John Calipari Unloads During Post-Game Rant Following Loss To Texas A&M

Published•Updated

John Calipari needs his players to understand the gravity of their current situation.

The Arkansas Razorbacks fell to No. 8 Texas A&M on Saturday, 69-61. The loss drops their SEC record to an unimpressive 4-8 with an overall record of 15-10. The Razorbacks have suffered two close losses to highly-ranked conference opponents in the past week, to No. 3 Alabama last Saturday and now to the Aggies.

"Normally, you are what your record says you are," Calipari told reporters after Saturday's game. "But in this league [SEC] … you just got to get it going at the right time, and I thought we did. Alabama’s really good, too, this team [Texas A&M] is really good. Guess what? We had a chance to beat both of them, but we didn’t. And for us to bust through, we’re going to have to beat somebody."

A win against either one of those teams would have gone a long way toward Arkansas' case for an NCAA Tournament bid. Now, though, the Razorbacks are on the wrong side of the bubble.

Fully aware of that fact, Calipari was heated in his post-game press conference.

"I wanted to make sure they weren’t happy (thinking) we’re gonna be OK. No. If we’d won that game, we’re in the tournament. … SO IT’S NOT OK TO SAY WE’LL BE ALL RIGHT! Now, we’re going to have to go get somebody else," Calipari yelled.

"But I didn’t wanna put that on them, because I’ve got some guys that are a little bit fragile … but when you’re losing some games, or you’re not playing well, that happens."

John Calipari is not happy with his players' complacency when it comes to an NCAA Tournament bid.

(Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images)

Calipari, who has taken six teams to the Final Four, knows that Arkansas will need a signature win to even reach the tournament in his first season at the school. But he needs his players to understand that, too.

"I needed to say it, and then they got to respond to it," he said. "It wasn’t mean, I wasn’t cussing, I wasn’t yelling. Was (like) look, do you understand this was the game? So, it’s not OK. This was it, and you had your chance."

They will have another chance, though. The Razorbacks take on No. 1-ranked Auburn on Wednesday. And with Selection Sunday just one month away, they're running out of time to state their case.