The Arkansas Razorbacks clashed against the Illinois Fighting Illini on Thanksgiving Hoops Showcase, and contrary to expectations, unranked Illinois handed an upset 90-77 defeat to the nineteenth-ranked Arkansas. This had everyone taking a dig at John Calipari’s tactics, who had been hired this season by the Razorbacks to prove to be a contender for the NCAA Championship title.

“What Cal does, just by stepping onto this campus, is he puts Arkansas basketball back into the national conversation,” Nolan Richardson, the only coach to lead Arkansas to a championship title said of Calipari. Such massive was the expectation.

But on Sunday on The Field Of 68: After Dark, Rob Dauster took a dig at the Razorbacks’ tactics that took the game away from them. “The performance against Illinois was just embarrassing man. Like I don’t get it, right? Like every single possession in that second half, Illinois did the same thing: They ran a highball screen at you, right? They put either (Kasparas) Jakucionis or Kylan Boswell in a high ball screen with Tomislav Ivisic and Arkansas did the same thing over and over and over again,” Dauster noted.

Illinois came out swinging, opening the game with a dominant 21-6 run and ending the first half firmly in control with a 49-34 lead over the Razorbacks. In the second half, the Illini showcased their versatility and teamwork, utilizing 6’6″ Kasparas Jakucionis, 6’2″ Kylan Boswell, and 7’1″ Tomislav Ivisic on the ball screen.

This trio proved instrumental in stifling Arkansas’ offense. Jakucionis grabbed 6 rebounds, Boswell added 4 boards, and Tomislav dominated with 10 rebounds, including a key victory in the matchup against his twin, Zvonimir Ivisic.

The Razorbacks struggled defensively, and their decision to use drop coverage against Jakucionis was a glaring error. Dauster didn’t hold back, criticizing the Razorbacks’ approach, “Jakucionis absolutely shreds it. He murders it. He’s as good as anybody against drop coverage.”

Jakucionis didn’t just punish Arkansas on the boards; he also led Illinois offensively, finishing with a game-high 23 points, shooting 7-of-13 from the field. His exceptional performance was a key factor in Illinois’ victory, leaving Arkansas’ defense in shambles and their SEC dominance in question.

There was a clear lack of aggression in Arkansas’ defense. They entered the game forcing 17.7 turnovers per game, but Illinois took care of the ball and rolled out 16 assists with just 11 giveaways. According to Calipari, his team lost direction in defending the outside shot. Assistant coach Chin Coleman said Wednesday night that the goal was to hold Illinois to about 20 3-point attempts. The Illini finished 15-of-31 in the category, while Arkansas went 5-of-17.

“We worked on taking away three; we didn’t do a very good job, did we? We left corners. We don’t ever leave corners. I mean, literally, left corners, and they made them,” Calipari said. With the loss, many now see them as a disappointment in the conference despite their lofty preseason goals. Dauster suggested the team could have benefited from adjustments, such as switching to a more aggressive perimeter defense or abandoning their drop coverage strategy altogether. These might have mitigated the damage inflicted by Illinois’ dynamic trio.

Analyst comes up with suggestions for John Calipari

When Cal moved on from the Kentucky Wildcats this season, it was expected that he would bring a lot of changes to the Razorbacks. The former Wildcats coach brought his main players namely D. J. Wagner, Zvonimir Ivisic, and Adou Thiero. Plus seeing Cal form a formidable team at Arkansas, other players namely Johnell Davis, Jonas Aidoo, and Melo Sanchez also transferred.

Therefore, taking a look at their roster, Dauster opined that they had the team for a win, and needed “to like switch everything one through five and see what happens.” He added that they need to switch Trevon Brazile “at the five” and make some switches. Dauster couldn’t believe the loss and questioned if the Razorbacks were “even preparing.”

The Razorbacks had 11 turnovers in the game and could never lead. Plus, he was angry that the Razorbacks kept on doing the same thing again and again. Previously too, Dauster had called Cal’s tactics “insane” when he had lost against Baylor.

Hopefully, Cal will learn a lesson from this game, and make sure that he doesn’t lose any of the upcoming matchups. The Razorbacks had anticipated a betterment in their strategy but going by their 2 losses this season in just 7 games, it looks like times aren’t favorable for them. Can the Razorbacks change their fortune in the upcoming games? Tell us what you think in the comment section below!