John Calipari calls last year's Arkansas team fragile while explaining this year's coaching style

Arkansas head coach John Calipari likes his squad this season. Alas, circumstances weren’t always ideal last season. While praising his current team’s grit after the Razorbacks’ 103-74 win over James Madison on Monday, Calipari subtly criticized his 2024-25 team.

“Last year, how did I have to be when we were 0-5? We’re OK. I can’t really get on anybody because they’re so fragile,” Calipari said. “Now, I got one of the teams that I’m used to coaching. Let’s go. I’m not backing up.

“Look, it doesn’t mean we walk in Saturday and win. We got Tennessee. They are really good, really rough, good guard play, they’re big. They got good scorers. They’re good. All I’m saying is, if we’re right, we don’t need to worry about outcome. We don’t need to worry about expectations. Just play, and if it’s not good enough, we’ll move on to the next game.”

Arkansas had an ugly start to last season, especially in conference play. The Razorbacks lost their first five games against SEC foes before finally picking up a win. Evidently, Calipari believes part of Arkansas’ struggles were due to the team’s “fragile” mentality.

In fairness, the team ultimately found its footing and reached the Sweet Sixteen. Nonetheless, Calipari is seemingly happy to avoid dealing with a sensitive team this year.

Arkansas should be hardened for SEC play. The team has had one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country, with games against Michigan State, Houston, Duke, Louisville and Texas Tech. The Razorbacks posted a 2-3 record against those five opponents.

Arkansas is currently ranked No. 18 in the country. The team looked strong in their 103-74 win over James Madison on Monday. Freshman star Meleek Thomas exploded for a team-high 28 points in just 27 minutes of action.

He was far from the only standout. Three other players scored double figures for the Razorbacks and the team collectively shot 54% from 3-point range. Arkansas’ defense was elite as well, squeezing 14 turnovers out of the Dukes.

Up next, Arkansas will face off against Tennessee at 2 p.m. CT on Saturday. The game will air live on ESPN2.

It should be an excellent test for John Calipari and Co. The Volunteers are ranked No. 19 in the country. After suffering three consecutive losses, Tennessee is now on a two-game win streak.