Can Calipari's Razorbacks pass first big test at Michigan State?

Two Hall of Fame coaches are just part of the story when the young and talented Arkansas Razorbacks face their first big test tonight in what could be the most hostile environment they'll face all season.

Hogs coach John Calipari and his old buddy, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, will work the sideline at a sold-out Breslin Center where a rowdy crowd of 15,000 will do its best to rattle the Razorbacks.

Tipoff is at 6 p.m. on Fox for the batttle between the No. 14 Hogs and No. 22 Spartans. Both are 1-0 after winning what amounted to warmup games for this showdown.

Much of the pregame publicity has centered around Calipari, who was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015, and Izzo, who was enshrined a year later.

They've each won a national title, with Izzo cutting down the nets in 2000 and Calipari taking home the trophy in 2012 when he coached Kentucky.

Izzo has spent all 31 years of his coaching career with the Spartans and has more wins than any coach in Big 10 Conference history.

The 70-year-old Izzo has a record of 738-302 (.710), which features eight Final Four appearances. Last season's Spartans were 30-7 and reached the Elite Eight.

Calipari biggest winner of active men's coaches

Calipari, 66, boasts a 34-year record of 878-277 (.760). He has more wins than any active men's coach and ranks seventh on the all-time list. Here's the active list with overall ranking and win totals:

7 - John Calipari, Arkansas, 878 wins
11 - Rick Barnes, Tennessee, 837
13 - Bill Self, Kansas, 832
22 - Mark Few, Gonzaga, 743
23 - Tom Izzo, Michigan State, 738
24 - Kelvin Sampson, Houston, 725

Calipari is 3-2 against Izzo but the home team is favored by about a basket in this one which is expected to go down to the wire.

“I don’t like coaching against friends and I think Tom’s the same way," Calipari said earlier this season. "If we win, I’ll be excited then I’ll see him and I’ll feel like crap and he’ll be the same way."

They share a bond that comes from coaching at the highest level for decades, plus their blue-collar roots. Coach Cal is from Pittsburgh, the Steel City, and Izzo from Iron Mountain, Mich.

Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari makes a point during the season opener Monday against Southern at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville. | Nilsen Roman-allHOGS Images

“He and I get on the phone with our wives listening and just laugh for 45 minutes and then we feel better to go forward with all the crap we’re dealing with,” Calipari said.

Check out these Calipari comments from six years ago when his No. 2 Kentucky Wildcats were about to play Izzo's No.-1 ranked Michigan State team. No different today.

Can Hogs dictate and control fast-paced game?

Both Arkansas and Michigan State want to run on offense, push the pace and seek easy baskets early in the shot clock.

Both coaches know that starts with defense because fast breaks happen after defensive rebounds or steals, not when a team is continually taking the ball out of the net.

Michigan State boasts a well-deserved reputation for physical play, which Calipari has pointed out to his Razorbacks.

Hogs freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr., a Detroit native who'll have dozens of family members and friends in the stands for this game, said Arkansas' two exhibition games helped prepare the Razorbacks for the Spartans' aggressive style.

"Memphis was definitely a little physical," Acuff said. "I think Cincinnati was a little physical, too. But I think we’re ready for it. We play against each other every day. We’re physical with each other, so it’s something we gotta do in a game against other people."

Honors piling up…@DariusAcuff is 1 of 50 on the Oscar Roberson Trophy Watch List@ThomasMeleek and @DariusAcuff are 2 of 25 on the Waynan Tisdale Trophy Watch List. @USBWA pic.twitter.com/qnDUNaTXAq
— Arkansas Razorbacks Men’s Basketball 🐗 (@RazorbackMBB) November 6, 2025

What has Acuff seen on video of the Spartans? Turns out, it's similar to what Izzo has seen of the Hogs.

"They play real hard. I see that for sure," Acuff said. "They play fast on offense, so we’ve got to get back in transition for sure.

"But the main thing that stands out is they play really hard and we know it’s going to be a dogfight, so we have to be ready for it."

Acuff and fellow 5-star freshman Meleek Thomas made a big impression on Izzo, who knows the Hogs also boast perimeter talent in DJ Wagner, Karter Knox and Billy Richmond III.

In the 109-77 win against Southern, Acuff scored 20 of his 22 points in the first half with a flurry of highlight buckets. Thomas added an impressive 21 points with seven assists, six rebounds and three steals.

“On film, (Arkansas) is an athletic team that can shoot the ball, that’s got great guard play and good size and eight deep of really good players,” Izzo said.

“It’s going to be a great test for us but if we’re not at our best, we’re in trouble.”

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