"We’re a different team": John Calipari explains why he feels like he's on his "fourth" Arkansas team

John Calipari is in his first season leading Arkansas. Yet, the head coach feels like he's already on his fourth Razorbacks team. Calipari spoke to the media after a win over Vanderbilt on Tuesday and discussed the number of changes he is making to his team:

“You know what? It’s funny. There’s not one way to play this game. Depends on your team. This is about my fourth team this year. I got a new team. I said to the guys, ‘Why am I still tweaking stuff?’ And they said, ‘Well, you’re looking at tape.' No. We’re a different team than we were two weeks ago." (1:30)

Calipari's team's win over Vanderbilt directly followed a 19-point loss to South Carolina. The Arkansas head coach doesn't seem too concerned with the double-digit defeat, explaining "that wasn't my team" that struggled against the Gamecocks:

“We’ve got to figure out how we have to play to win. You know, defending. Doing some of this stuff has to be what we do. And again, just so you know, we got smoked by South Carolina so bad. I never looked at the tape. And I told the team the reason I didn’t look at the tape. That wasn’t my team. So why would I watch it?"

NCAA Basketball: Arkansas at South Carolina - Source: Imagn

The Razorbacks have had an up-and-down season. They sit in 12th place in a competitive SEC conference, with a 7-10 conference record and an 18-12 record overall. Arkansas is fighting for an NCAA Tournament bid, and ESPN's Joe Lunardi currently has the team on the bubble in last four byes.

Calipari's squad has won three of its last four contests and six of its last 10. The head coach assures that the Razorbacks are always changing, which will be interesting to see as they prepare for the postseason.

What's next for Calipari's Arkansas squad?

Arkansas will finish the regular season with a home matchup against No. 25 Mississippi State on Saturday. The Razorbacks are no strangers to winning against ranked opponents, having defeated No. 15 Missouri on Feb. 22. Another win against a ranked conference foe would look good for Calipari's team's NCAA Tournament resume.

The Razorbacks will then move on to the SEC Tournament. If standings stayed how they currently are, they would come in as the No. 11 seed. The No. 11 seed faces the No. 14 seed in the first round, which is set for March 12.

Oklahoma currently holds the 14th spot. The Sooners defeated the Razorbacks in a Jan. 25 matchup. Calipari's team will look to avenge this loss if the two SEC foes face off in the conference tournament.

NCAA Basketball: Arkansas at South Carolina - Source: Imagn

Next Sunday, we will know Arkansas' fate for the NCAA Tournament. For the time being, John Calipari will aim to lead his ever-changing squad through a successful end of the regular season and SEC Tournament.