Chin location will determine how often NBA scouts see Hogs in SEC play

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — History shows that being on a John Calipari-coached team is often more valuable than being a star under most other coaches.

It's a reputation that is so important to Calipari that the knock against him is he has earned a perception, particularly from the latter years of his time at Kentucky, that he cares more about winning the NBA Draft than the NCAA championship.

Guys like Reed Sheppard and SEC Sixth Man of the Year Rod Dillingham rarely started for him, yet became first round picks. Devin Booker never started a single game, yet he went No. 13 overall and quickly became one of the greatest scorers in the NBA.

On a team with as much overall talent as Arkansas this season, it's not whether players start, it's what they do with their time because a mountain of scouts are watching their every move.

Time on the floor with the Razorbacks is so valuable that it is extremely important for Ole Miss freshman star Patton Pinkins and forward Malik Dia to steal as much shine possible against the Hogs.

"When [Karter Knox is] down there, where's his head go?" Calipari asked. "And when I see his head go, I've told him, your head goes down. I'm subbing you out again. I might be sounding mean to you, but I got a job to do with these kids, and each of them are different, and I'm holding them to a high standard, mainly because I think we've got a really good team."

Arkansas Razorbacks wing Karter Knox warms up prior to the game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Body language has been a theme. It's something he's been on Acuff about since he was recruiting him back in high school.

"What you see on the court [from Acuff], you don't see hanging head, no body language," Calipari said. "He understands body language, screams. [It] could either scream bad and bring your team down, or it screams good [like] Billy Richmond, and it picks your team up, your body language. And so that was something, to be honest, when he was in high school, we were talking to him about it. 'You're too good a player. People are looking at you thinking, Well, when you your body language is bad. They think you're a bad guy. No, you're not a bad guy.'"

What the increase in overall talent across the roster has allowed is for him to not only pull a player when he sees eyes, arms or chins indicate either dejection or pouting, but it's also created an opportunity to forge a tougher environment that has developed mentally tougher players.

In practice, since he players aren't as mentally fragile, he can make them run more when they get out of line. He no longer has to tolerate talking while he's in the middle of a teaching session on the practice court.

Also, he has players who are far more accepting of logic when it comes to playing time, knowing their moment will come soon also so long as they listen to their coach and keep a good physical attitude.

"We had three guys that didn't play much," Calipari said. "Why did Billy not play much? You could say foul trouble, but what else? Carter played really good, started rebounding, blocking shots. Why did DJ [Wagner] only play 13 minutes? Because Malik and Darius played so well. In his next game he may play 30. You had Nick [Pringle], well, Nick got into a little foul trouble, but what happened? Malique Ewin played so well you got to let him go, and you're the next game, and you are happy for your teammates, and it's more about all of us doing something unique and special, and it takes really good guys."

The Razorbacks try to keep the momentum rolling in SEC play tonight at 8 p.m. on the road in Oxford. The two teams will square off against one another on the SEC Network.

Other SEC games today include:
Missouri @ Kentucky, ESPN 2, 6 p.m.
Oklahoma @ Mississippi St., SEC Network, 6 p.m.
No. 13 Alabama @ No. 11 Vanderbilt, ESPN 2, 8 p.m.

Last night's scores:
Florida 91, No. 18 Georgia 77
No. 21 Tennessee 85, Texas 71
South Carolina 78, LSU 68
Texas A&M 90, Auburn 88

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