Kentucky Fans Can Have Their Day, Just Let Hogs Fans Know About It Later

Arkansas fans in preparation mode, not panic mode as Calipari returns to Rupp

Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari yells to the team during their game against the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday, March 2, 2024 at Rupp Arena. / Clare Grant / Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Early Friday afternoon a Kentucky podcast floated across Twitter asking if it's time for Arkansas fans to panic.

This paints a pretty good picture of how out of touch Wildcats fans are with how things work in Arkansas. There was a mild moment of panic a couple of games into the SEC season, but being educated in basketball as they are, most Hogs fans had long since reached the conclusion that there's just not enough talent on the Razorbacks to make it into the NCAA Tournament.

Following a lackluster performance at TCU in the exhibition game, then losses to Baylor and Illinois before struggling with hapless Miami, fans had already seen enough to know this wasn't a case of moving around combinations of players or building team chemistry. They are well versed in what that process looks like from years of seeing it play out under Eric Musselman.

Besides, there weren't enough players on the team to really tinker with the line-up enough for it to make a difference. So, to answer the question the podcast was posing, no, Arkansas fans aren't panicked.

The first pitch of baseball season hasn't even been thrown yet. There's no need to panic until the arm injuries start popping up in the pitching rotation in late March and April.

See, the door has been closed on basketball for a while now. There has been a clear thread of thought across social media that John Calipari messed up with his tiny roster theory, so fans gave up on the season and are locked in on a promising baseball season rather than a basketball team they barely even know.

Arkansas State is winning with a couple of guys in Joseph Pinion and Darrian Ford, both well liked in-state kids fans know as Razorbacks, so when Hogs fans need to get their basketball fix, they cheer on the Hogs they recognize who just happen to be wearing Red Wolves jerseys. Arkansas fans popped in for the second half when the Razorbacks pulled off the upset of Georgia and a handful more looked with curiosity to see if Calipari could lead a second upset against Oklahoma at Bud Walton last weekend.

It didn't happen though and it's impossible to find anyone who thinks this team will win more than maybe two games the rest of the season. For those keeping score at home, once the SEC Tournament is over, that puts Arkansas at 14-18.

That will be a drop off of two wins from last year's debacle and will mean missing the NIT, but Arkansas fans won't be panicked. They have long stopped caring whether this team loses.

This season has been written off. More people have asked this week about Wehiwa Aloy's swing than about Arkansas basketball.

And that's not necessarily a bad thing. Let Calipari and his former Kentucky players go to Rupp and get this whole Big Blue Nation thing out of their system.

He's got the whole rest of the year to figure out what it means to be a Razorback and the expectations as the head coach at Arkansas without the pressure of winning. Throw it all against the wall.

So long as he comes back next season with a serious approach to roster building and a plan for actually engaging with fans (not skipping out on mid-week press conferences would be a good start), then Arkansas fans will continue to do what they have already done — forget this season happened.

So, no Kentucky, there is no panic. Enjoy whatever happens Saturday night.

Just make sure to post plenty of videos on social media so the people of Arkansas can check in and see what happened after they finish cleaning up all their gear for the Hog Pen. It's gotta be ready for Washington State in two weeks at Baum-Walker.

HOGS FEED:

• Video comes out of Calipari talking to Hogs about how special Rupp is

• 'A Homecoming Like No Other' Will Have Nation Watching

• Were Razorbacks simple convenient way out for Calipari

• Which True Freshmen Make Instant Impact For Razorbacks in 2025?

• Razorbacks NIL raffle bill hits minor snag but still on track

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