Neighbors Taking Page out of Calipari's Book For Razorback Basketball

Cal-ism's starting to rub off on entire Arkansas basketball building

Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari reacts on the sidelines in a 90-77 loss to the Illinois Fighting Illini in Kansas City. / Nilsen Roman-Hogs on SI Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas women's basketball is going through a rebuilding year.

The Razorbacks are 6-6 through 12 games and are working through a wide range of unique challenges. There are five international players on the team and an entirely new roster after Coach Mike Neighbors brought in eight fresh faces.

Coach Mike Neighbors instructs Kiki Smith (2) against Texas Tech. The Red Raiders won 75-72. / Nilsen Roman - Hogs on SI Images

The group has gone through all the growing pains expected of any team trying to gel together with a few added twists. Arkansas failed to get a shot up before the end of the half against Oral Roberts in late November in a 94-73 loss for an unconventional reason.

"It's not the English language," Neighbors said postgame. "It's my accent. The play that I called does sound close to another one to non-Arkansas kids."

The team is making slow and steady progress. The team had won its last two games, including a win over Boston College, its first Power Four win of the year, before 10-win Texas Tech had to survive a game-tying three-point attempt at the buzzer against the Hogs Sunday.

Neighbors has found an unlikely ally in his seventh season as coach in Arkansas men's basketball coach John Calipari.

"He leaves me voicemails," Neighbors said. "He said he's gonna give me a big hug after the Boston College [win] and next thing I know he's in the office doing it. He's very in tune to what we're doing. He keeps his players aware that we're all living in the same building over there. It's really nice for the way he goes about doing things."

Calipari he has his own punchlines synonymous with him when he speaks. Neighbors has picked up on a few, especially the one about shooting threes.

"Coach Cal has said something that I've been repeating it everywhere I go," Neighbors said. "He says, 'You don't have to make them all, but you can't miss them all either.'"

It's a fitting piece of advice for Neighbors' teams, which historically have been reliant on shooting from beyond the arc. Arkansas has led the SEC in three-point attempts per game every year since the 2019-20 season. This year, they rank fourth with 24.5 attempts per game.

The other Cal saying that Neighbors repeats is a simple one, one that keeps him focused on the task at had as he tries to guide a young team through the season.

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Mike Neighbors during a game with UCLA on Dec. 3, 2023, at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. / Andy Hodges-allHOGS Images

"I'd seen him talk at a clinic one time and he has a sign above his door that always just says coach your team," Neighbors said. "I've got a little thing once I heard that — it's been eight or nine years ago
— to remind myself to coach my own team."

The Razorbacks will now hit the road to face Liberty in the Cherokee Invite in Cherokee, N.C. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Wednesday and will be streamed on Stadium.

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