Mike White labels Arkansas as 'very, very good' after loss

Arkansas has not had the best start to the year, particularly in SEC play. The Razorbacks are 12-7 (1-5) with 12 games remaining. Still, Georgia head coach Mike White is impressed with Arkansas and spoke highly of John Calipari’s team after Arkansas beat the Bulldogs 68-65 on Wednesday.

“Arkansas was good. They’re a very, very good team,” Mike White said.

There’s no doubt that Arkansas has some talent and that John Calipari has brought in some really good players. For whatever reason, though, everything hasn’t come together for the Razorbacks yet.

With that said, Mike White believes there is still time for Arkansas to go on a run and turn things around down the stretch.

“This is one of the only leagues, maybe there’s another one like it, that’s in the same ball park, where you can get off to a tough start, anyone really in this league, and reel off a few,” Mike White said. “Or win a few and then struggle for a few. Because everybody in this league’s really good, and Arkansas is very, very good.”

John Calipari describes emotions of first SEC win at Arkansas

It wasn’t pretty, but Arkansas won its first SEC game of the season 68-65 over Georgia after trailing by as many as 15 points during the mid-week matchup.

The Razorbacks found themselves down 12 points heading into halftime, and it could have been worse if not for Zvonimir Ivisic‘s buzzer-beating 3-point shot to end the first half. It might have seemed bleak at the time, but the shot was the momentum swing Arkansas needed to help outscore Georgia by 15 points in the second half.

“It’s hard when you’re not winning to get in that mindset that we’re fine,” Arkansas head coach John Calipari said about trailing big at halftime. “If you’ve won five games, you’re looking at each other like, ‘We will be fine. We’re coming back and beating them.’ If you lose now, all of a sudden, you’re in a different deal.

“I’m happy for the kids. It’s nice to get it off their back, and now we keep playing. Let’s see how we build on this.”

Adou Thiero and Karter Knox combined for 30 points and 15 rebounds to lead the winning effort during the matchup. Knox, who scored 13 during the contest, logged 11 of those points at the free throw line. Thiero scored seven at the charity stripe, including the go-ahead free throw that put Arkansas up for good in the final seconds of the game.

Their prowess on the boards helped Arkansas out-rebound Georgia 40-30 on the night — including 18 to 8 on the offensive glass. There, Calipari’s group scored 33 second-chance points compared to the Bulldogs’ 16.