How John Calipari wasted one of his best NCAA Tournament coaching jobs as Arkansas blows lead vs. Texas Tech

San Francisco – Arkansas It was up to 16 points in the middle of the road during the second half of Sweet 16 vs. Technology Technology On Thursday, he appears to be on his way to the eighth elite. It was possible to be the regional West final in one of the best training functions in the John Calibari career and made a slow starting start in the Calipari first season in Fayetteville a remote memory.

Instead, it is the Red 3 who will face the first seed Florida For the right to go to the fourth final after his victory over Arkansas, the full 10 in Arkansas, the rest of the match in the amazing Texas Tech 85-83 victory at the Chase Center.

“We have abandoned the initiative, but we did so this year,” said Calibari. “Up (16) and suddenly you turn a game of two points.”

Calipari was previously 35-0 in NCAA championship games when it tops six or more points at the end of the first half, and Razorbacks’s collapse gave the third largest return in Sweet 16 history.

“I kept telling these men in Maiti that we will win in the game,” TTU coach Grant McCasand said. “I told them that we will do it when it matters. I think that with all my heart. This is a Red Ryder basketball.”

Texas Tech outperformed Arkasas 27-11 to finish the list and link the game in 72 to send the game to additional work. In the additional period, Razorbacks lagged again, but it has another chance to connect or win the match with a decrease in the hour.

After the Texas Technology Star Darwin Williams A hook shot was converted with 7.3 seconds left to give Red Raiders a feature of two points, Calipari chose not to use his final deadline and allow the final sequence play.

Arkansas goalkeeper DJ Wagner He temporarily stopped for a moment after running the ball through Halfcourt – as if he was expected to call his coach for the re -creation of a play.

Wagner led the right, over the left and shot a disputed shot on the bell that missed the front of the edge, to give Texas Tech victory.

Calipari defended his decision not to call a deadline with the game on the line.

“I usually let it go,” said Calibari. “Now, because it ended the way it happened, yes, I wish I had contacted the deadline. But 99 % of the time, let it go because now I know what they are doing, and they know what we are doing. That’s why we did that.”

The Arkansas race losing brought the first season in the first Rollercoasster season under Calibari to its end.

Calibari said: “I told them how proud I was and there is nothing they could do to frustrate me.” “Yes, there were plays I wish they had done in a different way or made, but these children gave everything, even in this game they gave everything they had to try to win in the game.”

Razorbacks 0-5 started in the SEC game and became the second team in the past twenty years to reach the second weekend of the NCAA Championship after dropping five consecutive games to start playing at the conference.

But then razorbacks began to rotate

Calibari won his very expected return Kentucky After spending the past fifteen years roaming on the margin in RUPP Arena. His team was in Arkansas in the NCAA championship, below the bubble after losing to last place South Carolina 72-53 a little more than two weeks before selection on Sunday.

But Arkansas made the NCAA Championship and then won both games during the first week of the NCAA championship at seventh place. Kansas And the number is 2 seed St. JohnAnd it seemed that the Calibari team had reached its steps.

“We have crossed (to) what we were supposed to do (we do) after starting from 0 to 5, Arkansas forward Trevon Brazil He said in his wardrobe.

Perhaps Arkansas did exaggeration. After all, until the NCAA championship looks unlikely after Arcasas lost 18 points Missouri In mid-January, which dropped Razorbacks to 0-5 in SEC Play.

But what should have been a cheerful celebration in the Arkansas wardrobe room. Instead, it will be remembered as “what if” for Calipari and his team.

While Arkansas was melting, every Arkansas star Adou thero You could have been watching. The leading scorer in Arkansas was absent in the last eight games of his team after suffering a knee injury against Missouri last month. Thiero played every five minutes, he logged in the first half and ended with one point.

“I felt if I could give her a chance, so why don’t I go there and help my team,” Thero told CBS SPORTS to play. “We have passed a lot this year for me to watch them only. I had to give her a bullet.”