Arkansas head coach John Calipari sat at the podium Wednesday evening inside Neville Arena in Auburn, Alabama, just minutes after his Razorbacks (15-11, 4-9 SEC) lost yet another close game, this time a 67-60 defeat against the No. 1 Auburn Tigers (24-2, 12-1 SEC).
Calipari was disappointed in the loss, but not deterred from his goal of taking his Razorbacks to the NCAA Tournament in March.
"That's why we're saying (in the Southeastern Conference), don't say, 'Well, we can't,'" Calipari said. "No, you do your job and the best teams with the most Quad 1 wins, the team with the NET that you put together yourself, then let's go. And if it's us, fine. If it's 12 of our teams...(I) hope we're one."
The loss to Auburn is the third in the last four times out for the Hogs, who turned the ball over 11 times and were out-rebounded by the Tigers 42-29. Auburn had 13 offensive rebounds that turned into 16 second-chance points compared to Arkansas' four with three second-chance points.
If it weren’t for those turnovers and rebounds, along with missed free throws — of which Arkansas had seven in the loss — things might have been different.
Arkansas had its chances, though. A layup by Johnell Davis gave the Razorbacks a 58-57 lead with 3:06 remaining, but Auburn outscored them 10-2 after that to walk away with a win.
“We kind of quieted the crowd a little bit, but that’s why they’re the No. 1 team and that’s why we have the record we have,” Calipari said postgame. “Because we had that against Alabama, we had it against (Texas) A&M, I can go on and on and on, and we don’t finish people off. That’s what makes them the No. 1 team in the country. They made the plays and they made their free throws.”
Losing has been a common occurrence for the Razorbacks this season, whose NCAA Tournament odds dwindle with each loss. Calipari said he knows all hope is not lost yet, though.
Because of the strength of the SEC — a fact that has been harped on by the Head Hog and nearly every coach in the 16-team conference — Arkansas finds itself firmly on the NCAA Tournament bubble.
“I want to write our own story,” Calipari said. “I want us to write it. We have a chance. It is all in our hands. If you’re in a league with no (Quad) 1 wins, you’ve got nothing left.”
Luckily for Arkansas, nearly every game remaining on its schedule are Quad 1 games. Right now, the only ones that aren't are on the road against South Carolina (Quad 2) and at home against Texas (Quad 2). There's also the SEC Tournament in Nashville, which provides another opportunity for Arkansas to show it deserves a bid.
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“We’ve got a chance," Calipari said. "We’ve got to finish it off now, and if you don’t finish it off or don’t take advantage, that’s on us. But it’s in our hands. It’s not going to be in the committee’s hands, it’s in our hands. You either do it or you don’t.”
But with the opportunity also comes pressure, which won’t subside if the Razorbacks make the NCAA Tournament. Calipari said he held off on putting that on his team, but it’s time to treat every game as a tournament game.
“I didn’t want to say that before Texas A&M because I thought they’d miss every shot,” Calipari said. “But I said it for this game and I’m saying it’s our NCAA (Tournament). That is a Final Four game, because that’s what they are. The next game is probably an Elite Eight game. Alabama was probably a Final Four game. The other one was an Elite Eight game.”
The Razorbacks have five more chances in the regular season to prove themselves worthy of an NCAA Tournament bid, but it'll take more than just close losses to get there. They've got to break through and get in the win column.
Arkansas' next opportunity comes Saturday against the No. 15 Missouri Tigers, who just defeated No. 4 Alabama, 110-98, on Wednesday night. Tipoff at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville is set for 7 p.m. CT and the game will air on either ESPN or ESPN2.
