John Calipari Quotes of Note Following Little Rock Win

Arkansas basketball improved to 4-1 on the season with a 79-67 win over Little Rock on Friday at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville. Here are several quotes of note from head coach John Calipari following the victory:

Arkansas Plays With Its Food, Again…

For a fourth straight game at home, Arkansas allowed an inferior opponent to have hope before pulling away and winning comfortably. This time, a brilliant first half lost some shine as the Razorbacks scuffled out of the gates.

“Thank goodness it’s November, and again, you have a chance to put somebody away, and you mess around. So at half, instead of being up bigger and bigger, we’re up 18. So the first five minutes of the half set the tone for the rest of the game. First five minutes. First play, what did we do? We gave them a layup under the basket. You know how we guarded in the first half. What just happened?

“Because it became a close game, it ends up being good for us. Who’s making plays? Who do you have to get out of the game? Who do you have in the game? What do you try to do to score offense?

“We passed the ball and moved it and did so much good offensively in the first half, until the last three minutes. We had seven wide-open threes, missed all of those. Seven. They were wide open. There was no one guarding the guy. Just missed them. That happens, but they were the right shots and they were the right plays.”

Shorthanded Hogs Having To Grind Out Wins

Arkansas won’t be getting any style points for recent performances, but the Razorbacks have done whatever necessary to grind out wins and stay out of the danger zone while operating without the services of key pieces in Trevon Brazile and Jonas Aidoo.

“So they know now, you have to. If you do what you did and you back up, you’re going to lose. So, if you want to win, you’ve got to do this for 40. Got to get guys healthy right now because it’s hard playing seven guys, and I’m playing my guards too many minutes, but the game got close in the second half, so just I left them in trying to win the game.”

Razorbacks Need More Shine From Stars

Arkansas has had great starts out of the likes of Boogie Fland and Adou Thiero, but it will need more from its other expected contributors to continue to stay afloat while missing some pieces and to reach expectations when at full strength.

While Calipari didn’t name names, it felt like he delivered a message to top transfer Johnell Davis and five-star freshman Karter Knox, who have struggled all season and combined to score eight points on 3 of 16 shooting Friday.

“We got a couple other guys, we gotta get ‘em going and I’m trying to do what I can do, but the team knows — I’ve said it — I can’t do this for somebody. I can give you opportunities, we can create some things, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to win that battle. The one you’re having with yourself.

“And here’s what happened, guys. They’re not playing well offensively, so when they do get it, what do they do? Try to drive for…a…layup. What if there’s two guys in there? Doesn’t matter. I’m driving because I gotta get a layup. Can’t play that way. Just play. Just play.

“We’re a team that’s a work-in-progress. There are times I look at us and say, ‘Wow. We’re as good as anybody.’ Then there’s other times I look at us and I say, ‘Wow, we’re as bad as anybody.’ So it just tells you we can be something.”