"It was a dud": John Calipari keeps an optimistic mindset while asking Arkansas hoopers to "burn the tape" after South Carolina loss

John Calipari's Arkansas squad fell to South Carolina by 19 points on Saturday. For the Razorbacks, who are still a bubble team, the loss was devastating. Calipari was clear about his feelings following the SEC defeat.

"You know, I told the guys after, 'Folks, we, we’ve been through a gauntlet, just like South Carolina,'" Calipari said. "I told them, 'Eight games like we played? You were due for a dud. It was a dud. Move on.' I said, 'Burn the tape, and let’s get ready for Vandy.'"

Calipari was referencing the Razorbacks' next game, a visit to Vanderbilt. Arkansas has only two regular season matchups remaining ahead of the SEC Tournament. The other conference contest is a home game against No. 25 Mississippi State. The Razorbacks will need to move forward from this "dud" to remain in good standings for March Madness.

This matchup was the first time this century that Arkansas scored less than 15 points in a half. South Carolina, who is the last ranked team in the SEC, picked up just its second conference win this season. Calipari gave credit to the Gamecocks postgame.

“They were really aggressive,” Calipari said of South Carolina. “If you want to know what I told coach when I walked down? I said, 'If you played all home games, you’d be top-ten.' Because they play really well in this building. They beat Texas the same way they beat us. It was almost carbon copy.”

NCAA Basketball: Arkansas at South Carolina - Source: Imagn

John Calipari's Arkansas lost to South Carolina

South Carolina dominated Arkansas for the entirety of Saturday's SEC contest. The Gamecocks scored the first six points and by halfway through the first half, they were up 18-3. Calipari's team entered halftime down 32-14.

The Gamecocks quickly showed that they wouldn't be letting up on their dominance in the second half. Free throws allowed South Carolina to score the first points of the half. With 15 minutes left to play, Arkansas was down 22 points. By the halfway point in the second half, things had become even more grim for the Razorbacks, who trailed 54-24.

NCAA Basketball: Arkansas at South Carolina - Source: Imagn

With 5:00 left on the clock, Calipari's team was down 31 points. The Razorbacks attempted to fight back late but ultimately fell by 19 points. Arkansas shot just 28.8% and didn't put up double-digit points until 2:24 remained in the first half. It took until 12:35 left for the Razorbacks to record 20 points.

Calipari's Arkansas squad didn't perform like an NCAA Tournament team against South Carolina. March Madness is quickly approaching, and if the Razorbacks want to make a run, they must move forward from this.