Arkansas Coaching Staff Preparing for Rigors of SEC Play

Hogs getting set for SEC gauntlet beginning with top team in the country

Tennessee coach Rick Barnes and Kentucky coach John Calipari at the end of the NCAA college basketball game between the Wildcats and Volunteers in Knoxville, Tenn. in 2022 / Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The SEC is just better this year. Arkansas coach John Calipari knows that in a normal year, an 11-2 non-conference record with a Top-25 win over Michigan and two losses against teams also in the AP Poll would be a job well done. The only issue? Nearly every other team in the conference has done the exact same thing.

Already one of the premier basketball conferences in the country before this season, the SEC added Oklahoma and Texas in the offseason, who are 13-0 and 11-2 respectively. All 16 teams have at least 10 wins.

"Our first three games are ridiculous," Calipari said. "We could be a top 20 team and go 0-3."

Arkansas opens with a trio of ranked teams, including a pair of undefeated teams. No. 1 Tennessee has won its 13 games by an average of 23.8 points, only bettered by Maryland (26.1) and No. 6 Florida (23.9), who the Razorbacks will see about a week later. All of that sandwiched between the SEC home opener against No. 24 Ole Miss. A total of 10 teams, including Arkansas at No. 23, are ranked in the SEC.

"[There is] definitely there’s a difference from past years," assistant coach Kenny Payne said about the SEC. "I was fortunate enough to go to the NBA, and this league reminds me a lot of the NBA in the fact that you have to take it game-by-game."

It's not just the top of the league that has gotten better. Vanderbilt, picked last by the media in the preseason poll, is 12-1 with its only loss to the Drake Bulldogs, which received 100 points in the latest AP Poll, making it the second team out.

"You can’t look ahead and say three games from now we play this team or that team," Payne said. "It is day-by-day. You better prepare for every single team in this conference as if they are the No. 1 team, because there is going to be a lot of parity."

The raw win totals also jump off the page, a year ago the SEC won a respectable 74.7% of its non conference games, this year that number is 88.9%.

Arkansas Razorbacks guard Boogie Fland (2) looks to drive past Michigan Wolverines guard Roddy Gayle Jr. (11) in the first half at Madison Square Garden. / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

"There are really good teams in this league and that's what you always want," Calipari said. "[I want] to have a league top-to-bottom that's that way. Is it only top to bottom for us? No, it's everybody. I'm worried just about us."

Arkansas kicks off its 18-game SEC slate against No. 1 Tennessee on the road in Knoxville, Tenn. Tipoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. Saturday and will be broadcast on ESPN.

HOGS FEED:

• REPORT: Arkansas assistant leaves, takes defensive coordinator role

• Calipari's Razorbacks get little respect in most rankings

• Shocked Calipari lost sleep due to player's performance

• Razorbacks want win over Vols, but it's really just a start

• Wagner becomes sniper from three; Hogs' defense improves

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