The Arkansas Razorbacks fell 69-66 to No. 22 Michigan State Spartans on Saturday night in East Lansing, dropping to 1-1 on the season. The win came during a busy week for Michigan State, which landed four-star guard Jasiah Jervis for their 2026 recruiting class while freshman Cam Ward dominated with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
John Calipari didn't mince words after the defeat, calling out star freshmen Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas for their performance. The two guards managed 32 points combined but struggled with decision-making against the Spartans' physicality. In the post-game press conference, Calipari praised Ward's dominance before turning his attention to his own players.
“And he really played well, and my two didn't play as well. They'd been playing well, but they didn't today,” Calipari said, via Jacob Cotsonika of Sports Illustrated.
The Arkansas coach didn't stop there, pointing to critical late-game possessions where his freshmen made poor decisions.
“Again, there were plays that they could have made for their teammates, and they tried to make it for themselves, and it didn't work out so good,” he said. “Even the last couple plays, guys were open and they took the shot themselves.”
The criticism stung harder given both players' pedigree. Acuff appears on the Oscar Robertson Trophy watch list while Thomas earned Wayman Tisdale Trophy consideration. Calipari clearly expects more from his prized recruits.
Michigan State dominated the physical battle throughout. The Spartans outrebounded Arkansas 45-33, grabbed 19 offensive boards, and controlled the paint with a 46-28 scoring edge.
This matchup marked the first of a two-year series between the programs. Michigan State will visit Bud Walton Arena next season, continuing the battle between two Hall of Fame coaches. Izzo holds a 4-3 career edge over Calipari, as this one went to the Spartans.
Trevon Brazile had the final shot to tie, but his three-point attempt came up short. The veteran forward couldn't overcome his team's late-game execution problems.
Arkansas hosts the Central Arkansas Bears on Tuesday before facing the Duke Blue Devils and the Louisville Cardinals later.
