This Razorback Team Coming Together at Best Time for Calipari

While it probably wasn't planned, Hogs' coach may have suspected this could be result with all-new roster

Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari against the Texas Longhorns at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. / Nilsen Roman-Hogs on SI Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Considering Texas’ best player had a career night and Arkansas is still trying to figure out its top guy these day, the Razorbacks’ 86-81 win is even more surprising.

That, along with Jonas Aidoo hitting two straight free throws in crunch time, pretty much summed things up Wednesday night.

"Very valuable lesson is that we’ve overcame adversity," assistant coach Kenny Payne said after the game.

That may be the key to what has developed following an 0-5 start to SEC play.

As Hogs coach John Calipari said back when he got the job and was questioned about a short rotation, he actually hinted at it. He even brought up the possibility of injuries causing his short rotation to be down to seven players.

It continued all the way to May. Calipari said at one point if he got down to seven players, "they will be happy guys."

Now every team the Razorbacks play in the last three games (that's South Carolina and Vanderbilt on the road, then Mississippi State at home) is just playing to win. The Hogs are playing for their lives.

It has made a difference so far. They haven't lost to a team that wasn't ranked in the Top 25 since falling to Oklahoma back on Jan. 25. Considering the Sooners had been ranked until a few weeks before that game, they've gotten it together.

In the last eight games Arkansas has only lost to teams ranked in the Top 10. Considering they are on the edge of making the NCAA Tournament the next two games against the Gamecocks and Commodores are more crucial than the last game of the year.

That one will be against Mississippi State which is ranked No. 24. But these two wins against teams below them in the SEC rankings will be critical.

Just remember, Calipari didn't have a single player on the roster when he walked through the doors at Bud Walton Arena when he was officially announced. He's put it together the best way he could and they've come together over the course of the season.

"The way we started this team, from the beginning of the season till now, none of these kids are the same," Payne said. "They all have grown. They all have grown from adversity. To lose Boogie Fland the way we did, to lose [Thiero] Adou for this game, somebody had to step up.

"How do you make up for, I don't know what Adou was averaging, 16 and six or seven? We need him and the other guys had to have his back and make sure they fought for us to get wins."

That's exactly what the Hogs have to keep doing for three more games, then the SEC Tournament in Nashville. The margin for error to keep playing is slim.

Getting enough wins to be in the NCAA Tournament better happen before the SEC get-together. It may be too risky to rely on a big run there to leave to chance.

HOGS FEED:

• Which positions will Razorbacks target during spring portal?

• Former Razorback assaulting Sun Belt record books

• Hogs' team outshines Texas freshman phenom Tre Johnson's bright star

• Calipari coached circles around Longhorns' Rodney Terry

• Razorbacks wake up to startling reality after dramatic win over Texas

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