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Hogs could've beaten Michigan State but here's why they didn't

Calipari has work to do for young, talented team to blend into an efficient unit against top teams
Bob Stephens|
Arkansas' Darius Acuff Jr. makes a steal against Michigan State's Trey Fort during the first half on Saturday at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Mich.
Arkansas' Darius Acuff Jr. makes a steal against Michigan State's Trey Fort during the first half on Saturday at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Mich. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Arkansas Razorbacks

John Calipari didn't say it, and nobody asked him or me, but I'll give the Razorbacks a "C" for their performance at Michigan State.

The Saturday night showdown before 14,797 raucous fans at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. Mich., was a tough early-season test for Arkansas' young but talented team.

The Hogs held their own and had the chance to escape with a victory. Specifically, they had the opportunity to force overtime in the final seconds but couldn't get a good shot while losing 69-66.

Valiant effort, correct? Yep. So, you might ask, why just a "C" on the report card?

The "C" stands for "could've" -- one of the most frustrating words in sports.

  • The Hogs' could've won.
  • They could've played better.
  • They could've scored a major victory that would resonate into March when seedings are decided for the NCAA Tournament.
Michigan State Spartans forward Coen Carr leaps down the court with the ball after the final buzzer as Arkansas coach
Michigan State Spartans forward Coen Carr leaps down the court with the ball after the final buzzer as Arkansas coach John Calipari heads toward his counterpart, Spartans coach Tom Izzo for a post-game handshake. | Dale Young-Imagn Images

It was certainly a hard fought and competitive game that featured 10 lead changes just in the first half. The Hogs took a three-point lead into intermission but trailed by 3-5 points much of the second half.

Calipari's kids were down eight with 5:08 to play but rallied to tie it on a Nick Pringle free throw with 1:41 left. They wouldn't score again.

So, why did the Razorbacks lose? More to the point, what needs to be done better so they don't lose like that again? Here's a few thoughts on what can improve:

Discipline

Mostly, I'm talking about taking good shots, which we'll get into more a bit later.

But it's also critical to display discipline rather than a lack of maturity and character -- as evidenced in the clip below showing Hogs' senior Trevon Brazile as the team left the court.

Yes, Brazile had hurried a bad shot and launched an air ball with less than five seconds on the clock with the Hogs trailing by three.

And yes, he was still being taunted for that errant air ball. But discipline means ignoring rude fans when playing on the road. Pro and college athletes occasionally succumb to the urge to lash back out at fans but it's never wise.

Mostly, though, discipline in this case is about doing your job within the team concept; otherwise, breakdowns occur, which leads to turnovers and defensive mistakes.

I'm talking about missed opportunities on offense and easy buckets allowed on defense. Stick to the game plan and work as a unit.

Calipari will drive home that idea over the next month and produce a more cohesive and efficient team.

Discernment 

This is the ability to judge well. It's a gift lots of people possess and nearly all great basketball players, especially if they're perimeter players.

Even Arkansas young guards seem to have discernment; they just need to use it a bit better when the urge to take charge seems overwhelming.

This isn't about harnessing ego. Discernment is judgment. Players, especially guards, are going to make hundreds of decisions in a game.

As the old knight said to Indiana Jones, "Choose wisely."

Michigan State's coach Tom Izzo, left, and Arkansas' coach John Calipari shake hands after the game on Saturday at the Bresli
Michigan State's coach Tom Izzo, left, and Arkansas' coach John Calipari shake hands after the game on Saturday at the Breslin Center in East , Mich. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Boards, Boards, Boards

Calipari was understandably displeased with his team's performance on the defensive glass. It's easily argued that determined who won and lost the game.

"They got 19 offensive rebounds, and five or six of them were like one and two where we had a chance to bust away a little bit, and we couldn't," he said.

Part of the problem was that 6-foot-10 Trevon Brazile was virtually a no-show due to early foul trouble -- same for Malique Ewin, who's also 6-10.

Mostly, though, rebounding is discipline (block out) and effort (don't be outworked). The Hogs gotta work on that a bit, and stop committing too many fouls, especially the dumb ones (discernment).

Experience

Calipari has a lot of new players, just the way it goes in college sports these days. Brazile, DJ Wagner, Karter Knox and Billy Richmond III are back from last year.

Newcomers are senior posts Ewin and Pringle, and freshmen guards Darius Acuff Jr., Meleek Thomas and Isaiah Sealy.

Blending those talents and egos into a perfect mix is what makes coaching difficult. That's why Acuff and Thomas, in particular, have to listen to guys like Wagner and fit the system Calipari commands.

"The guys didn't lose themselves into the team," Calipari said afterward. "Whatever the team needs me to do for us, and we didn't play that way, and it's good for me to see and it's good for them to see.

"When you lose yourself in the team, you're just doing what the team needs you to do and what you're capable of doing. So we didn't have that today."

Ego

All players have ego. Great ones have bigger ones, which is mostly a good thing. What the Hogs' two 5-star freshman guards need to do is not feel like winning and losing comes down to their performance.

Both Acuff and Meleek tried to put the team on their shoulders at times. Both took shots at the end that were not wild, but a bit quick and forced.

Yes, Thomas ignited the late 6-0 run with a 3-pointer (after getting his own rebound) and dishing to Pringle for a dunk.

But Caliari, who's coached more than his share of superstar guards, reads his pair of future NBA first-rounders like a book.

"I appreciate (Darius) and Meleek are not afraid to take game winning shots," Calipari said, "Both of them. But when you fought to get back in the game, you can’t take a quick one, and (Darius) did it.

"But (Darius is) a really good player. Really good. Did not play great today, but just look, the best players I’ve coached have had to get hit in the mouth. Had to get hit in the mouth and then you either know, you’re not delusional, you accept and say, ‘Alright, that ain’t going to work. I’ve got to get better.’

"He’s talented that way and both of the kids I have are very smart. I told Meleek at one point, ‘I appreciate the fact that you had the courage to shoot that again.’ But I also told him, ‘You got it back and DJ Wagner was wide open. Throw him the ball.’

"And he may say, ‘Well, I’m a better shooter than him,’ but you got to trust your teammates too. We had a couple of those, but look, I’ve done this a long time with young kids. Part of it is you got to hold them accountable. You can’t be afraid to coach them, you got to tell them the truth.

"And you know what my best friend is? The bench. So I told them after the game, ‘There’s things you did, you’re not playing that way. Not for me.’

"The guys that know me know there’s a certain way to play, these kids played three games so well. On the road at Memphis, which was a hard game for these kids.

"Now, they come here (and) the game got so physical, cutting and screening and getting screened, and it wears you out. Now all of a sudden your shooting goes. But I love them both. They’re going to be fine. "

Acuff and Thomas led the Hogs with 16 points each while Wagner added 13. They combined for 11 assists, Acuff dishing six of those in front of about 50 family and friends who traveled from Detroit to watch him play.

Experience comes with time but needs to hurry up

The Hogs are just 18 days away from a showdown with the No. 6 Duke Blue Devils in Chicago. It's another chance to score a signature win against an elite opponent.

And it's the next real opportunity to assess how the Hogs have improved although there are three games prior to Duke against lesser opponents.

I believe this group will learn from Coach Cal quickly and not repeat mistakes. My sense is the report card will look a bit better by Thanksgiving and be straight As by the time SEC play begins Jan. 3 at home against Tennessee.

Calipari obviously believes that also. He wasn't mad they lost to the Spartans; he was simply disappointed. But he credited Michigan State also, including their Hall of Fame coach, Tom Izzo.

"Tommy had them ready," Calipari said. "Great place to play. We had our chances. As bad as it was, we had a chance to win the game."

Stay tuned. It'll be a fun season.

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Bob Stephens
BOB STEPHENS

Bob Stephens won more than a dozen awards as a sportswriter and columnist in Northwest Arkansas from 1980 to 2003. He started as a senior for the 1975 Fayetteville Bulldogs’ state championship basketball team, and was drafted that summer in the 19th round by the St. Louis Cardinals but signed instead with Norm DeBriyn's Razorbacks, playing shortstop and third base. Bob has written for the Washington Post, Chicago Sun-Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, New Jersey Star-Ledger, and many more. He covered the Razorbacks in three Final Fours, three College World Series, six New Year’s Day bowl games, and witnessed many track national championships. He lives in Colorado Springs with his wife, Pati. Follow on X: @BobHogs56

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