National media hosts are absolutely burying the Arkansas basketball program

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – In early summer, when Arkansas fans imagined what the halfway point might look like, it was easy to imagine the Hogs and John Caipari being the talk of college basketball.

After all, the Razorbacks had not only nabbed a Hall of Fame coach to replace the departing Eric Musselman, but had put together a perceived Top 5 NIL package that meant they could land almost anyone, like Arkansas desired. Well, the Hogs are actually once again the talk of the sport nationally, just not as those whose lives revolve around the program hoped.

Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander, co-hosts of a podcast on the CBS Sports College Basketball Youtube channel, burned through a solid 13-minute segment debating whether Arkansas or Rutgers is the biggest disappointment in college basketball. It didn’t take long for the decision and the overall discussion to land squarely on the Razorbacks.

“I think it’s fair to say right now that Arkansas is a bigger disappointment than Rutgers because Arkansas had preseason Top 25 recognition,” Norlander said. “John Calipari, all that heralded with that, getting some high-profile transfers. Very few, I think, put them in the category of a Final Four contender, (they were expected to) certainly be a team that would compete in SEC , carry home lights in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, and make a nice transition after a failed bye season for Eric Musselman.Now it’s not even close.

But he went further than simply declaring the Hogs a disappointment. He went so far as to question whether Calipari has what it takes to drag his players and their giant purses into the big dance.

“Arkansas could miss the tournament altogether,” Norlander said. “So I’d actually go to Arkansas 1A, Rutgers 1B right now and there’s a couple others.”

Parrish agreed, but he went one step further.

“I think missing the NCAA tournament is more than just on the table,” Parrish said. “I think that’s a likely scenario at this point.”

When they broke it down, there simply weren’t enough variables at the moment to project in Arkansas’ favor. At the moment, this looks more and more like a repeat of last year’s Hogs rather than any of the three previous teams.

“There’s a real chance — I mean, I really can’t believe I’m saying this — I think there’s a real chance they could finish bottom four in the SEC,” Norlander said. “Your note that Calipari hasn’t even started 0-3 since 1989, which was his first year ever as a head coach. What was he? 27? It’s just, it’s, it’s crazy.”

The problem is a serious lack of gains. The only Top 85 win Arkansas has is a neutral site game against Michigan in New York City that required a huge comeback.

“Jan. 12 is your next best win over Lipscomb,” Parrish said. “You’re 11-5 overall, 0-3 in the SEC, 1-5 in the first two quadrants. One win in the first two quadrants. I was just messing around yesterday. Let me tell you some schools that got more than a win in the first two quadrants, Wofford, UIC, State, Liberty, North Dakota, are you ready for this. UC-Irvine, I mean, they’re just overwhelming Arkansas right now.

Falling behind such a list of teams in terms of quality wins has quickly eroded national interest and belief in the Razorbacks. It is reaching a point where they are quickly disappearing from the dangerous team no. 1 seed wants to play in the tournament for an afterthought.

“They have been relevant, but with each successive defeat they become less relevant and less worthy of discussion,” Norlander said. “But after getting this opportunity against the Gators last Saturday and blowing an early lead and not even getting it close to the end of the game, it’s going to be late early for Arkansas and I don’t know if there’s any buyer’s remorse yet. “

While there was the slightest debate as to whether Arkansas or Rutgers should be labeled the sport’s biggest disappointment, there was no question where the pair laid the blame. Arkansas provided the facilities, a massive NIL war chest and an opportunity for a fresh start, but it’s the inability to approach this as an actual fresh start that has the blame placed squarely on Calipari.

“The only reason you’re in Arkansas is because this is the same type of thing that was going on in Kentucky,” Parrish said. “I don’t know. It’s just not good when you’ve reached a point where last season you’re at Kentucky and everybody’s talking about the biggest disappointment in the country, or one of them, or whatever Or why aren’t they better. And then you change jobs, put together a similar talent list, and people just say the same things. I’m not ready to, you know, call it quits, but it’s not working yet.”

However, Norlander wasn’t ready to completely write off Calipari’s chances to turn things around. Ken Pom Stats cited that Arkansas could possibly win six in the SEC and 17 overall, which both agreed would be just enough to squeak by given the brutality of the conference.

“I think it might be too early to say, but if you’re already an Arkansas fan and you’re thinking, ‘Oh, what do we have here,’ I don’t blame you for feeling that way,” Norlander said . “We’ll see if they can turn it around. I don’t have much inspiration for the next six on the road. This will probably get worse before it gets significantly better.”

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