With three weeks left in the SEC regular season, Arkansas is in sole possession of second place, one game behind Florida. The Hogs are right there.
The Arkansas Razorbacks have played 12 SEC games and won nine of them. Only Florida, at 10-2, has a better SEC basketball record at this stage of the season. Several SEC teams are at 8-4. UA really does have a chance to win the SEC and become the No. 1 seed for the 2026 SEC Tournament. Yes, the Hogs are not the favorite. However, they do control their own fate. They will face the Florida Gators on February 28. If they win their final six SEC regular-season games, they will win the conference championship.
Saturday, Florida defeated Kentucky. The result enabled Arkansas to gain sole possession of second in the SEC, but the tradeoff was that Florida stayed in front of Arkansas for first place in the conference. It's a trade the Hogs would have not wanted to make, but it's the reality they must confront.
What is most daunting for Arkansas as it heads into the home stretch of this SEC basketball season is that its most important remaining games are on the road, this week at Alabama and next week in Gainesville to take on the Gators. Bud Walton Arena is a fortress the Hogs have almost always defended this season, but UA won't have that protective shield against the Crimson Tide or against the Florida team which has rounded into form and has become the team to beat in the SEC.
However, the news certainly isn't all bad for Arkansas. The Razorbacks, after a week off in early February, played two extremely authoritative road games and have looked like a good, mature team after their midseason reset. John Calipari got through to his players and communicated the need to be tougher, more focused, and more relentless at the defensive end of the floor. If Arkansas can sustain that approach and the mentality needed to establish it, the Hogs can certainly go into Tuscaloosa and then Gainesville and produce wins. Talent is not the question. Work ethic and attention to detail are the ingredients Arkansas must bring to the table.
Darius Acuff is playing spectacular basketball right now. If he can be the best player on the floor against Bama and Florida, Arkansas has a legitimate chance to win. If Acuff's teammates rise to meet the challenge, the Razorbacks -- currently in better position than any other pursuer to chase down Florida for the SEC lead -- still have a chance to achieve something very special this season.