very low, which gives Arkansas a clearer picture of what it may face on Saturday.
Arkansas has its own availability issue to watch on the defensive front, where Quincy Rhodes Jr. is also listed as questionable. The expectation there is less definitive, but he is believed to be trying to play, leaving the Razorbacks with at least one more pregame decision to track as they sort out how healthy their rotation will be against a South Carolina offense that could still have its top quarterback available. [Read more 🡒]