Reaction: Shooting Woes Sink Hogs, Winless Start First for Calipari

Another bad shooting night from Razorbacks sinks team to 0-3 start in conference play for second straight season, first for Calipari

Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. (1) drives against Arkansas Razorbacks guard Boogie Fland (2) during the second half at Bud Walton Arena. Florida won 71-63. | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Coach John Calipari saw it along before it became a consistent problem for his first Razorbacks team. Shooting woes have yet again become a problem and it's not only a three point issue either as Arkansas shot a putrid 2-of-16 on layups Saturday against Florida in a 71-63 loss.

"How many of you thought at halftime, this may be the worst shooting team I’ve ever seen," Calipari asked reporters Nov. 13 after a win against Troy. "Some of you, right?"

That night started much like the majority of Arkansas' games have gone shooting poorly not only from the floor but also dreadful three point shooting. In half of the Razorbacks 16 games, it has shot under 30% from three and Saturday was no different making just 3-of-18 attempts which rounds up to 19%.

To paint the picture clearer, Arkansas has attempted 70 threes in conference play with only 14 of those falling. Many of the shots against Florida weren't even defended well by the Gators, shots aren't falling for Arkansas all the way around and it's pushed the Razorbacks toward the bottom of the league with an 0-3 start for just the third time in SEC play since 2009.

"When you’re coaching, you challenge [players], because you want to put pressure on them," Calipari said in November. "Because when the get in the game, there’s going to be pressure on them. But for this team, the way we drive the ball, if it’s contested at all, you should never shoot it. We’re not a great three-point shooting team."

condo 😤#GoGators | 📺ESPN pic.twitter.com/qkDJsxlY1E

— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) January 11, 2025

Calipari's team has answered that call several times this season and improved its shooting throughout non-conference play to be a top-five in three point shooting among SEC members before league play started. Calipari probably doesn't know the answer to his team's struggles yet as he's never been winless in conference through three games.

This team has quality individual pieces that haven't gelled but have shown previous flashes of being a dangerous squad. There's obviously other glaring issues like transition defense, defending pick-and-roll sets, rebounding and guarding the perimeter but Arkansas' inability to score consistently trumps all other faults to this point.

⬆️throw it up #1
⬇️throw it down #4 #GoGators | 📺ESPN pic.twitter.com/uXMDt34Kav

— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) January 11, 2025

"Free throws, open shots, most of that stuff's mentality," Calipari said after Arkansas loss to Florida. "We can talk and go and, you know, we grew up. We didn't have this social media barrage that these guys have. There's a lot of stuff coming at them, from around them. I've just got to hold them accountable, let them know what's acceptable and what's not, and keep building them up. But you got to go in the game and perform."

There haven't been many teams around the SEC that have played as rigorous of a three game start to conference play like Arkansas has with three straight ranked opponents in No. 1 Tennessee, No. 23 Ole Miss and No. 8 Florida. The Razorbacks will head on the road for back-to-back games against LSU this Tuesday, Jan. 14 and Missouri next Saturday Jan. 18.

HOGS FEED:

• Anemic offense troubles Hogs, lose third straight in SEC

• Recruiting coup, blockbuster schedule puts Hogs in spotlight as season looms

• Arkansas steps into role of big dog against last season's entire Top 4 programs

• Discouraged Razorbacks fans need to help by looking in the mirror

• Hogs expected to hire NFL assistant for DB coach

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