Encouraging news for Arkansas basketball after Gonzaga win

Arkansas basketball’s late-October game against Gonzaga didn’t count in the standings. It didn’t carry NCAA Tournament pressure. It didn’t reshape any bracketology projections. It gave John Calipari and his staff a first idea of what to work on. There’s really good news to share after the 76-72 win over Gonzaga: The mistakes Arkansas made can be easily fixed.

Let’s start with the most fixable problem of all: free throw shooting. There’s nothing a basketball team can improve more quickly than free throws. It’s all about getting in the gym, having the coaches make sure the technique is sound, and drilling down to get the rhythm right on a consistent basis. Arkansas made only 17 of 30 free throws. Otherwise, it would have beaten Gonzaga by a lot more. A team should be making at least 22 free throws if it earns 30 attempts. Shooting near 75 percent should be a minimum expectation for a top-flight college basketball team with designs on making the Final Four and contending for the SEC championship. Calipari and his staff have to be really happy about earning 13 more free throws than Gonzaga (30-17) and fouling 10 fewer times (13 to the Zags’ 23). Now it’s just a matter of getting it right at the foul line and adding to the Razorbacks’ overall advantage.

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Another problem which can be fixed with a little more attention to detail: rebounding. Sometimes, it’s the flight of the ball and where it bounces after caroming off the rim. However, positioning is part of rebounding, and that’s certainly something for Arkansas to improve coming out of this game. Gonzaga beat Arkansas 52-48 on the glass. This has to be a point of focus for Coach Cal. It’s something which can be moved in the right direction.

One more thing which can and should be fixed: Miikka Muurinen’s ball security. The newcomer committed four turnovers in this game. Some might view that as an alarming fact, but let’s remind you that Muurinen did not get to play in The Bahamas this past summer. He was behind the…

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Publish date : 2026-10-25 15:30:00

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