Arkansas' win over St. John's is exactly why it hired John Calipari

A year ago at this time, Arkansas' basketball program was in an interesting position, to say the least. 

After going to three consecutive Sweet 16s, Eric Musselman's fifth season in Fayetteville bore a 16-17 record and Arkansas' only omission from the NCAA Tournament in a full season under Musselman. 

When Musselman, a native son of the West Coast, left Arkansas to become the head coach at USC back in April, athletic director Hunter Yurachek was put in a difficult position. Under Musselman, Arkansas basketball had gotten back into the national spotlight and was achieving success not seen since the 1990s. 

Then-Kentucky head coach John Calipari was not on anyone's coaching radar. At the time, Calipari's future with Kentucky was on the rocks following a Round of 64 loss to Oakland and a well-documented conversation between Calipari and Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart. 

On April 10, Calipari was officially announced as the next coach at Arkansas, opening a new era of Razorback basketball. 

The college basketball world took notice of Calipari's early struggles at the U of A. Arkansas opened SEC play with five consecutive losses and a highly detrimental injury to freshman guard Boogie Fland. It seemed as if Calipari's first season in Fayetteville was over before it started. 

Then, Calipari pulled a rabbit out of his hat. 

Arkansas closed out the regular season with an 8-5 stretch before beating South Carolina in the SEC Tournament to solidify a spot in the Big Dance. 

After beating seventh-seeded Kansas 79-72, the 10th-seeded Razorbacks were primed for a matchup that could be one of the best of the entire tournament — Calipari and his wild band of Razorback hogs against Rick Pitino and second-seeded St John's. 

Besides being a matchup of two red-hot teams, it was a matchup of two legendary coaches who have more than earned their flowers over the course of their careers. 

On Saturday, Calipari coached Arkansas to a 75-66 win over Pitino and St. John's, earning his biggest win yet as the head Hog. 

The win should give Arkansas fans a realization — games like Saturday's bout with St. John's are exactly what Arkansas hired Calipari for. 

Regardless of Calipari's recent tournament struggles, his knack for postseason coaching can't be denied. The high expectations placed on his doorstep when he arrived in northwest Arkansas were a product of his coaching acumen and Arkansas' rich basketball tradition. 

In its last four NCAA Tournament appearances, Arkansas has made four trips to the Sweet 16. Calipari gives Arkansas a chance to make a deep run on a yearly basis, and Saturday's game is only the first example in what Arkansas fans hope will be a long line of postseason success.