This is exactly what John Calipari and the UA fan base were looking for in Starkville.
The Arkansas basketball team had a full week off to prepare for Mississippi State. The Bulldogs inhabit the lower tier of the SEC, so this was a must-win game for the Hogs. A loss would have created a true crisis of confidence while also costing the Razorbacks at least one seed line for the NCAA Tournament. In truth, the biggest and toughest opponent for Arkansas in this game was not on the other side of the court. The Hogs had to conquer themselves and their own bad habits.
This was a very good start.
In one sense, the goal for Arkansas was to beat Mississippi State. In another real sense, the larger purpose of this game was to start the second half of the SEC basketball season on the other side of a much-needed one-week break. Could Arkansas hit the reset button and get back to the brand of basketball we saw a lot in early and mid-January? That team, the one which buried Vanderbilt and handled Tennessee maturely, can go deep in March Madness. That team hadn't been seen in awhile. Could Calpari use the week off to revive the Hogs and call them back into form?
The answer was clear, at least on this particular afternoon in Starkville. Arkansas won, 88-68, and the game was genuinely as lopsided as the score indicated.
It all started with Darius Acuff. Arkansas' best player played like it: 24 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds, 1 turnover. It's hard to be better than that. With Acuff leading by example, the rest of the Hogs had an easier time doing their own jobs. Arkansas' defense was locked in and engaged. The energy and communication were consistent, the movements crisp, the desperation evident. This was defense which will get the job done in March. Sustained effort with minimal lulls is in many ways the focus for Calipari. This kind of performance, if replicated faithfully, will put Arkansas in position to do something notable at the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
Arkansas held MSU to 3-of-15 3-point shooting. The Razorbacks allowed just 14 free throw attempts. They forced 11 turnovers, some of which became fast-break baskets going the other way to fuel UA's offense. Arkansas was getting hands into passing lanes and creating deflections. The Hogs blocked 9 shots and altered others. They did a lot of different positive things at the defensive end of the floor to win this game.
This is the effort Calpari and Arkansas fans need to see on a consistent basis from here on out. The talent is there. The effort and focus will determine how far this team goes.