John Calipari threatens to shrink Arkansas rotation to six players after Samford performance

Arkansas could never completely put away Samford on Friday. The Razorbacks repeatedly built substantial leads only for the Bulldogs to claw their way back into the game. With seven minutes remaining in the game, John Calipari and Co. led Samford by 15.

Alas, Samford battled back again, nearly stealing a win at the end of the game. After Arkansas’ 79-75 win over the Bulldogs, Calipari sent a stark message to his players.

“We’ve got a ways to go. We’ve got a chance of being good, but I’ve got to do my job,” Calipari said. “This isn’t about this team. This is about me and what I’m accepting. Trying to do individual meetings to let them know. But also let them know, last year I played six guys. I’ll do that again. I’ll play six.

“You either deserve to be out there or you don’t. And, you’ve got to be responsible. Don’t put your performance on another player on our team. There are things that you can do to play well. Do them.”

Once again, Arkansas freshmen Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas excelled, combining for 37 points on 12-26 shooting. While Acuff led the Razorbacks in scoring, he also committed a team-high five turnovers.

Acuff’s turnovers weren’t the only problem for Arkansas. Starters Nick Pringle and Karter Knox produced just four points in 45 combined minutes of action. Meanwhile, Trevon Brazile scored 15 points alone in just 23 minutes on the court.

A six-player rotation isn’t far-fetched for Arkansas. Only eight players currently average more than 15 minutes per game. Calipari also tightened the Razorbacks’ rotation last season during their run to the Sweet Sixteen.

While Arkansas’ performance against Samford was far from perfect, there were several positives. The Razorbacks dominated in the fast break, outscoring Samford 22 to nine in the category.

Additionally, Arkansas won the battle down low, scoring eight more points in the paint than the Bulldogs. Calipari knows his team has work to do, but he’s confident they can get it done.

“You get up 13-15 and I’m yelling, pull it out,” Calipari said. “A guy just went and shot it, they make a three, they make a two. All of a sudden, it’s nine. And again, [I’m] trying to teach them how to win a game when you’re at that point.”

In eleven days, Arkansas will have a massive test when it squares off against Duke. Until then, the Razorbacks will have opportunities to improve their game in showdowns against Winthrop and Jackson State.