The Arkansas Razorbacks were blown out by South Carolina on Saturday afternoon, which was not a good look for their NCAA Tournament resume. For some reason that didn't do much to hurt their chances in the mind of Joe Lunardi, who kept Arkansas in his Last 4 In for reasons I don't quite understand.
Nonetheless, Calipari's postgame press conference was quite revealing. For better or worse, Calipari is one of the best interviews in college basketball. He is as honest as they come, and has earned the right to call his team out on occasion. He didn't hold back following the Razorbacks effort against the Gamecocks.
“We needed to have more,” Calipari said. “You do not plan on what happened. We needed more guys. When we had the guys, we played better as we got shorter, less guys. It’s not only being injured, but you can’t have three or four of your seven play poorly and expect to win. I can’t make any trades. I can’t pick up anybody on the wire. This is who it is. How do we make this work?"
John Calipari gives Arkansas opponents and NCAA Tournament committee a blueprint
Adou Thiero and Boogie Fland were out for Arkansas, and the Razorbacks lacked size, which is why South Carolina was able to dominate inside the paint. However, playing shorthanded isn't a good excuses for getting blown out by 20 against an inferior opponent. The Gamecocks are 12-17 on the season.
“That is all I’ve been thinking about this season. That is what I’ve been doing all season. Now, we have two games left in the regular season. Both games are going to be dog fights. From Feb. 1, there were eight games. We won five. We went 5-3. Three of them were against top-10 teams. We lost two. We had a chance in all three. These kids have fought, battled and played together. We hit a dud," Calipari continued.
While I appreciate Calipari's honesty, the Razorbacks should not be a tournament team unless they can handle adversity. The Tournament field should feature some of the best teams in college basketball, all of which will use Arkansas' weaknesses to their advantage. If Calipari cannot adjust, then the Razorbacks are toast.
All of this makes Lunardi's rankings more confusing. Yes, teams like North Carolina play in a far inferior conference in the ACC. Yet, if we use UNC as an example, the Heels are on a six-game win streak and ranked sixth in their conference. Arkansas is 6-10 in the SEC and 17-12 overall.
While I agree the SEC is the best basketball conference in the country this season, the Razorbacks are 12th in the standings. Barring an impressive SEC Tournament run, it's tough to see the forest through the trees with Arkansas.