GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
New Arkansas coach John Calipari has lost three straight Southeastern Conference games this season for the first time since he was at Kentucky in 2020-21 when the Wildcats finished 9-16 and 8-9 – his worst season in an incredible career.
Calipari, 65, won the national championship at Kentucky in 2012 and was runner-up in 2014 with four Fianl Fours in all and three Elite Eights. He reached Elite Eights in 2006 and ’07 and a Final Four in 2008 at Memphis, though the NCAA took that ’08 team’s 38 wins away because of recruiting violations. He also took UMass to an Elite Eight in 1995 and a Final Four in 1995-96, though that postseason was vacated because star Marcus Camby had signed with an agent.
He left Kentucky after last season following a lull in the NCAA Tournament the last three years that included two first-round losses and a second-round defeat. Arkansas was 16-17 and 6-12 in the SEC last year under Eric Musselman, who left for USC. The Calipari hire and top transfer portal additions Jonas Aidoo, a 6-foot-11 forward from Tennessee, and 6-4 guard Johnell Davis from Florida Atlantic led to the Razorbacks being picked fourth in the league at SEC Media Days.
But the Hogs (11-5, 0-3 SEC) are tied for last in the SEC at the moment with LSU (11-5, 0-3), which was picked to finish 14th. Also tied for last in the SEC are Oklahoma (13-3, 0-3), Texas (11-5, 0-3) and South Carolina (10-6, 0-3).
Aidoo is averaging just 6.2 points and 4.5 rebounds a game for the Hogs after averaging 11.4 and 7.3 last season with the Vols. And Davis is down 10 points from his 18.2 average last season, and his rebounding at 3.6 a game is half of what it was a year ago.
“As you know, I haven’t been through a bunch of these stretches,” Calipari said Saturday after losing at home in front of 19,200 to No. 8 Florida, 71-63. “This stretch could keep going for a while.”
That would please LSU coach Matt McMahon, who hosts Arkansas Tuesday (8 p.m., SEC Network). The two teams mirror one another. They have recovered well from slow starts, but lost. Then started fast, slowed down and lost.
“I’ve got to be stronger than them,” Calipari said of his players. “I’ve got to lead. I’ve got to be strong to get through this. This isn’t easy for our fans, for our team, for out coaches, for me. It is what it is. Let’s go on to the next one, and get this going.”
Kentucky previously lost, 76-52, at then-No. 1 Tennessee to open the SEC season, then 73-66 at home to then-No. 23 Ole Miss last week.
“It’s something different every game,” Calipari said. “I’ve got to do a better job. We’ve just got to figure stuff out. But we’ll get through it. Got a tough one coming up.”
LSU is coming off a 77-65 loss at No. 23 Ole Miss, 83-67 at Missouri and 80-72 at home to Vanderbilt.
“The first four minutes of the second half we just had back breaker turnovers,” said McMahon, whose team was withing 28-26 at the half but fell apart quickly and was down 40-30 just four minutes into the second half. “We lost by 12. They scored 12 points off turnovers. Similar story for us.”
Something’s got to give.
“It’s early,” Calipari said. “We’ve got a lot of games to play. Step on the gas.”
If both teams do not do that soon, it’s going to be too late very soon.
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