Razorbacks Eerily Align with Vampire Lore This Season

Calipari was onto something with sleep comments prior to Tennessee loss

Arkansas Razorbacks guard D.J. Wagner (21) drives to the basket while defended by Texas Longhorns forward Arthur Kaluma (6) during the first half at Moody Center. / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas fans have been grumpy as of late despite the Hogs turning things around in the win column, but then again, what's new?

If Razorbacks supporters were given a brand new pick-up truck that gets 40 miles per gallon, they'd complain it didn't have a heated steering wheel. In this case, the problem with Arkansas getting back in the NCAA Tournament discussion is it's keeping a people up later than they'd like.

Well, fans might want to rethink their wish for earlier games. There's a lot that can be said about John Calipari and how he's handled things since his arrival at Arkansas, but one thing that can't be disputed is he has come to know and understand his players.

The first hint he had identified his team's kryptonite came against Tennessee. A lot was made about Calipari letting his players sleep in rather than get in a shoot around for a noon game against the No. 1 Volunteers, and at the time it seemed justifiably so.

However, a case can be made that he already knew what has become obvious in the month since. Arkansas' basketball players are not day people.

Statistics show they're as close to vampires as perhaps any group of Razorbacks in modern history. The gap in performance is massive to the point that start time should cause huge shifts in point spreads.

In games that start at 7 p.m. or later, the Hogs are 11-3 and those three losses come by an average of 3.6 points per game, none of which was more than four points. They get even better if the game starts at 8 p.m.

Arkansas is 6-1 in the late TV time slot, including signature wins over Michigan, Kentucky, Texas and Georgia, and it should also be noted that while it's not included in that record, the exhibition blowout over Kansas was at 8 p.m. also. Poor Vanderbilt may get down 20-0 in a scheduled 9 p.m. start coming up in early March if trends hold.

However, as great as Calipari's team is in primetime, the Hogs are an absolute train wreck in games prior to 7 p.m. Arkansas is 4-6 in such games with the losses coming by an average of 11 points, including the season's biggest blowouts.

Those four wins came against UTSA, North Carolina A&T, Central Arkansas and a 76-73 victory over a 6-18 Miami team that is last in the ACC with a 2-11 conference mark. As for SEC play, the Razorbacks are 0-4, and against teams considered legitimate at-large contenders for the NCAA Tournament the Hogs are 0-6 before 7 p.m.

That doesn't bode well for Saturday's game at No. 8 Texas A&M. Nor does it offer promise for must-win games late in the season against South Carolina and Mississippi State.

Whether the Hogs end up beginning the SEC Tournament in the first or second round, three of the four possible time slots begin before 7 p.m. That's not a good sign for a team so reliant upon its beauty rest to produce wins against quality teams.

It's just another issue Calipari will have to solve. However, until then, deciding whether it's going to be worth investing time in watching the game is as simple as looking out the window.

HOGS FEED:

• Hogs' players find solution to John Calipari's tantrums

• Razorbacks tie school record in blowout loss to Ole Miss

• How Many Wins Does Pittman Need to Avoid Uproar from Razorback Fans?

• Hogs' close in on magic number of wins for NCAA Tournament bid

• Aidoo emerged as unsung hero in win over LSU

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