Adjustments by Razorbacks Set Stage for Hogs to Dominate No. 15 Vanderbilt

Calipari's changes power Arkansas to Quad 1 home win over Commodores

Vanderbilt Commodores guard Duke Miles (2) drives against Arkansas Razorbacks guard D.J. Wagner (21) during the first half at Bud Walton Arena. | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Arkansas Razorbacks were in desperate need of a Quad 1 victory Tuesday night and got just that in a 93-68 rout of No. 15 Vanderbilt inside Bud Walton Arena.

There was major room for improvement going into the game after losing a second straight SEC road game. Arkansas responded well to adversity, taking the lead right away and never letting up for a full 40 minutes.

Avoided Slow Start

One of the biggest questions for John Calipari's Hogs is how they would defend against another team ranked in the Top 10 in scoring offense at 90 points per game. He reconfigured his starting five that had Meleek Thomas starting in place of veteran guard D.J. Wagner, which brought a different type of energy to the court to start the game.

The Razorbacks were in the face of every Vanderbilt player who caught a pass, keeping the Commodores from getting off open shots in the first half. Arkansas used a 12-0 run in a matter of 90 seconds to open up a 34-14 lead with four straight three-pointers from Darius Acuff, Thomas and Wagner and never looked back.

Wagner started 54 consecutive games at Arkansas, but Calipari's decision to let him come off the bench helped him play with relentless energy which led to one of his best games of the season.

“I’m one that messes with stuff all the time,” Calipari said. “I changed some things offensively today. I’ve got a really smart team, intelligent basketball players, smart players that I can do that. DJ came off the bench, and look what he did.”

He played 16 minutes while scoring 11 points on 5-of-8 from the field along with three assits.

Home Lifted Hogs

There's a reason Bud Walton Arena is considered one of Top 10 hardest venues to walk in and steal a victory whether ranked or not. Arkansas moved to 23-4 under Calipari at home with its dominant win over Vanderbilt in a game where his team displayed a combination of effort, energy and enthusiasm not seen often on the road.

The Razorbacks are scoring an extra seven points at home compared to their season average, which is standard for most teams around the country. However, it's quite odd to see a team such as Arkansas play two different brands of basketball at home compared to road games.

Arkansas fans were part of a rabid atmosphere against the Commodores as it was hard enough to hear a whistle blown at points. Steals that led to transition threes, and dunks caused fans in attendance to roar for most of the night.

“The crowd has been great, it’s been really good,” Calipari said. “We need it every game, because every game is going to be a tough game. We kind of got after these guys those first five minutes, just like Georgia did to us the first five minutes, and just like Auburn did to us the first five minutes.”

Paced 'Dores off Floor

Arkansas forced Vanderbilt into 10 turnovers that resulted in 16 points the other way. The Razorbacks were also electric in fastbreak situations, outscoring the Commodores 21-8.

While Vanderbilt ended up making 10 three-point attempts, the Razorbacks used an inside-out approach to power itself to victory, including its second straight 50+ point paint performance at home.

Just hangin’ out pic.twitter.com/QG4k2SMVwm

— Arkansas Razorbacks Men’s Basketball 🐗 (@RazorbackMBB) January 21, 2026

Calipari coaches constant ball movement and less dribbling and his team did just that Wednesday night with 25 assists on 37 made baskets. The Razorbacks 68% rate was the second-highest on the season behind its victory over Queens last month.