Calipari’s Razorbacks Fall to Duke 80-71 as Cameron Boozer Leads in Chicago Showdown

When John Calipari stepped onto the sidelines at the United Center on Thanksgiving night, he wasn’t just coaching a game—he was facing his first true litmus test in a new chapter. Arkansas lost 80-71 to Duke in the CBS Sports Thanksgiving ClassicChicago, and the stakes felt heavier than the scoreboard suggested. Calipari, fresh off 15 years at Kentucky, was seeing whether his rebuild in Fayetteville could stand up to the elite. The answer? Not yet—but there’s promise.

The Rebounding Reality

Duke out-rebounded Arkansas 42-29. That’s not a typo. Forty-two. Twenty-nine. And it wasn’t just about quantity—it was about timing. Every missed Arkansas shot seemed to bounce right into the hands of a 6’9” Duke big man. Calipari didn’t sugarcoat it. "They keep people around the basket," he said in his Thursday morning presser. "If you’re fighting and not trying to get the ball, you’re not getting it." It’s a simple truth, but one that haunted the Razorbacks all night. They didn’t just lose the battle of the boards; they lost the rhythm of the game. Every second-chance point for Duke felt like a dagger.

Meanwhile, Arkansas leaned hard on the three-ball—27 attempts, compared to their season average of 19. "We talked about it would probably be the case because of how they play," Calipari admitted. But when you’re shooting 33% from deep and giving up 14 offensive rebounds, you’re not just gambling—you’re betting the house on a single roll of the dice. And the dice rolled cold.

Cameron Boozer: The Ghost Who Got Away

At the center of it all was Cameron Boozer, Duke’s five-star freshman averaging 21.1 points per game. He dropped 24 in Chicago—efficient, relentless, and unflappable. And here’s the twist: Calipari tried to recruit him. Twice. First at Kentucky. Then again when he landed in Arkansas. "You mentioned Ken Boozer there," Calipari said, stumbling slightly over the name. It wasn’t a slip. It was a ghost. The player he couldn’t land became the one who outplayed his team.

Boozer’s presence wasn’t just about scoring. He anchored Duke’s half-court sets, drew double teams, and found open shooters. He’s the kind of player who makes coaches nod in quiet admiration—and rivals curse under their breath. For Calipari, watching Boozer thrive was like seeing a recruit you passed on turn into an All-American.

Arkansas’ Freshmen: Promise Amid Chaos

Don’t count out the Razorbacks just yet. Trevon Brazile posted a double-double—11 points, 11 rebounds—and Calipari called it "really good stuff," even if he was on him for a late foul. Then there’s Darius Acuff Jr., the 16.8 ppg freshman who kept Arkansas alive with his quick handles and fearless drives. And Meleek Thomas, averaging 18.3 points, looked every bit the five-star recruit—just not consistently enough against Duke’s length.

These kids are playing like veterans. But they’re still kids. And against a team like Duke—coached by Jon Scheyer, who’s building something electric in Durham—they’re learning on the job. The difference? Duke’s depth. Their bench outscored Arkansas’s 23-6. That’s not just talent. That’s program infrastructure.

A Coaching Crossroads

This game was more than a November non-conference matchup. It was a symbolic passing of the torch—or at least a signal flare. Calipari, the architect of Kentucky’s modern dynasty, is now trying to rebuild Arkansas from the ground up. Scheyer, the former Duke captain turned head coach, is proving he can do more than inherit a powerhouse—he can elevate it.

Calipari’s last major loss to Duke? 118-84 in 2018, when Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett shredded Kentucky like tissue paper. This one didn’t hurt as much—but it stung differently. This time, it wasn’t a blue-chip roster that beat him. It was a younger, hungrier team, coached by a guy who used to be his player. And now, Calipari’s own recruits are watching Boozer and thinking: "What if we’d been there?"

What’s Next?

Arkansas heads into SEC play with a 4-2 record. They’ve got talent. They’ve got heart. But they need to fix their rebounding—fast. Calipari said he’s going to "go back to the grind," and that means more film sessions, more defensive drills, more emphasis on boxing out. "It’s not about X’s and O’s," he said. "It’s about wanting it more."

Duke, now 7-1, looks like a Final Four contender. Boozer is the engine, but Patrick Ngongba II and Isaiah Evans are the supporting cast that’s clicking. Scheyer’s squad is playing with confidence—and they’re not afraid of the big stage.

The next time these two teams meet? Maybe in March. Maybe in the NCAA Tournament. When that happens, Calipari won’t just be coaching against Duke. He’ll be coaching against his own legacy.