John Calipari has been on the NCAA Tournament bubble before. And while it’s rarely the most gratifying position to be in at the end of the regular season, it’s one the first-year Arkansas head coach is well-versed in navigating.

John Calipari probably wanted a smoother ride in his first season with Arkansas basketball, but what matters is making the NCAA Tournament. That’s what the Razorbacks (19-12, 8-10 SEC) are in position to do after escaping with a 93-92 win over Mississippi State on Saturday.

The Arkansas Razorbacks were blown out by South Carolina on Saturday afternoon, which was not a good look for their NCAA Tournament resume. For some reason that

John Calipari gave a brutally honest assessment when it came to the state of the Arkansas roster this season. Following a bad 72-53 loss to South Carolina on the road Saturday, the Razorbacks dropped to 17-12 on the season.