Arkansas HC John Calipari Gives His Thoughts on Michigan State

See what Calipari had to say about the Spartans following the 69-66 MSU win on Saturday.

Arkansas head coach John Calipari speaks to the press after his team lost a game to Michigan State on Nov. 8, 2025. | Jacob Cotsonika, Michigan State Spartans on SI

EAST LANSING, Mich. --- No. 22 Michigan State picked up a big 69-66 win over 14th-ranked Arkansas on Saturday night.

The Razorbacks are coached by Hall of Famer John Calipari, who spoke about what the Spartans did to earn a victory over his team, along with the atmosphere that the Breslin Center brought.

Arkansas' head coach John Calipari calls out to his players during the first half against Michigan State on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A full video of Calipari's postgame press conference can be viewed below.

Watch John Calipari here:

Additionally, a partial transcript of Calipari's press conference has been provided. This is just a small part of everything that was said, though.

Transcript

Arkansas' head coach John Calipari, right, argues with a referee during the first half against Michigan State on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Q: You mentioned coming into this game that you guys needed to match the physicality and be ready for a football game, just do you feel like you guys met that?

CALIPARI: No, they had 19 offensive rebounds, and five or six of them were like one and two when we had a chance to bust away a little bit and we couldn't.

So, the guys didn't lose themselves into the team. Whatever the team needs me to do for us, we didn't play that way, and it's good for me to see, and it's good for them to see.

Individually, when you do that and you're playing for yourself, it's hard. You're out there by yourself, you make a mistake, you trip over. When you lose yourself in the team, you're just doing what the team needs you to do and what you're capable of doing.

Michigan State's Cam Ward celebrates after an Arkansas foul during the second half on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

So we didn't have that today, but give them credit. Tommy [Izzo] had them ready, great place to play. We had our chances, as bad as it was, we had a chance to win the game.

Q: John, you've had a lot of great games from freshmen over the years. Cam Ward today, leads all scorers, 18 points, 10 rebounds, two steals. What's it like for a guy in his first big game to come through that way?

CALIPARI: And he really played well, and my two didn't play as well. They'd been playing well, but they didn't today.

Again, there were plays that they could have made for their teammates, and they tried to make it for themselves, and it didn't work out so good. Even the last couple plays, guys were open and they took the shot themselves.

Nov 8, 2025; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks head coach John Calipari shouts in a play during the first half at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Dale Young-Imagn Images | Dale Young-Imagn Images

Keep up with all our content when you follow the official Spartan Nation page on Facebook, Spartan Nation, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be sure to share your thoughts on Calipari's press conference when you join our community group, Go Green Go White, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE. Don't forget to give us a follow on X @MSUSpartansOnSI as well.