Razorbacks Leave Calipari with Questions After Big Win Following Big Loss

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Arkansas Razorbacks didn’t make this complicated, dramatic or particularly suspenseful Wednesday night.

They just played basketball, shared the ball and turned Vanderbilt’s visit into a long, uncomfortable SEC lesson.

Arkansas beat Vanderbilt 93-68 at Bud Walton Arena, leaning on balanced scoring, sharp shooting and a steady grip on the paint.

It wasn’t flashy theater. It was the kind of workmanlike performance that keeps seasons moving in the right direction.

"All I can tell you is it looks like I have two teams," Hogs coach John Calipari said later. That was in reference to the beating they took at Georgia on Saturday. "I don't know what to tell you why."

He sounded like they may get too comfortable after big wins like the one at Bud Walton Arena last week against South Carolina, but folks will be wondering now if it's a patter.

"Do we get arrogant, win a game, play well and then go and just act like the other team's going to lay down?" Calipari asked the media when he really wasn't looking for an answer. "Are we just looking for the easiest way?"

Darius Acuff Jr. led the Hogs with 17 points and five assists, shooting 7-of-14 from the floor. He controlled the pace without forcing it, which tends to be a good idea when your teammates are finishing everything near the rim.

Arkansas shot 58% overall and assisted on 25 of its 37 made baskets. That’s usually the math of a comfortable win, especially when the other team can’t get much going inside.

Acuff wasn’t alone, not even close. Malique Ewin scored 16 points. Karter Knox added 16 of his own. Meleek Thomas finished with 13, DJ Wagner chipped in 11, and Trevon Brazile quietly stacked up 10 points and 14 rebounds.

That’s six Razorbacks in double figures, which is usually how blowouts happen without much shouting involved.

Vanderbilt tried to hang around early, leaning heavily on Tyler Nickel. He scored 17 points, all in the first half, and briefly gave the Commodores a pulse. Tyler Tanner added 11 points, but the offensive help mostly stopped there.

Arkansas made sure of that by owning the interior. The Razorbacks outscored Vanderbilt 50-20 in the paint and won the rebounding battle 39-27. Those numbers tend to erase hope pretty quickly.

The Hogs didn’t wait around to see how the night might unfold. Arkansas opened the game on a 13-2 run while Vanderbilt missed eight of its first nine shots. The Commodores looked rushed, Arkansas looked comfortable, and the direction of the game became clear early.

Vanderbilt managed to trim the margin to 11 by halftime, which technically kept the game on the schedule. But Arkansas had other plans once the second half started.

The Commodores went nearly four minutes without a field goal midway through the second half. That stretch turned a manageable deficit into a problem that couldn’t be fixed. Arkansas pushed the lead past 20 and never looked back.

Arkansas remains unbeaten at home in SEC play, and the building continues to behave accordingly. The only losses the Razorbacks have taken at Bud Walton Arena this season came against now-No. 5 Duke and now-No. 6 Houston.

DUNKS, DUNKS, & MORE DUNKS pic.twitter.com/ZxBk6FiDgr
— Arkansas Razorbacks Men’s Basketball 🐗 (@RazorbackMBB) January 21, 2026

That’s not a bad résumé line, and it helps explain why Arkansas looks so comfortable playing at home, especially against league opponents still searching for answers.

For Vanderbilt, the loss marked its third straight defeat. The Commodores struggled to deal with Arkansas’ length, physicality and ball movement, and those issues don’t tend to disappear overnight.

Arkansas will try to keep its momentum rolling Saturday when LSU comes to Fayetteville. Vanderbilt heads to Starkville for a matchup with Mississippi State, hoping to stop the slide before it becomes something heavier.

For the Razorbacks, this one wasn’t about statements or style points. It was about doing the job, sharing the work and leaving the floor without drama. That’s usually a good sign this time of year

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