Razorbacks Shorthanded, Unbothered, Loud in Starkville Against Bulldogs

Arkansas won without two rotation players because Calipari trusted passing, defense, and patience, while Chris Jans saw it unfold up close.

Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari reacts during the first half against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville, Miss. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Arkansas showed up in Starkville looking like a team that had already gotten past last week’s home loss to Kentucky and decided it wasn’t interested in a repeat.

Mississippi State, meanwhile, looked prepared for something closer to that version of the Razorbacks, the one still searching and sorting.

By the time the game settled in, it was clear one team had already figured things out pretty well.

Arkansas arrived without two pieces of its usual eight-man rotation. Forward Karter Knox wasn’t there because of a knee that wouldn’t cooperate. Guard D.J. Wagner was sidelined with an ankle that didn’t give him a choice. On paper, that’s enough to make a road game feel heavier.

Instead, the Razorbacks treated it like an invitation.

They walked into Humphrey Coliseum, controlled both ends, and left with an 88-68 win that ended their longest road conference losing streak and rewrote their history in that building.

Arkansas hadn’t won there since January 2015. It had never won there by that margin. Until Saturday.

John Calipari didn’t sound surprised afterward. He sounded almost relieved.

“I was excited about the game, and I told the team that,” Calipari said. “And the reason is, you go through a season and things happen. You’ve got to say, ‘Alright, let's figure this out.’”

That sentence was the entire afternoon in Starkville, boiled down to one shrug and one challenge.

Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari reacts toward an official during the first half against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville, Miss. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Figuring It Out, Again

Calipari has coached enough teams long enough to know when a roster is about to morph. Arkansas had four returners from last season. By Saturday, two of them were out. The math changes quickly in February.

“I knew [Knox’s] knee was bothering him,” Calipari said. “I knew after the [Kentucky] game that it would be hard [to get him back for Saturday], but we were telling him, ‘Try to get yourself ready.’”

The same realism applied to Wagner.

“[Wagner is] a guy that plays so hard, fights so hard,” Calipari said. “You can't go at 80% the way he plays. He's got to be healthy.”

So Arkansas adjusted. Again.

The Razorbacks went to a seven-man rotation and added freshman Isaiah Sealy into the mix. There was no panic, no visible reach for something unfamiliar.

Instead, there was defense, patience, and a commitment to sharing the ball that turned into one of Arkansas’ most complete SEC road performances of the season.

Mississippi State coach Chris Jans saw the shift coming but still had to live through it.

“You can talk until you’re blue in the face about facing a team like that,” Jans said. “But until you get on the court and get a feel for it, it’s like walking out in the cold. You’ve got to adjust to it quickly.”

Arkansas adjusted faster.

The Razorbacks were ahead for all but 4 minutes, 38 seconds. They used a seven-minute stretch in the first half to take control, turning tight basketball into something much more one-sided.

Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Chris Jans reacts toward guard King Grace (23) during the second half against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville, Miss. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The Run That Mattered

Mississippi State wasn’t sleepwalking early. Josh Hubbard, one of the league’s most productive scorers, knocked down jumpers and helped the Bulldogs grab an early edge. Arkansas trailed 10-9 at the first media timeout.

That was the last time the game felt balanced.

From the 15:29 mark to 8:18 of the first half, Arkansas turned defense into momentum. Mississippi State managed only seven shots in that stretch and made one of them.

The Razorbacks ripped off a 20-2 run that changed the geometry of the game.

Strong rim protection erased mistakes. Long rebounds became fast breaks. Five straight makes inside pushed the lead to 29-13.

By the time the dust settled, Arkansas had established a tone that never softened.

Darius Acuff was at the center of it. The freshman point guard didn’t just score. He orchestrated. He pushed pace, found teammates, and punished space.

He finished with 24 points, eight assists, and five rebounds, shooting 9-for-19 from the field, 3-for-5 from three, and a perfect 3-for-3 at the line.

It was his fourth straight game with at least 20 points and another reminder that Arkansas’ offense doesn’t stall when the ball moves.

That mattered later.

Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Josh Hubbard (12) shoots as Arkansas Razorbacks guard Meleek Thomas (1) defends during the second half at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville, Miss. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Jans, Junk Defense and Reality

Mississippi State made a push late in the first half, trimming the deficit to 37-30 with 2:35 to play. That was manageable. It was familiar. Jans actually likes that kind of grind for the Dawgs.

Then Arkansas responded with a 6-0 burst over the final minute, capped by a trap, a steal, and an Acuff three at the buzzer that pushed the halftime lead to 43-30.

“Games change,” Jans said. “I thought the end of the first half we had gotten down double digits, and we fought back a little bit and kind of got the game in a manageable area…. I thought that [Arkansas run] was a big deal.”

It was more than big. It was decisive.

Jans tried to get creative after the break.

“We played a lot of junk defense today — more than I've ever played, probably, in one game in my entire life,” Jans said. “Just trying to get them out of rhythm.”

For a moment, it worked. Arkansas missed some shots. Mississippi State rebounded. The problem came next.

“They started doing a better job and cutting people into the lane and breaking that defense down,” Jans said. “And then they got some dunks and passes behind the defense that way, too.”

Once Arkansas solved it, there was no reset button.

Arkansas Razorbacks forward Trevon Brazile (7) drives to the basket between Mississippi State Bulldogs center Quincy Ballard (15) and guard Shawn Jones Jr. (5) during the first half at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville, Miss. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Passing, Trust, and the Calipari Constant

Arkansas opened the second half with an alley-oop from Acuff to Billy Richmond. It felt symbolic. The Razorbacks weren’t surviving possessions. They were enjoying them.

They shot 54% after halftime and never led by fewer than 14 the rest of the way. Acuff and Meleek Thomas combined for 22 of Arkansas’ 45 second-half points, and the Razorbacks finished with a 22-to-7 assist-to-turnover ratio.

That number matters to Calipari.

“Anytime this team gets over 20 assists, we win,” he said. “But it's hard because it means you can't bounce it as much. It means you got to give it to a teammate when he's open.”

For just about anybody, it seems to make the court feel wider. For a team like the Hogs that operates in open spaces better than tight quarters, that makes a difference.

“When we pass the ball to each other, we create shots for each other and we're a way better team,” Calipari said.

Four Arkansas players scored at least 14 points. Darius Acuff had 24. Trevon Brazile added 19. Thomas finished with 17. Richmond chipped in 14. That quartet outscored Mississippi State by themselves.

And then there was Sealy.

Inserted into the rotation because there was no other choice, the freshman gave Arkansas energy, six points, and three blocks in 15 minutes. He dunked off an Acuff assist moments after checking in and never looked overwhelmed.

“We found another player,” Calipari said. “And we had to do it on the road with a team that can really get going and score the ball with guards that can really shoot.”

Arkansas Razorbacks wing Billy Richmond III (24) drives to the basket as Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Josh Hubbard (12) defends during the first half at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville, Miss. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

What Starkville Showed

Arkansas didn’t win because it shot lights-out from three. It went 8-for-22. The Hogs didn’t win because of free throws. They shot 67% there.

It won because it defended, rebounded, and punished mistakes.

The Razorbacks won the turnover battle 11-7 and turned that into a 19-4 advantage in points off turnovers.

They blocked nine shots. Another big stat was scoring 15 points in transition. The Hogs owned the glass 38-33 and pulled down 11 offensive rebounds.

Nick Pringle had 11 boards. Brazile added eight. Thomas and Brazile played all 40 minutes. Acuff played 38.

“We had four returners [from last season], but two of those guys are out now,” Calipari said. “Now we’ve got a brand new team again.”

And that’s the part Calipari almost smiled about.

“If you ask the guys that played 40 minutes, ‘Would you rather play 40 than 28?’ they're saying ‘Yes, let me play 40 minutes.’”

That’s buy-in.

Jans walked off knowing exactly what kind of team Arkansas can be when the ball moves and the defense travels.

“Their length and their athleticism and the quality of players that they have, it was hard to overcome,” Jans said.

Saturday wasn’t necessarily about Arkansas surviving without two players. More importantly, the Hogs learned, again, what it looks like when everyone else steps forward.

Calipari figured something out. Jans felt it.

And the Hogs carried it onto the bus, louder than before.