As the buzzer went off in South Carolina’s Colonial Life Arena, John Calipari stood near the tunnel with his head down. His Arkansas Razorbacks walked off the floor having just suffered an embarrassing 72-53 loss at SEC last-place South Carolina. Nothing went right on the night they scored 14 points first half, their fewest ever in a first half this century. Yet, in the midst of this turmoil, the college basketball community offered Calipari an unexpected source of relief.
Arkansas entered Saturday’s matchup squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble. A win against the SEC’s last-place Gamecocks was expected to shore up the Hogs’ postseason resume. Instead, Arkansas flopped—miserably—shooting just 28.8% from the field and losing by 19 points. The Razorbacks’ sleepy start—down 32-14 in the first half—was consistent with this season’s performance.
This wasn’t just another defeat. It was a devastating blow to Arkansas’ NCAA Tournament chances, considering ESPN’s Joe Lunardi had the Razorbacks listed among his “Last Four In.” Amid the wreckage and pushback for John Calipari, national basketball analyst Jeff Goodman took to X with a seemingly mocking comment.
“This is one of his best coaching jobs.” Goodman jokingly credited the message to “the PR firm of Greenberg, Greenberg & Greenberg” in a nod to ESPN analyst Seth Greenberg’s frequent Calipari praise.
“This is one of his best coaching jobs.”
– the PR firm of Greenberg, Greenberg & Greenberg on John Calipari.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 1, 2025
The two have admittedly been friends for about 4 decades, and Greenberg has more than once publically held out hopes for Calipari’s coaching revival. “Hold on a second. [John Calipari] didn’t forget how to coach,” he had even claimed early in January as questions were raised about the Arkansas coach’s ability to handle his team.
So sure, down to 17-12 overall and 6-10 in the SEC play, Goodman’s comment may not be all far fetched. Moreover, this was a team that entered with a top-10 recruiting class and transfers, including Center Zvonimir Ivisic, guard DJ Wagner, and forward Adou Thiero. But the fans refuse to miss out on the positives and the unfavorable situation the Hogs entered. So with Goodman’s comment came a charged Razorback nation’s response.
Fans come to John Calipari’s rescue
Some countered Goodman’s view: “Stop embarrassing yourself Jeff,” one fan firmly wrote. The Razorbacks entered the game with two of its starters ruled out due to injury– Boogie Fland and Thiero. Losing both of its top two scorers meant obvious trouble and disadvantage for Arkansas. So when criticism rolled in, the fans were quick to point out the team had played with a missing limb.
Moreover, while the Razorbacks had one of the worst first half, missing 12 straight field goals and managing no three pointer, they matched strides the next. Kickstarting with D.J. Wagner’s jumper, the Razorbacks put up 39 points to South Carolina’s 40. Calipari’s squad had not let the setback hold them down to worse.
Credit: Imagn Images
“One of the best halftime adjustments you’ll ever see. Cal almost tripled their first-half performance. Now that’s coaching,” announced a user.
But Goodman got the heat largely for his ever-persistent harsh take on Calipari. “I think time has passed him by a little bit,” he said for the coach late in January. So when the analyst chimed in with the post once again… “Literally anything that has gone wrong with them this year is because of Calipari,” came a response. “Do you ever just stop,” added another.
Arkansas has shown glimpses of what kind of team it can be throughout the season, with eye-popping wins in Quad 1 play vs. Michigan, Kentucky, Missouri, and Texas. They also put up a close fight against top-ranked team — Alabama and Auburn — missing by a margin of 4 and 7. So fans are still holding out hopes.
“And you are loving it wow. They have 7 players with their 2 best players done for the year. They were horrendous today yes, but the season isn’t over,” a fan commented.
After losing by double figures to a struggling South Carolina team, the Razorbacks’ postseason hopes aren’t dead quite yet — but they’re in the ventilation. Now sitting 17-12 overall and 6-10 in SEC play, Arkansas has a tall task ahead of them; they must win out against Vanderbilt and Mississippi State. And Calipari is all ready to move on. “Burn the tape and let’s get ready for Vandy,” he said post the game and that will be what fans hold him to.
The post Calls Mount Against National Reporter as John Calipari Finds Solace From College Basketball Community appeared first on EssentiallySports.