“They’re a very, very good team”: Mike White commends John Calipari’s Arkansas while holding out a hope for them

Georgia coach Mike White described the John Calipari-mentored Arkansas as a talented team capable of turning things around in the remainder of the college basketball season.

White made his observations after Wednesday's 68-65 loss to the Razorbacks (12-7, 1-5 SEC) on Wednesday at the Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville. The Georgia coach believes Arkansas is a team that could make a surge down the stretch and go deep into the NCAA Tournament.

“Arkansas was good. They’re a very, very good team,” White said per On3. “This is one of the only leagues, maybe there’s another one like it, that’s in the same ballpark, where you can get off to a tough start, anyone really in this league, and reel off a few,” he added.

The Georgia coach believes that the Razorbacks, who came back from 15 points down to beat the Bulldogs (14-5, 2-4) and halt their five-game losing skid, are bound for a sudden surge.

Kentucky transfer Adou Thiero led Arkansas' offense with 17 points and 11 rebounds while freshman Karter Knox added 13 points and four rebounds for the Razorbacks. They will now play the remainder of the season without top freshman Boogie Fland.

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John Calipari remains optimistic for an Arkansas fightback in the remainder of the season

Arkansas coach John Calipari finally guided the Razorbacks to their first SEC win of the 2024-25 college basketball season. He praised his players for successfully coming back from 15 points down to secure the victory.

The veteran coach also expressed optimism about the team's chances of turning it around and possibly reaching the NCAA Tournament in March.

“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,” Calipari said during a postgame interview.

The Arkansas coach described the locker room environment during the Razorbacks' five straight defeats, noting that it was hard to motivate the team when they were behind at halftime.

"It’s hard when you’re not winning to get in that mindset that we’re fine," Calipari said. “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."

Arkansas will be back at the Bud Walton Arena for its showdown against Oklahoma on Saturday night. The Sooners (14-4, 1-4) are coming off a big 82-62 win over South Carolina which broke their four-game losing streak.

Jalon Moore leads Oklahoma's offense averaging 18.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. He'll have support from guard Jeremiah Fears, who has tallied 16.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 4.4 apg and 1.9 spg.