All Hogs

How People Reacted to Razorbacks' Close Loss to No. 1 Auburn

Hogs come up short of marquee road victory to strengthen NCAA Tournament resume

Jacob Davis

Auburn Tigers forward Chaney Johnson (31) shoots a fadeaway as Auburn Tigers take on Arkansas Razorbacks at Neville Arena in Auburn, Ala., on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. Auburn Tigers defeated Arkansas Razorbacks 67-60.
Auburn Tigers forward Chaney Johnson (31) shoots a fadeaway as Auburn Tigers take on Arkansas Razorbacks at Neville Arena in Auburn, Ala., on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. Auburn Tigers defeated Arkansas Razorbacks 67-60. / Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — At one point Wednesday night, Arkansas coach John Calipari was one of two SEC coaches to break a clipboard.

After quite a few bonehead plays, he might consider "executing" his team for its lack of execution in key moments in the Razorbacks 67-60 road loss to No. 1 Auburn. Like Saturday against Texas A&M, Arkansas had a strong chance as any team on the bubble to secure a signature victory but found a way to beat itself.

Low IQ Plays

Basketball is and will forever be a team game so blame for a loss shouldn't fall on the shoulders of one player. Senior forward Trevon Brazile had the most horrific game of his career while limited to nine minutes, held shotless and didn't register a single meaningful statistic.

Brazile did have two fouls and one turnover early in the second half while also deflecting a rebound into Auburn's basket resulting in an extra two points for the Tigers. The biggest error of all happened with 35 seconds left as he popped Billy Richmond's rebound out of bounds which negated a chance to tie the game at 63.

Instead, that gave Auburn another chance to score and pull away for good to improve to 24-2 overall, 12-1 in SEC play. Good teams are subjected to bad performances once in a while, but great teams find ways to win despite numerous self-inflicted wounds.

Whether sophomore forward Zvonimir Ivisic's technical foul appeared to be soft or not, it still happened and gifted Auburn two made free throws, an extra possession and two more points from the line by Johni Broome to flip a one point deficit to six point lead in a matter of two minutes.

Free Throws

At one point in life, college basketball had a video game thanks to EA Sports and oftentimes ESPN color commentator Dick Vitale could be heard during scoring droughts saying, "Can someone make a jump shot, please?"

While Arkansas was more efficient from the field, the team finished an abysmal 7-of-14 from the free throw line. Calipari's most dependable shooters at the stripe, Adou Thiero and Karter Knox, went a combined 3-of-8 on the night which diluted the Razorbacks' chance to upset the nation's No. 1 team.

HOGS FEED:

• Auburn hangs on against Arkansas; protects No. 1 ranking

• All options on table for Razorbacks' SEC transfer in logjam

• Hogs' 1990 Final Four team to be honored at Saturday's game

• Who Hogs will host for official visits this summer?

• Does Calipari still have what it takes to steal away elite recruit from Duke, Kentucky?

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Jacob Davis
JACOB DAVIS

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