The No. 9 Razorbacks came out hot, building a 20-point lead in the first half. But in true Arkansas fashion this season, they almost blew it. After a near-collapse in the second half, they barely held on against South Carolina in the first round of the SEC Tournament. It felt like the team took John Calipari’s strategy to heart. It looks like it did nearly cost them.

With 2.5 seconds left and Arkansas up by three, Calipari made a head-scratching call.

He told point guard Johnell Davis to purposely miss his second free throw. His reason? “We’re up three and there’s two seconds to go, miss it. By the time they get it, there’s a second,” Calipari said after the game. “Now the other side of that is, what if they throw one deep and bank it in? But I’ve done it before, so I do some unconventional stuff.”

Seriously, HC didn’t make any sense. So, if Davis missed his shot, SC could’ve grabbed the rebound, advanced the ball, and had a shot to tie it. But Davis accidentally made the free throw, saving Arkansas from a potential disaster. “He tried to miss it. He shot it flat and banked it in,” Calipari admitted. “And I was like happy.”

Really?

Well, anyway, this unconventional call was enough to raise some eyebrows. But that was not the end; things got worse for the Hogs. Star guard Adou Thiero, who leads the team with 15.6 points, six rebounds, and two assists per game, is out with an undisclosed injury. He hasn’t played since Feb. 22, but Arkansas has somehow managed to win without him, closing out the regular season on a five-game win streak.

Then there’s Boogie Fland. The freshman guard, who injured his hand in January, has officially been ruled out for the rest of the season. “It’s pretty bad,” Calipari said about the injury. Fland tried to push through it, playing against LSU and Missouri, but it was clear he couldn’t keep going.

Between losing two key players and almost blowing a game because of a head-scratching coaching decision, it’s no wonder Calipari is catching heat. Arkansas is expected to make the NCAA Tournament despite finishing 8-10 in the SEC. But if Calipari keeps making “unconventional” calls like this, they might not stick around long in March.

Fans aren’t exactly thrilled, either. Social media has been buzzing with frustration and confusion over Calipari’s strange strategy. If Arkansas stumbles early in the tournament, the heat on Calipari will only get worse.

John Calipari’s Bizarre Decision Leaves Fans Fuming

Fans didn’t hold back after John Calipari’s strange decision. One fan summed it up: “This explanation from a Hall of Fame coach makes no sense.” Another added: “You don’t ever miss a free throw on purpose up 3!!!!!!” The frustration was loud and clear.

Calipari’s call left fans shaking their heads. With Arkansas up by three and less than three seconds left, he told Johnell Davis to miss his second free throw. If Davis missed and South Carolina got the rebound, they could’ve tied the game. Why risk that when a made free throw would’ve sealed the win? One fan nailed it: “It’s very unconventional to not want to go up 4 and give your opponent a 0 percent chance. Just wow :/”

Calipari’s attitude isn’t helping either. Before the SEC Tournament, he said he “doesn’t care” about it, claiming his focus was on the NCAA Tournament. After Arkansas’ win, he tried to clarify, saying he just wanted to ease pressure on his players. But how does telling them to miss a free throw reduce pressure? Fans aren’t buying it.

And another fan’s frustration was blunt: “I feel dumber every time I hear this man speak.” Hard to argue with that. A Hall of Famer making these decisions? No wonder fans are upset.

The frustration didn’t stop there. Another fan broke it down: “Up 2, you should miss the free throw to avoid an inbound pass. Up 3? NO! Never miss a free throw on purpose up 3!!!!!!” Arkansas was lucky Johnell Davis came through, scoring the team’s last six points in a 72-68 win.

“Wow. That’s awful,” another fan said. And they’re not wrong. If these mistakes keep happening, Arkansas might not be so lucky next time. Now, Calipari’s Razorbacks will try to regroup as they head into Thursday’s second-round matchup against No. 8-seed Ole Miss (1 pm ET).