New season, same old Arkansas? That’s exactly how Razorbacks fans must have felt tonight as shades of last year’s roller-coaster season came rushing back. In John Calipari’s first big test away from home this season, the Razorbacks came out firing and built a 3-point lead heading into halftime. But Tom Izzo’s Spartans came back to win the game 69-66.

And just when it seemed like the night couldn’t get any worse for Calipari… it did.

As the Arkansas players walked off the court and into the tunnel, Michigan State fans let loose with taunts and chants. One of the loudest: “Airball! Airball!” aimed right at Trevon Brazile. Just five days after dropping a career-high 25 points, Trevon Brazile found himself in a very different situation. He was stuck in foul trouble early — picking up his second foul with seven minutes left in the first half, and his third less than 90 seconds into the second. And that showed on the court.

The forward had a rough night, scoring just three points on 1-for-5 shooting. One of those misses was a last-second three-point attempt to tie the game — a shot that didn’t even touch the rim. The senior, already frustrated from the loss and his own performance, finally hit his breaking point. As the chants grew louder, he snapped and angrily swung the towel, which landed on a student’s face, leaving the Michigan fans stunned.

While the fan who got hit didn’t seem too bothered, instead of giving the towel back, he playfully kept it, holding onto the now-infamous “souvenir.” But the moment definitely left a sour taste among fans as coach Cal was seen separating his players from the fans. Now, everyone’s talking about how easily some Razorback players can get rattled by pressure from opposing crowds. And that’s something John Calipari will have to address moving forward.

Whether or not Trevon Brazile did a Blake Griffin is up for debate, but Arkansas should’ve won this game. Michigan State made only one three-pointer on 14 attempts — a stat that should’ve tilted the game in the Razorbacks’ favor. Arkansas even hit four threes in the first half, but the momentum evaporated after the break. The Hogs made just two threes in the entire second half, and the offense completely lost its rhythm when it mattered most.

Arkansas tied the game at 66–66 with just under two minutes left, but simply forgot how to make a bucket. The Razorbacks missed their final five shots and watched a winnable game slip right out of their hands, ending in their first loss of the season. For a team with this much talent, that kind of late-game collapse is simply not acceptable, and after the loss, Coach Cal had a lot to say.

John Calipari reflects on the loss against Michigan State

It wasn’t just the 28.6% shooting in the second half that hurt John Calipari’s Razorbacks. They also got dominated inside. Michigan State outscored Arkansas 46–28 in the paint, and the Hogs had no answers for the Spartans’ frontcourt duo of Coen Carr and Cam Ward, who combined for 33 points.

After the game, John Calipari called this the part of the season where losses turn into lessons. “At this time of the year, you win or you learn,” Calipari said in the postgame press conference. “We learned. We learned about each other. Guys have to take responsibility and hold themselves accountable. That’s hard.”

Going forward, it’ll be interesting to see what the Razorbacks actually learned from this tough loss — and how they respond. Next up is a much lighter assignment against the Central Arkansas Bears, a game ESPN gives Arkansas a 99% chance to win. But the real test is coming once the SEC play starts.

Last season, the Razorbacks battled through a rough stretch in conference play, finishing with an 8–10 SEC record. John Calipari will be determined to make sure that doesn’t happen again this year. So, where do you see them finishing this season? Let us know in the comments below!