John Calipari on costly technicals, Arkansas basketball loss to Kentucky

FAYETTEVILLE — One stretch loomed larger than any other in the eyes of Arkansas basketball coach John Calipari following his first home loss of the season against his former school.

The No. 16 Razorbacks (16-6, 6-3 SEC) fell to Kentucky 85-77 on Saturday, Jan. 31. The Wildcats (15-7, 6-3) took the lead for good by scoring five points with zero seconds coming off the clock just before the under-eight media timeout. A 63-63 tie became a 68-63 advantage for Kentucky.

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The Wildcats were able to maximize the possession thanks to a technical foul from Arkansas. Malique Ewin was reprimanded for tossing the ball at the face of Mouhamed Dioubate after Dioubate was fouled attempting the layup. Then, Nick Pringle got called for a foul while Kentucky was trying to inbound the basketball.

“It’s a tie game, we get an intentional or a technical foul, and all of a sudden they get four (points) and the ball,” Calipari said. “I mean, wait a minute, it was a tie game.”

Ewin’s technical was one of seven combined technical and flagrant fouls called in the game. Kentucky committed three in a 38-second stretch during the second half. Arkansas went 4 for 6 at the free-throw line off those infringements.

Billy Richmond was called for a technical in the first half, and Trevon Brazile committed a flagrant foul inside the final minute when frustrations boiled over. Calipari was critical of his team’s composure, and the Hall of Fame coach claimed he gave them a fair warning of what to expect coming into this newly minted rivalry.

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“(We) did some things and didn’t respond the way we talked,” Calipari said. “And I knew the game was going to be physical. I told them, and it may be a little chippy, and I said, but you cannot get a technical or do something that costs us a game, and it’s exactly what happened.”

There was a brief moment where it looked like Arkansas was going to benefit from the game’s intensity. After Kentucky’s run of technical fouls, Billy Richmond III sent the arena…

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Publish date : 2026-02-01 03:16:00

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