Calipari: 'We Weren't Ready' To Play Team Like Virginia

Razorbacks were pummeled by Cavaliers in D.C.

Oct 28, 2026; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks head coach John Calipari during the first half against the Memphis Tigers at Bud Walton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

FAYETTEVILLE — This year's Arkansas team has high expectations, but they weren't prepared to play a Virginia team that John Calipari says is Final Four-caliber.

"We weren't ready for that kind of team," Calipari said after Virginia beat Arkansas 91-72 in Washington, D.C., on Sunday. "I thought we would be."

Arkansas struggled to create offense and was unable to match the physicality of Virginia, which flew around the floor all afternoon to grab rebounds and loose balls.

Calipari said that Virginia is a good "basketball team", emphasizing the second word and saying that Arkansas' offensive struggles stemmed from the Razorbacks' inability to share the ball.

"I made a mistake not demanding that we're just going to pass the ball," Calipari said. "We're not going to just play one on one, which is what we did in the first half. If I remember right, we had one assist at halftime. I'll be honest; I've never coached a game where that's the case.

"So at halftime, we ran everything where the ball had to move from side to side. That's what I did. If you don't want to pass, guess what? I'll make you pass. If you don't run what we're saying to run, you're coming out simple, and you know it got a little bit better."

Tough layup from JSJ puts him in double figures. pic.twitter.com/R9Es1EHJoK

— Arkansas Men’s Basketball 🐗 (@RazorbackMBB) November 8, 2026

Arkansas trailed 46-27 at halftime, and while its offense put up 45 second-half points and found some success from beyond the arc, it was too little, too late. Virginia didn't take its foot off the gas and staved off any attempt Arkansas made at getting back in the game.

"The ball was sticking in hands," Calipari said. "And then everybody — when the ball moved, that guy was trying to score. One assist, and the ball doesn't move. And these guys were seven foot tall, six foot 11, and you're just driving it in. Nothing there. Finding the next guy to shoot the ball, we're still not there. And again, it's you know I'm trying to do my thing, and you can't. You got to just play basketball, and you got to do it for each other. It may not be your game; it may be somebody else's game. Well, then next game, you get ready because it may be your game."

Arkansas only had 10 assists to Virginia's 18.

The Razorbacks will return home this week for a pair of contests against Robert Morris (Nov. 11) and Central Arkansas (Nov. 13) before traveling to New York City on Nov. 17 for its second marquee non-con matchup against Indiana.

"We're young," Calipari said. "This was a punch in the mouth; Like, 'Oh, this is going to be easy.' No, this is going to be really hard, and now you play a team that plays [like] a veteran team that's been together."

The Razorbacks have a long way to go and four more major non-conference games to play before starting SEC play against Missouri in Fayetteville on Jan. 2.

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