Arkansas basketball assistant hits back at ‘archaic’ label of John Calipari

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It’s an easy time to pile criticism upon Arkansas basketball and head coach John Calipari. The Razorbacks (11-7, 0-5 SEC) are still winless in conference play and look like a shell of the program Calipari left behind in Kentucky.

National college basketball writer Jeff Goodman surveyed anonymous SEC coaches last week and published a story sharing their opinions of the Arkansas’ program under Calipari. The headline of the story — Opposing Coaches on John Calipari and Arkansas: “Outdated.” “None of Their Pieces Fit.” — covers the theme.

Arkansas assistant coach Chin Coleman came to Calipari’s defense Tuesday during a press conference previewing the Hogs’ Wednesday night matchup with Georgia. He was specifically asked about one SEC head coach telling Hoops HQ that Calipari “is becoming archaic.”

More: Arkansas basketball vs Georgia: Scouting report, prediction as Hogs host Bulldogs

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“Definitely not true. He’s one of the most innovative coaches to ever coach,” Coleman said. “To say he’s archaic, you’re fishing, in my opinion, but everybody’s entitled to their opinion.”

Coleman also praised Calipari’s work with the players and called him “the best coach in the business.”

Arkansas hired Calipari in April to replace Eric Musselman, who led the Razorbacks to the Elite Eight two times in a four-year stretch, but Musselman missed the NCAA Tournament in 2024 and left for Southern California.

Nov 25, 2024; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks head coach John Calipari during the first half against the Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks at Bud Walton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Through 18 games, it looks like Arkansas will miss out on March Madness for a second straight season. The Hogs only have one Quad-1 victory and are not included in recent Bracketology projections from ESPN and CBS Sports.

“I know we’re in a little bit of a bad pass right now, but…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/arkansas-basketball-assistant-hits-back-181005244.html

Author : Ft. Smith Southwest Times Record

Publish date : 2025-01-21 18:10:00

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