Arkansas Razorbacks head coach John Calipari. Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Disturbing trend emerging for Arkansas men's basketball, HC John Calipari

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Nov 30, 2024 9:02 AM ET

It's certainly not time to panic about Arkansas' basketball team, but there is one disturbing trend that must be acknowledged.

Against both Baylor on Nov. 9 and Illinois on Thursday, the Razorbacks dug themselves into a double-digit deficit and were never able to recover.

While Baylor didn't dominate Arkansas in the same fashion Illinois did on Thursday afternoon, the Bears looked like the much better basketball team throughout the contest, just as the Illini did against the Razorbacks on Thursday.

Arkansas was out-shot from three in both games and turned the basketball over at least 11 times in both matchups.

As Matt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio documented, Arkansas' showing against Illinois looked eerily reminiscent of head coach John Calipari's recent Kentucky teams whenever they faced a Power Four opponent at a neutral site.

This Arkansas game is literally every neutral site UK game against a decent team of the last 5 years of the Calipari era

Same consistent 10 point deficit…same giving up open threes…same long twos…same lack of Offense on key possessions
— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) November 28, 2024

Against both Baylor and Illinois, the Hogs lacked the firepower needed to make the game-changing run that could get them within striking distance. Arkansas' matchup with Baylor saw Arkansas tie the game and keep it within one possession for much of the second half, but the Razorbacks couldn't do enough to take the lead.

Against Illinois, it felt like asking Arkansas to stay within 10 points of their opponent was nearly impossible. Only twice in the second half did Arkansas cut the Illinois lead to single digits, and both of those instances were followed by points for Illinois on the ensuing possession.

Arkansas' inability to retain momentum — a must in big games — is the most jarring takeaway after two games against Power Four competition.

The good news? Arkansas has multiple chances to try and fix its issues against Power Four competition before SEC play begins. A road game against Miami on Dec. 3 and a matchup with Michigan in the Jimmy V. Classic on Dec. 10 will serve as measuring sticks for the Hogs before they start SEC play on Jan. 4 against Tennessee.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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