Hallelujah!
Coach John Calipari and staff have arrived, along with a star-studded collection of cagers they convinced to transfer to the U of A and wear the cardinal and white. This ensemble has already rekindled a long-forgotten autumn-air of certainty in the Ozarks. One overflowing with talent, confidence, and guaranteed hoops in April, all the while surrounded by complete and worldwide respect for the program – from Fayettenam to infinity!
It had been a minute since we achieved this level of talent and this much cred, but we’re back.
Musselman certainly helped the program along the way, but ultimately he had a rough time speaking college players’ languages and was also markedly undimensional compared to Cal, but hey, ain’t they all?
All comers pale next to this smooth dressin’, walkin’, talkin’ and coachin’ Jesse, for sure. This may be his first year in Nam, but I already see a smarter, more well-rounded, tougher team than anything Coach Muss ever cobbled together with his two-trick-pony offense of high pick and roll and, get to the line, repeat ad nauseam.
But fear no longer for those daze are over Razorback Nation. Arkansas traded way up in coaches and got the golden unicorn.
Way, way, way up.
You see, the new sheriff in town came armed not only with the biggest brain but also loaded for bear with so many good players. The man’s an outlier and still very hungry for more titles before he hangs up his whistle. Why not at Arkansas?
Why not, indeed?
You know he believes.
Last Friday against UALR, after jumping out to an 18-point halftime lead (with only seven healthy players), the Hogs hung on to win in a much narrower game than necessary. After which coach Cal had this to say – “Because it became a close game, it ends up being good for us. Who’s making plays? Who do you have to get outta the game? Who do you have to have in the game? What do you try to do to score offense?”
How refreshingly flexible. His arrival has done wonders for my Chi. The dude plays by feel – breathes, commits and lets it rip. He feels what he says and says what he feels. His no-nonsense approach to press conferences are hilariously educational and worth watching. Weekly, he dresses down the band of reporters assigned to Hog Hoops – a number that has swollen since that day when Calipari and the Magic Chicken Man worked thangs out for at least the next five years, potentially seven.
Proving once again, that it’s all about who you know.
After a convincing, yet poorly attended, win over Pacific University – Calipari flipped the script on the press corps halfway through the postgame presser and asked them – “Does anybody listen to what I’m saying? Sam? So one of you listens? The rest of you either don’t know basketball or you’re not listening to me at all. And I’m OK with both. That’s fine. My wife doesn’t listen to me. If I call my dog, he runs the other way, so I’m fine. You don’t have to listen to me.”
Meanwhile, the team keeps getting better and better and better and better. Stay tuned. There are still basketsful of quality basketball to be played before the New Year.
Friday afternoon the football team, and Coach Sam Pittman and his hobbled hip travel to Columbia for the final SEC matchup ‘til next fall to take on an up and down Mizzou squad. Honestly, it’d be nice to beat this team just once in a while.
Until next week.
Wooooo…