Arkansas is back on the NCAA Tournament bubble, and John Calipari’s team has lost control of its Big Dance path. Arkansas looked like a shadow of its best self on Saturday against cellar-dweller South Carolina, and national analysts now question the Razorbacks’ toughness and ability to win at the level they once desired.

Kenny Freade, Rob Dauster, and Kevin Sweeney dissected the game on their podcast, ‘After Dark’. Frease, a former Xavier player, didn’t hold back when Dauster asked about the worst loss of the weekend. Frease said,  “I mean, there were quite a few of them, but I’m going with Arkansas just because of the expectations that the team had at the beginning of the year. It felt like they were eventually going to pick up, and then the season just kind of ended with a thud, you know? The way that they lost that game to the team they played, I think I’ve got to go with Arkansas.”

Frease’s frustration is justified. Arkansas didn’t just lose, they collapsed in a 72-53 blowout against South Carolina on March 1. On top of that, it’s one of Arkansas’ worst performances in program history, scoring 14 points in a miserable first half. Arkansas’ 14 first-half points marked the program’s lowest scoring total in a first half in over 25 years.

Arkansas shot 28.8% from the field and missed its first 17 attempts of the night from three-point range. This loss delivers a massive blow to Arkansas’s NCAA Tournament hopes. The Razorbacks are now 17-12 overall and 6-10 in SEC play.

With Selection Sunday nearing, Arkansas sits precariously on the tournament bubble. A couple of bracketologists place the Hogs in the “Last Four In”. However, after this weekend’s showing, the opportunity is dwindling by the day. They have just two regular-season games remaining: versus Vanderbilt and Mississippi State. It feels like Arkansas is going to have to win both to stay in the NCAA Tournament conversation. But winning might be an upward struggle with their star player missing from action.

John Calipari’s team is missing their star forward

Arkansas’ struggles stem largely from the absence of junior forward Adou Thiero. He suffered a hyperextension of his left knee against Missouri on Feb. 22 and was out for the must-win game against South Carolina. His availability moving forward may still be up in the air.

Thiero has been a key player for Arkansas this season, posting career-high numbers with 15.6 points, 6 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 2 assists per game. He’s been an invaluable cog in this lineup for his versatility, and they’ve sorely missed him on the floor.

Likewise, on Field of 68: After Dark, Kevin Sweeney didn’t pull any punches describing the Arkansas performance: “Arkansas, I mean, just a complete lack of toughness and heart. You’re going to miss shots sometimes, but the way they got manhandled around the basket for 40 minutes says a lot about what this group is, especially without Adou Thiero.”

The stats from that South Carolina game back up Sweeney’s comments. John Calipari’s team started 1-17 from the field! South Carolina’s Collin Murray-Boyles had a career-high 35 points on 12-of-16 shooting. It was visibly clear they struggled with physicality and defensive intensity all game long.

Looking ahead to what’s next for Arkansas:  Calipari needs to get back to the drawing board, rally his troops and find a way to combat these injuries and spurts of poor play. The Razorbacks’ NCAA Tournament chances hang in the balance, and how they fare in the final days of this season will determine if the Hogs can get into the tournament and punch their ticket to the Big Dance or whether they’ll have a down season. What do you think? Will they make it?