Hall Closets

The 2025 version of the Gregorian Calendar turned and burned its 12th and final page of daze last week under an eerily-warm-weathered sky in the Ozark Mountains as Father Time bowed out of the race and a fresh Baby New Year ushered 2026 into the frame.

For Razorback basketball players and fans, January brings the onset of a gnarled and grueling three-month regimen of challenges only the mighty, mighty SEC can offer up, guarantee and provide week after week. It is a time to lockdown and turn up the heat, cuz Hansel, Gretel, Cinderella, Snow White and the likes do not have seats at this table, and cupcakes are not on the menu; instead, these chairs are reserved for fiends over friends – you know, like the Big Bad Wolf, Wicked Witch, Grinch, Joker and adversaries, formidable to the core – every single one of ‘em.

The Hogs kicked this year off by hosting one of the biggest and baddest rivals on their winter itinerary – the Tennessee Volunteers – with visions of revenge dancing in their minds they got down to business, beating Ricky Barnes’s team 86-75 in front of a rambunctious home crowd. That same rowdy crowd needs to show back up again and again to keep the scales tilted and foes on the run if Arkansas is to continue its re-rise to the promised land.

Coach Calipari knows the benefits of a rocking home crowd and is unafraid to call fans out after poorly attended games. Bottom line – a full and vocal Bud Walton Arena is a most-formidable weapon (and Saturdaze game reflected such); while a less-than-packed house is equally as weak and the equivalent of bringing a knife to a pistols-at-dawn affair. 

The arena is so vacuous that it swallows up any and every half-attended and half-throated Hog Call. Barnhill Arena, on the other hand, was the epitome of a homecourt advantage every single game, despite seating under 9k (less than half of BWA’s capacity).

Regardless of recent successes, weekday contests are partially attended; and that apathy affects the team and its performances. Just know that a full house of 20k+ screaming Arkansas fans can completely unnerve opponents and turn barnburners into Razorback routs. Been there and done that.

Prior to SEC play, I have spoken highly of the new cogs in the wheel of this version of Razorback roundball – Darius Acuff, Jr., Meleek Thomas, Malique Ewin, Isaiah Sealy and Nick Pringle. Fosho, they will all be called upon to usher this team back to the final rounds of March Madness. Thankfully, four outta the five are already performing at an elite level, and this showed up and down the stat sheet against the Vols.

Acuff Jr. led the team in scoring once again with 29, followed by another freshman sensation, Thomas, who totaled 18 points and logged a season-high 30 minutes of PT. Meanwhile, Ewin, who is developing into the multi-dimensional player Coach Cal envisioned when he signed him in the Portal outta Florida St., rang up 12 points, scooped up six boards and rerouted four shots enroute to the crucial conference dub. 

No doubt about it, this all begins and ends with the freakishly athletic returning foundation of Trevon Brazile, DJ Wagner, Karter Knox, and Billy Richmond III – plain and simple.

These players understand the dirt that must be done to win at a high level and are willing to do so. For instance, KK and TB did not shoot the rock particularly well on Saturday but picked up seven rebounds apiece to boost the winning cause.

This game boiled down to free throws – Arkansas shot 87.9%; while Tennessee bricked 11 outta the 23 they were allowed, and such was the difference in the final score.

Wednesday the Hogs head to Oxford to face the Rebels of Ole Miss in a gymnasium that has been less-than-kind to Arkansas teams in the past. Here’s to a new year and a new run.

GoHogsGo!