Only a few people in the college basketball world can command the kind of admiration that John Calipari does. With a national championship under his belt and over two decades of coaching, fans in Arkansas were eager to see similar results when Calipari came to the state. And well, once struggling, the Razorbacks are starting to respond to his leadership; it shows their redemption and resilience. But, it’s also a story of how it can re-establish itself as a force in the SEC.

Arkansas’ pre-season expectations were high, the team was ranked 16th in the AP poll. But the Razorbacks were unable to find any kind of consistency in SEC play. There were flashes of brilliance, like an 85-69 exhibition win over then No. 1 Kansas, but early vulnerabilities such as a 90-77 loss to Illinois, exposed the team.

Arkansas’ early struggles were complicated by injuries, especially with Johnell Davis out with a wrist injury. With Calipari forced to shuffle his lineup, it allowed young players like Adou Thiero to emerge, who scored 20 points in the win over TCU. As the season has progressed, Arkansas’ depth and adaptability have become just as pertinent talking points.

Arkansas has become a more dangerous perimeter team, statistically. Razorbacks are now shooting 36.8 percent from beyond the arc and averaged 7.9 three-point attempts per game. Arkansas has turned into a legitimate long-distance menace, with standouts like Zvonimir Ivisic (45.5%) and D.J. Wagner (41.3%) nailing the outside shot.

But there have also been lapses defensively. “It was ugly,” Calipari said in a recent interview, acknowledging the struggle. “Not only were they making them, they were getting off 25. This team shoots 25 a game; they only got 17 off,” he added. But despite these issues, Arkansas has recently climbed into the top tier of SEC teams for three-point defense.

Arkansas’ recent 92-62 victory over Oakland served as a much-needed confidence boost. In the second half, the Razorbacks shot 53.8 percent from beyond the arc, with Boogie Fland being perfect 5-for-5 in the period. In addition to revealing Arkansas’ offensive potential, this victory also showed Arkansas’ improvement on defense, holding Oakland to just 17 three-point attempts.

After the Oakland matchup, Calipari told an interesting backstory as to why the game was scheduled.

John Calipari taking on Oakland’s request

Calipari said that Oakland coach Greg Kampe begged him for the game.  “He begged me,” Calipari said, referring to Oakland coach Greg Kampe’s request for the game. “You just beat me in the NCAA Tournament! Now, you want to beat me again?” The friendly exchange pointed to Calipari’s respect for Kampe who told him, “Cal, I really need the game.” Hesitantly, the coach agreed, but later said, “I am thinking, all weekend, why did I do this?” But, you know what, it was a good game for us.” That decision seemed to be correct as Arkansas swept the game and got into the spirit for the SEC competition.

Arkansas still has a lot of tough work ahead, including games against top SEC contenders Tennessee and Florida. However, having run the gauntlet of tough conference schedules before, Calipari knows the Razorbacks could be peaking at the right moment.

The Razorbacks with a 11-2 record and ranked 23rd in the AP poll have proven they can compete. Now it’s about maintaining this momentum, as Arkansas hopes for a deep run in March.