John Calipari had a timeout to use when the 10-seed Arkansas Razorbacks lost 85-83 to the 3-seed Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Sweet 16 of the 2025 NCAA Tournament on Thursday night. This drew criticism from basketball analyst Jay Williams.

After Maryland took the lead with seven seconds remaining in overtime, Calipari had a timeout he could've used to draw up a play for his team. However, he chose not to, which ended up in DJ Wagner missing the game-winning shot to end the Razorbacks' season in heartbreaking fashion.

Williams reflected on Calipari's decision the day after. Appearing on ESPN's Get Up show, he did not agree with the action, considering that the head coach did the opposite for the final play of the second half.

“I feel like I wanted a timeout [from John Calipari] down the stretch,” Williams said.

What's next for John Calipari, Arkansas

Arkansas Razorbacks head coach John Calipari reacts during the first half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during a West Regional semifinal of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Chase Center.
Eakin Howard-Imagn Images
Related Arkansas Basketball NewsArticle continues below
Duke Blue Devils guard Kon Knueppel (7) controls the ball against the Houston Cougars during the second half in the semifinals of the men's Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome.
Duke basketball gives potential top 10 pick ‘best shooter’ shoutout
Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl in the middle, Tahaad Pettiford on one side and UCF player Keyshawn Hall on the other side.
Predicting Auburn basketball’s 2026 National Title chances after Final Four loss
UAB Blazers forward Yaxel Lendeborg (3) dribbles the ball upcourt against the North Texas Mean Green during the first half at Dickies Arena.
Yaxel Lendeborg’s game-changing potential gets Michigan basketball coach’s attention

It is a reasonable reaction for Jay Williams to have, considering that the Arkansas Razorbacks may still be in the NCAA Tournament if John Calipari used the timeout and the play he drew up was successful.

However, their run in the tourney comes to an end. The Razorbacks finished with a 22-14 overall record, having gone 8-10 in SEC Play. They averaged 76.8 points on 46.2% shooting from the field and 32.7% from beyond the arc. As a result, they got past opponents by a margin of 5.4 points per game.

Adou Thiero led the way with numbers of 15.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists. He had shooting splits of 54.5% overall and 68.6% from the free-throw line. Boogie Fland came next with with 13.5 points and 3.2 rebounds before suffering a significant injury. Johnell Davis put up 12 points and 3.4 rebounds, while DJ Wagner provided 11.2 points and 3.6 assists.

It was a roller coaster of a year for Calipari and the Razorbacks, having a slow start in conference play before bouncing back and making their Sweet 16 run. It marked the team's fourth appearance in the round since 2020, continuing their standard of having solid performances in the NCAA Tournament.

However, there is a lot for Calipari to take care of as he enters the offseason. Having ended his first year with program on a positive note, he will look to take that momentum and build Arkansas into a potentially serious contender for the national championship.