If Hogs Want to Keep Winning, There is One Word to Remember

Taking what they learned and felt at Kentucky could ignite big winning streak

Arkansas Razorbacks guard D.J. Wagner scores on a reverse left-hand layup goes to the basket against Kentucky Wildcats center Amari Williams during the Hogs' 89-79 upset win in Rupp Arena on Saturday. / Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

One word should describe Arkansas basketball's mantra for the remainder of the season. When the Razorbacks hear that single word, they'll immediately be inspired.

They'll have confidence. It's the key to a stretch run.

The question is whether the Hogs possibly put together a string of victories. Many doubt it, including lots of Razorback fans, but after watching Arkansas win its last game, anything seems possible.

So, how could one word possibly be that important? Because it was the key word coach John Calipari spoke to his team Friday night in Rupp Arena more than once.

It's how he promised to coach the next evening. And it's how the Hogs played in that game at Kentucky, which just might turn their season around.

Fearless. It's how Calipari told his team it needed to play against then No. 12 Kentucky in front of 23,500 blue-clad fans who would boo them individually and collectively.

He said it once. He said it again.

And fearless is exactly how the Hogs played. By all appearances, it's the way Calipari coached, and after the game he attributed the victory to one word: Fearlessness.

There's no other way to explain the fast start with three-pointers surprisingly hitting the bottom of the net. It's the only explanation for Arkansas not folding when Kentucky led 18-12 and the crowd was in a frenzy, smelling blood in the water.

It's how 40 relentless minutes of effort and concentration came to be. Both lacked in arguably every other game except the 89-87 roller-coaster win over Michigan when the Hogs dug deep despite the Wolverines throwing several haymakers that could've been knockout punches.

Kentucky tried to do the same, but the Razorbacks were having none of it. They were on a mission.

Call it a mission for Calipari, to give him a happy homecoming when everybody in Kentucky hoped his team would get creamed. With three of the Hogs having played at Kentucky, it was a personal mission for them to perform well also.

All three of them were superb:
Adou Thiero: 21 points, eight rebounds, three steals
D.J. Wagner: 17 points, all in the second half, eight assists
Zvonimir Ivisic: 14 points, four rebounds, 4-of-7 on 3-pointers

Arkansas assistant coach Kenny Payne spoke at Tuesday's press conference to preview Wednesday's game at Texas (15-7, 4-5 in the SEC). He was asked how the Hogs (13-8, 2-6) could bottle the intensity from the Kentucky game.

"If we all had that answer we’d be geniuses," Payne said. "One of the things that we did do from that game was we went back and watched film and showed them exactly what they did well, the energy they played with on defense, the concentration and the focus. Being locked in to every single detail that’s going on in the game, both offensively and defensively. And said, ‘That’s the way we have to play. We have to play that way to finish the season and finish it off on the right note.’"

He could've almost summed it up in one word: Fearless. On offense, be fearless.

On defense, be fearless. When the crowd is going crazy for the other team, be fearless.

When all seems against Arkansas, be fearless. Just remembering the feeling from the Kentucky win when they played fearlessly should light a spark of belief and confidence when they take the court for the next 10 SEC games, and the league tournament, and whatever might follow that.

📍 Rupp Arena pic.twitter.com/T5PBlfUY1P

— Arkansas Razorbacks Men’s Basketball 🐗 (@RazorbackMBB) February 1, 2025

Fearlessness was perhaps displayed best by Arkansas grad transfer Johnell "Nelly" Davis who played his best game against Kentucky. He's been consistently improving; chalk part of it up to health, most of it to being more aggressive.

He scored 18 with six assists and two steals. That's consecutive games with 18 points and Davis is finally playing as all expected when he was one of the top two portal transfers.

"Well, Nelly [has] a professional mindset," Payne said. "He comes in every morning, he watches film, he works out every morning, he comes back and gets shots up after practice, before practice. So, when a kid is doing those types of things, you know eventually it’s going to happen for him.

"He’s getting more comfortable. He’s finding his pace and his space in this, and I’m glad it’s happening for him because he’s had a rough go and he’s a lot better than what he’s played earlier on in the season. We need more of that from him. He’s one of our leaders."

If Davis, Wagner, Thiero and Ivisic excel like they did Saturday, the Hogs could actually win two straight for the first time since playing North Carolina A&T and Oakland in late December. Texas will have a lot to say about it, of course, but so did Kentucky.

Point is, the Razorbacks didn't let Kentucky control the action. Arkansas' defense, hustle, and determination to get quality shots and make them allowed the Hogs to grab and maintain the upper hand.

It boiled down to being fearless. If the Hogs are fearless when they line up for Wednesday's 8 p.m. tip on ESPN2 in Texas' Moody Center, they'll be confident and focused.

If they do that for 40 minutes, it could definitely turn their season around.

HOGS FEED:

• Ivisic Slowly Coming into Own with Hogs After Facing Kentucky

• Kentucky needs to have perspective time to time

• Longhorns' Johnson, Razorbacks' Fland considered elite NBA picks

• Does Razorbacks' Offense Have Breakout Player on Roster?

• Petrino, Van Horn may find themselves in heated battle for Mr. Ohio quarterback

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