Arkansas upsets Michigan in a thriller at the Jimmy V Classic as both programs undergo major changes

They say the only constant is change. What better than to have two programs going through colossal change face off at The World’s Most Famous Arena.

Both Arkansas and Michigan have climbed to college basketball’s mountaintop in the past. Those eras are long gone, but their legacies demand excellence on the court and on the benches.

Arkansas rode the ‘Muss Bus’ with Eric Mussleman the past five seasons – reaching a Sweet 16 and two Elite Eights in the process. But Los Angeles called and he bolted for USC.

Inversely, Michigan handed the reigns of its program over to school legend Juwan Howard. He too reached an Elite Eight and a Sweet 16, but had a disastrous final season that spelled his end.

Both programs pulled major moves when they hired new leadership in the offseason. For the Wolverines of Michigan, they turned to up-and-comer Dusty May – hiring him away from Florida Atlantic. For the Razorbacks of Arkansas, they got a bonafide coaching legend in John Calipari from Kentucky.

With change in the air, both teams ventured to Madison Square Garden for the Jimmy V Classic – held in honor of former NC State head coach Jim Valvano, who passed away from a cancer battle years ago.

In a hotly contested battle, both teams built large leads that faded away – but Arkansas held on to win 89-87.

Michigan’s Dusty May (L) and Arkansas’ John Calipari (R) are leading new eras at their schools

May’s succeeded in this building before. It was here in 2023 he helped FAU reach the pinnacle of athletic excellence by clinching a spot in the Final Four – where they lost on a buzzer-beater to San Diego State. May kept that group for another run in 2023-24, but crashed out in the first round. 

His services were sought by many schools, but he chose Ann Arbor and a Michigan program in need of rehab after an 8-24 season from Howard.

Arkansas was a different story. Mussleman made an almost instant impact- making back-to-back Elite Eights before reaching the Sweet 16 in 2023.

But a 2023-24 season that could – at best – be described as strife-ridden sent him westward to USC. In need of a coach, they went within their conference and pulled off a coup.

Calipari is a legend in the game: making six Final Fours and two national title games – winning the whole thing in 2012 with Kentucky. So when he announced that he’d swap Lexington for Fayetteville, it sent shockwaves through the sport.

For both teams, their momentum coming into the Garden was similar. Unranked Arkansas had lost to a top-ten Baylor team and Illinois earlier this season while the 14th ranked Michigan’s only flaw was a two-point loss to Wake Forest.

Bronx native Boogie Fland showed out for Arkansas – leading all scorers with 20 points

Arkansas’ Boogie Fland (2) drives against Michigan center Danny Wolf (1) in the first half 

There’s something about kids from New York City who play college basketball at the Garden. They almost gain a superpower when they walk out on the court. That was the case for Razorbacks guard and Bronx native Boogie Fland, who ended the night as Arkansas’ top scorer.

A back-and-forth first five minutes of the game eventually exposed Arkansas’ defensive struggles as Michigan built a 15 point lead. But Fland helped push the Razorbacks to cut the deficit to four by the half behind his 13 first-half points.

Sloppy play from the Wolverines to start the second half led to Arkansas building an 18-point lead thanks to guard DJ Wagner. 

But, much like the first half, no lead was safe and Michigan started clawing back. With a minute left the score was 88-87 Arkansas, but momentum was with the Wolverines – thanks in part to a tremendous performance from Yale transfer Danny Wolf.

Arkansas’ Trevon Brazile missed two free throws to give Michigan the ball with under 35 seconds left. Up the court raced the Wolverines before a pass found Vladislav Goldin, a 7-footer who moved from FAU with May to Michigan. He put up a hook shot that Brazile swatted.

Brazile sank one foul shot but missed the second – leaving May to call timeout with 3.7 seconds remaining and the final shot. With the ball in their hands, the Wolverines bungled a drive to the basket – forcing them to throw up a prayer that fell short. Arkansas fans cheered and then ‘called the hogs’ with their chants of ‘Woo Pig Sooie’.

Reflecting on their seasons so far, both coaches admitted there’s things to iron out. As May put it, ‘As coaches we’re paid to solve problems,’ while Calipari admitted to doing ‘two of the dumbest things I have ever done’. With the heart of the college basketball season ahead, it’s time to see if either of these teams can accomplish their goals and build a strong resume come March.