Everyone predicted it. No. 1 Tennessee obliterating No. 23 Arkansas. Maybe John Calipari and the Razorbacks had been hoping for a different outcome but their SEC record is now 0-1, marking the third loss of the season. The previous 11 wins would make their case as a good team but first-year Arkansas coach Calipari has yet to put together a team that gels well. The current one, per analysts, needs more than a little help.

On a recent episode of The Field of 68: After Dark, Jeff Goodman discusses the state of the Razorbacks as the hosts also discuss how the team needs more rotation. John Henson observes how almost none of the players looked like they knew what they were doing on the court, and Goodman reveals a coaching error from Calipari regarding one particular player.

“Big Z has shown he’s capable but you need guards that make it a little bit easier for him,” the sports journalist says. Zvonimir Ivisic went 1 for 2 against Tennessee and the Hogs’ leading 3-point shooter has been struggling defensively recently.

The 7-foot-2 big man began the season as a starter, playing a pivotal role in the game against Lipscomb in the second half and helping Arkansas win. In the first seven games for the Razorbacks, Ivisic tallied over 12 points in about 19 minutes per game. But since then, his time on the court has come down significantly, with only about 4 ppg in the last six games with 11 minutes per game, as Goodman also points out.

“Cal has taken the confidence away from Big Z. What Big Z needs is confidence as much as anything, to know his role. He goes from playing 30 minutes a game to 9 minutes a game. And he probably has no idea in he– what he’s doing right or wrong,” the analyst says.

In the game vs. the Vols, the only Arkansas player who seemed to be dominant was Boogie Fland in these podcast hosts’ eyes. However, the freshman was not as impressive as usual vs. Tennessee, and neither was Johnell Davis. The two combined for 2 for 12 and Davis, after previously missing two games due to a wrist injury, missed all four of his shots.

As analysts keep telling John Calipari, a roster of transfers and new blood might not be the correct combination. Or maybe it’s just that this is still their first year working together and the gears are not quite in place yet. After a game like Saturday, the head coach knows the Razorbacks have to be ready to win.

John Calipari wants his team to be “ready to fight” 

It may have been Arkansas’ first loss to Tennessee since they started playing in the SEC but John Calipari was not there for the last two wins. Being 22-17 all-time versus Tennessee maybe does help but there is no miracle a team as young as the current Razorbacks can produce. The HC wants his team to make as many threes as they can and get as many rebounds as possible.

“They kind of manhandled us,” Calipari said after the game. “I can’t remember the last time I had a team get beat by 30 rebounds (22). We got to do some soul searching, because this league, what they play like everybody plays like. You play this team, you better be coming in ready to fight. And I don’t mean fist fight, I mean battle.”

The non-conference part of the season might have gone swimmingly for the Razorbacks but SEC is going to be tougher than ever. And Calipari is going to need every trick in the hat to survive the true NCAA part of the season.