Arkansas

Calipari Wants Razorbacks Fans to Pull Back on Expectations

Published

2 years ago

July 29, 2024

Calipari Wants Razorbacks Fans to Pull Back on Expectations

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – According to John Calipari, kings think differently. And while Razorbacks fans are anxious to be anointed kings of the basketball world once again, their head coach wants them to cool it down just a bit.

As part of his end of summer workouts press conference Monday, Calipari told the story of Arnold Palmer being asked by a king what he would like as a gift, to which the legendary golfer requested a simple golf club. He waited a few weeks and was disappointed to see a nothing more than a thank you letter had arrive instead of the bejeweled driver he had imagined.

“So he opens the letter, and the letter thanks him,” Calipari said. “So he’s kind of disappointed, and he puts it back in the envelope, and there’s another piece of paper in there, and he takes out the piece of paper, and it’s a deed to a golf club.”

When he took the job and began skirting around the state, much like when Palmer met the king, Calipari had a decent idea of what he was getting into. It was a presence that was hard to ignore.

“I feel the excitement, like, I feel it,” Calipari said. “I feel it in the building. I feel it on the campus. I feel it around the state. I see it. I feel it.”

However, much like Palmer, he hadn’t fully processed how Razorbacks fans think. Much of the state was around for when Arkansas was a king in college basketball in the ’80s and ’90s when Final Fours were plentiful, as were trips to the national title game.

“I was told a couple weeks ago that we sold out season tickets,” Calipari said regarding a schedule that isn’t even complete yet. “People, it’s July. The building seats 20,000. Season tickets gone.”

Considering the slate was clean of coaches, players and even games when he arrived just a few months ago, Calipari is hoping for a nice golf club at best under the circumstances. Meanwhile, Arkansas fans envision domination the likes of which hasn’t been seen in Fayetteville since Nolan Richardson, although Eric Musselman certainly tried.

“What I say to you and all of our fans, I’m as excited as you are, but let’s be patient,” Calipari said. “I’ve already told you, we haven’t played.”

But that’s just not how Arkansas fans are thinking right now. Calipari acknowledges as much.

“First of all, they say, ‘How’s how’s it going?’” Calipari said. “I said, ‘It’s great. We haven’t lost a game yet.’ Everybody’s excited, but be patient because how we do this, it is a process. No staff, no team and no schedule three months ago.”

However, while he’s trying to get Arkansas fans to think a little smaller, behind the scenes, he’s working on getting his newly assembled team to think more like their crazed fans. On the practice courts, the bar is being asked to go much higher.

“Kings think different than we think,” Calipari said. “And I’ve got to get these kids to understand I want you to think big and dream big, but you must work bigger. But, your dreams for yourself and your teams have to be big as you dream bigger. Think bigger.”

HOGS FEED:

• Calipari unveils surprises in exhibition slate, updates schedule progress

• Cauley-Stein explains why it’s John Calipari, not Kentucky blue that brought top recruits

• Analysis of Pittman era recruiting shows why dip in wins, offers hope for near future

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Arkansas

No. 1 Arkansas leads SEC Indoor after first day finals

Published

7 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

No. 1 Arkansas leads SEC Indoor after first day finals

Shawn Price
February 26, 2026

COLLEGE STATION – A victory in the 5,000m by Nick Busienei and third place in the distance medley relay had No. 1 Arkansas leading the team score with 18 points on the first day of the SEC Indoor Championships.

The Razorbacks produced 12 of those points in the 5,000m as Nick Busienei won the race in a meet record of 13;31.86, which ranks him No. 7 on the UA all-time list. Busienei bettered the meet record of 13:37.52 set by Razorback Patrick Kiprop in 2025.

James Sankei added two more points in placing seventh with a time of 13:44.57.

Dating back to 1992 when Arkansas competed in its first SEC Indoor meet, Busienei claimed the 21st title for the program and is the 14th Razorback to win the indoor 5,000m.

Six more points were added in the distance medley relay as Arkansas posted a time of 9:30.84 from the foursome of Owan Logorodi (2:58.46), Zyaire Nuriddin (46.51), Julian Carter (1:49.10), and Brian Masai (3:56.77).

South Carolina won the race in 9:30.08 with Ole Miss runner-up in 9:30.34. Florida originally placed third in 9:30.37 but was disqualified for spiking the baton at the conclusion of the race.

Jelani Watkins led the Razorback crew in the 200m prelims as three Arkansas sprinters advanced to the final. Watkins produced an indoor career best of 20.42 rank second overall to a 20.38 by Florida’s Wayna McCoy. Watkins remains No. 2 on the UA all-time list as he improved his previous time of 20.43.

Dapriest Hogans followed with a 20.63 that equaled his career best and his No. 8 ranking on the UA all-time list. Tevijon Williams clocked 20.65 to reach the final where 20.71 was the cutoff time. Jamarion Stubbs ran 20.87 in his prelim heat.

Cooper Williams completed the first day of the heptathlon in sixth place with 2,862 points. He started with a 7.43 in the 60m (736), then added a 21-9.5 (6.64) long jump (729). In the shot put, a mark of 36-8.25 (11.18) picked up 557 points. Williams wrapped up day one by topping the field in the high jump with a clearance of 6-8.25 for 840 points.

Link Lindsey placed 15 in the long jump with a mark of 23-6.75 (7.18).

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Arkansas

The wall goes back up: Arkansas embraces defiant isolation

Published

19 hours ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

The wall goes back up: Arkansas embraces defiant isolation

“Arkansans have been made better economically, intellectually and socially by letting go of the ‘terrified truculence’ toward outsiders in recent decades. Sadly, as we’ve experienced this sad winter, all signs are that many similar seasons of defiant isolation are in our state’s future,” writes political scholar Jay Barth.

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Arkansas

Man arrested in Arkansas connected to Jan. 2026 fatal hit-and-run in Dallas

Published

1 day ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Man arrested in Arkansas connected to Jan. 2026 fatal hit-and-run in Dallas

DALLAS – Authorities in Arkansas have arrested a man accused of being behind the wheel during a January car crash that left one man dead.

Suspect arrested in Arkansas for Dallas hit-and-run

What we know:

U.S. Marshals tracked down 22-year-old Enrique Hernandez in De Queen, a southwest Arkansas town about three hours away from Dallas and an hour north of Texarkana.

Hernandez has been charged with collision involving death, a second-degree felony, in connection with the case. He is currently being held in an Arkansas jail before he is transferred to a jail in Dallas County.

What we don’t know:

Dallas police haven’t said if the suspect has any ties to the victim or the area of Arkansas where he was arrested.

The backstory:

The fatal hit-and-run occurred around 3 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 11 near W. Davis St. and N. Westmoreland Dr. in Dallas.

26-year-old Johnathan Rodriguez was dropped off by friends outside his Dallas neighborhood early Sunday morning after celebrating his birthday.

Surveillance video shows Rodriguez in the media area of the road when a dark-colored SUV hits him and drives away.

Rodriguez was left with severe head trauma, later dying from his injuries.

A bittersweet victory for the family

What they’re saying:

John Rodriguez, the victim’s father, struggled to find the words to describe the news he received.

“It’s not going to bring him back, bring my son back,” Rodriguez told FOX 4’s Peyton Yager. “It hurts every day, every minute. I wake up every morning, and he is not here. We are really going to miss him.”

The Rodriguez family worked with police to help find their son’s killer. They found more surveillance video near the scene of the accident that helped authorities find and arrest Hernandez in Arkansas.

“We are going to fight for justice. Long live Johnny, and we are going to keep on fighting,” Rodriguez said.

The Source: Information in this story came from current and previous FOX 4 reporting.

NewsDallasCrime and Public SafetyArkansas

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