Jay Williams: John Calipari 'put the nation on notice' with first year at Arkansas

Arkansas figured this season out by the end of it to finish at 22-14 overall in its debut under John Calipari. That’ll now set the Razorbacks up for their future while Coach Cal is in Fayetteville.

On ‘Get Up’ on Friday, Jay Williams was asked if Arkansas had put the SEC on notice with how they ended the season. Williams took it further in his answer in saying all of college basketball should be on notice moving forward when it comes to Calipari and the ‘Hogs.

“I think he put the nation on notice,” Williams said. “That Cal still has his fastball, and that he can recruit McDonald’s All-Americans, he can recruit in the transfer portal. And he can get his team to where they need to be at the end of the season. Yes, we live in a microwave where everybody wants to attack him throughout the course. It’s about the full body of work. Cal has brought the Arkansas Razorbacks back to one of the top places in college basketball.”

Arkansas had a so-so start over the first three months of the season. The Razorbacks picked up only one or two quality wins from November through January while losing eight games, including a 1-6 start in the SEC. However, looking at the “full body of work,” the Razorbacks went on to sit at 10-6 from February through March. That stretch, with five of the six losses all being quality ones, included the huge win at Kentucky, a win at the SEC Tournament, and wins over Kansas and St. John’s in the NCAA Tournament to advance into the Sweet 16, despite it ending in poor fashion in overtime to Texas Tech.

With that, the Razorbacks have a trajectory that’s much better now than it was two months ago. Depending on who returns from this roster and who they add in the portal to pair with a top-five recruiting class, they’ll project as another talented team that could be right at or exceed this first season’s finish with their second.

Arkansas has their highs and their lows in year one for Calipari. Williams is now expecting more highs as his tenure now continues on with the ‘Hogs.

Williams, Greenberg react to Calipari’s decision not to call timeout

John Calipari’s first run with the Arkansas Razorbacks came to an end against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Sweet 16 on Thursday. The timeout he left in his back pocket, though, has been all the topic of conversation in the time since.

Down two with the clock running out in overtime, Calipari elected to not call his final timeout, while D.J. Wagner looked for a bucket to keep the game alive. In the end, his shot came up short, and they were left wondering if a play should have been drawn up instead. ESPN’s Jay Williams and Seth Greenberg thought about it too, namely Williams who would’ve liked to see Calipari call it.

“First off, I think the Calipari’s had one heck of a year, considering this team and the way they started off in the SEC. The fact that they got to the Sweet 16 is amazing,” Williams stated. “Secondly, I will say this though. Despite the collapse, because games like this happen in college basketball. The time-out down the stretch — I know reasonable minds can differ, as our guy Jay Bilas says. But, just considering the way we watched the team throughout the course of the year? I feel like I wanted a timeout down the stretch.” 

“I get that coaches can do that. I wanted a timeout with more of a structured play for D.J. Wagner. That’s just me.”

Greenberg was in agreement with his colleague. However, he heaped immense praise on Texas Tech for its role in defeating the Razorbacks.

“You’re reading advantage and disadvantages. That ball is coming up the floor, you’re reading advantage, disadvantage Do you have the ball in the guy’s hands you want to have the ball? Do you feel like you can get downhill and get to the rim? Do you like the matchup? All those things are going through your mind as he’s pushing the ball up the floor” Greenberg said regarding the thought process of the scenario. “Obviously, Cal evaluated and said, ‘You know what, we’ve got the ball in D.J.’s hands.’ He veered out. I’d rather see him stay in the middle of the floor so he can spray it out. But I think there are so many different things.”

“You’ve got to give Texas Tech credit, because they’re part of the equation. Texas Tech did a great job. (Christian) Anderson knocking down big three after big three. They over-helped it where (Darrion) Williams made that big three to tie it up. That was a little bit of an over-help by (Karter) Knox. But the biggest thing is the last play of the game, the last play that Texas Tech scored on, they created a switch. They got Trevone Brazile, at 6-11 with the seven-plus wingspan, off of Williams. Got Karter Knox on him. They got the switch they wanted and Williams used his size, strength, and physicality to attack that matchup with the game-winning bucket,” said Greenberg. “Obviously, John Calipari would have some plays that he’d want back. On the other hand, Grant McCasland stayed with his team, poured into his team. They made the plays they need to make down the stretch.”