Nine games into the John Calipari era at Arkansas, the Razorbacks sit a 7-2.
A 75-60 comeback win over UTSA on Dec. 7 earned Calipari his seventh win in Fayetteville. With a matchup vs Michigan looming on Dec. 10, here’s what we’ve learned about the Razorbacks through the first quarter of the 2024-25 season.
Stretches of sloppy play remain prevalent
Arkansas’ only “clean” victory of the season came in a 74-point blowout of lowly Maryland Eastern-Shore on Nov. 25.
Against Lipscomb, Troy, Pacific, Little Rock, Miami and UTSA, Arkansas had at least one stretch of play where it barely looked like an NCAA Tournament team. Against Illinois, a horrendous start led to an afternoon where Arkansas was constantly down by double digits.
The sloppy stretches of play — many of which have come at home against inferior competition — have fans rightfully worried. Take Saturday’s victory over UTSA, for example: While Arkansas played well and pulled away in the second half, they trailed by five at home and were thoroughly outplayed by the Roadrunners in the first half. Similar performances will result in the Hogs suffering long evenings against the likes of Michigan, Tennessee, Alabama and other SEC foes.
Adou Thiero is Arkansas’ most consistent player
The criteria that make a player the best on their respective team are subjective, but it’s clear that Thiero — a Kentucky transfer — is the Hogs’ most reliable option. He leads Arkansas in points per game (18.6), rebounds per game (6.1) and steals per game (2.2). When Illinois thrashed Arkansas on Thanksgiving Day, Thiero’s 26 points kept the Razorbacks within striking distance. He’s the man Arkansas turns to down the stretch, and at the moment, Arkansas can’t afford for him to have many off nights.
Johnell Davis must heat up
After leading Florida Atlantic to the Final Four a season ago, Davis was expected to be one of Arkansas’ leaders this season. That hasn’t exactly been the case through nine games, though Davis is trending upwards. After averaging just eight points per game through Arkansas’ first five contests, he’s scored at least 12 in three of Arkansas’ last four games. Davis will have to emerge as a bigger scoring threat in SEC play.
Three-point shooting leaves something to be desired
Arkansas is only shooting 36.2 percent from three through nine games, which ranks 80th in the country. That isn’t awful, but it’s not a number that will be conducive to success in SEC play. Arkansas’ best three-point shooter so far has been Kentucky transfer center Zvonimir Ivisic, who has made 19 of his 33 attempts from beyond the arc. He’ll have to retain his hot shooting if the rest of the Razorbacks continue to struggle from deep.