Hogs' Missing Piece is Who Calipari Didn't Prioritize in Portal

Calipari can only blame self for roster not playing to potential, limiting himself to nine contributors with one proven shooter

Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari yelling at his team in a 92-62 win over Oakland at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. / Nilsen Roman-Hogs on SI Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- There are certainly several issues for this Arkansas basketball team and likely won't be fixed at least for this season. First-year coach John Calipari won't say it but he's probably hit the reset button similar to his Kentucky team that went 9-19 in 2020-21.

That Wildcats team was legitimately bad on the offensive end making just 41% of its field goal attempts which ranked No. 284 overall. Defense was not actually the problem similar to Arkansas' current situation ranked inside the top-30 of KenPom's defensive efficiency ratings.

"Arkansas is one of 4 high-majors that don't have a conference win. They're genuinely hard to watch. I don't know what the hell they've done to Johnell Davis. The game has passed John Calipari by"@GoodmanHoops on Arkansas' 0-5 start to SEC play

WATCH:https://t.co/eQX1B5d1MK pic.twitter.com/lm1Y45bCkc

— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) January 19, 2025

Where Arkansas actually lacks is pure shooters and those haven't been prioritized in a very long time between Calipari and former coach Eric Musselman. It's one thing to recruit players out of high school who are proven midrange to three point shooters but it's another to bring only one transfer with a wealth of experience in the shooting department expected to generate offense.

The Razorbacks have no offensive identity at this point and will not until this epic failure of a season ends. Johnell Davis, No. 1 transfer on the market last offseason, is only a shell of the player he was at Florida Atlantic.

Sure, the SEC is a step up in competition from AAC basketball but don't act like Davis played a bunch of nobodies during his time in basketball paradise Boca Raton, Florida. His former coach Dusty May made him the focal piece of a team that defeated Florida, Memphis, Tennessee, Kansas State, Butler, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, Charleston and Arizona in a matter of 13 months that included a surprising Final Four run.

This is what Johnell Davis used to play like pic.twitter.com/qTiblBwI3s

— WT - Lamont Enthusiast (@WildcatsTongue) January 11, 2025

Davis didn't forget how to play basketball, he's simply not being used like the ball dominant guard he was previously. With a 27% usage rate above 27% last season at FAU, he's seen his field goal percentage fall eight points to 40% and a stellar three point percentage plummet from nearly 42% to 35%.

It's an oddity for a guy who is in his fifth year of college basketball to completely fall of the face of college basketball. The truth of Davis' struggles lie somewhere between Calipari, his coaching staff and Davis not living up to his potential.

Arkansas Razorbacks guard Johnell Davis (1) drives around Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners guard Tai'Reon Joseph (3) during the second half at Bud Walton Arena. / Brett Rojo-Imagn Images

Calipari did himself in and probably learned from limiting himself to a nine-man rotation with four other scholarship players incapable of contributing. Arkansas' in desperate need of shooters and didn't prioritize that when he was hired away from Kentucky in April 2024.

His two best three pointers with two weeks worth of games left in January are big men Zvonimir Ivisic (43%) and Trevon Brazile (38%). Combo guard Boogie Fland connected on 37% of his threes but will now miss a considerable amount of time due to a hand injury.

Arkansas Razorbacks forward Adou Thiero (3) and LSU Tigers guard Cam Carter (5) fight for possession of the ball during the second half at Pete Maravich Assembly Center. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Defense can carry a team so far and that's definitely noticeable on the hardwood this season. Not recruiting players wired to score and shortened bench will be Calipari's final nail in his coffin of Year One.

"The lesson was you can't do this now with seven freshmen," Calipari said in May at SEC's spring meetings. "You just can't. You're going to hit a team that's 25 years old on average, one was 26, and that team is physically going to get you. Now, we have a couple transfers that are older, some kids that transferred from Kentucky that went through it, and they're a year older, and some freshmen."

HOGS FEED:

• New injury could hamper wounded Razorbacks moving forward

• Fans love mysteries but 'Cal's Kids' still ratings flop

• Mizzou grills Arkansas; Calipari stays winless in SEC

• We see if Razorbacks' practice approach finally gets SEC win

• Money isn't only reason players pursue transfer portal opportunities

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