It’s always good to beat Texas, and this one was never really close. The Hogs jumped to an early 19-4 lead and coasted to a 105-85 win over the Longhorns on Senior Day in Fayetteville.
Darius Acuff had 28 points and 13 assists in his final game at Bud Walton Arena, while Trevon Brazile added 28 points and seven rebounds in what is also his final home game as a Hog. Despite allowing 85 points, Arkansas’ defense actually played well, as much of Texas’s offensive production came when the game was out of hand. After the strong start, the middle of the first half was slow, with the Horns eventually getting back within nine, but a flurry of points at the end of the first half allowed the Razorbacks to take a commanding 56-34 lead into the break. The lead swelled to as many as 28 points in the second half before the Hogs took their foot off the gas.
This win plus the craziness of Tuesday night’s results (Alabama, Kentucky, and Missouri all lost) mean that the Hogs are now guaranteed not only a double-bye in the SEC Tournament, but in fact a 2- or 3-seed. That means they’ll be on the opposite side of the bracket from Florida. As of today, the Hogs would be a 3-seed with a potential quarterfinal matchup against 6-seed Vanderbilt, which would be ideal. However, teams seeded 4 through 10 are all within a game of each other, so everything will shuffled after the regular-season finale on Saturday. The Hogs can earn a 2 if they beat Missouri and Alabama loses to Auburn; they’ll be the 3 with any other result.
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- Box Score Breakdown: Arkansas 88, Missouri 84
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Arkansas can basically score at will against any team that doesn’t have an elite defense. Texas can score in the paint (52 paint points), but the Longhorns couldn’t keep the Hogs out of transition (43 transition points, 38 fast break points) and were overwhelmed by the Razorbacks’ ball movement.
Arkansas’ last two games have produced their second- and third-fastest offensive paces against a power conference opponent this season. Only the Georgia game (13.7 seconds per possession) was faster than the pace the Hogs have pushed in their last two. That’s going to be the strategy if the Hogs do end up facing Florida or a similarly-built 1-seed in the SEC or NCAA Tournament. It’s a very tall order to simply wear them out by beating them down the floor, but the Hogs do not have the personnel to face those dominant frontcourts in a halfcourt game.
The Hogs didn’t get offensive rebounds because they didn’t need them. They shot well in the paint and beyond the arc and, as usual, didn’t turn it over, although they actually lost the turnover margin in this game. Texas, as it typical for them, made a living in the paint with their dynamic frontcourt duo, but the Hogs did contest well.
Brazile and Acuff were obviously excellent, with TB taking home MVP honors for this one. Malique Ewin was surprisingly not great, in neither the box score (five points, three rebounds) nor the plus-minus (-8). Nick Pringle actually played quite well, but Arkansas’ best lineup had Brazile at the 5 (+14 in 10 minutes, namely the end of the first half). That lineup hasn’t been particularly strong for the Hogs this year, but because Texas defenders struggle to stay in front of their man, a more perimeter-oriented lineup is very dangerous. The Hogs can use that against teams like Vanderbilt and maybe Alabama as well should they see them next week.
Highlights
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Arkansas closes the regular season on the road against Missouri. While it would be nice to give Brazile one last victory over his former team, the result of the game will have very little impact. Mizzou is good enough that a loss doesn’t really hurt, and the Hogs would need Alabama to lose to Auburn to have any chance of securing the 2-seed in the SEC Tournament. The Hogs are still in play for a 4-seed with a win, but that’s going to be tough. At a minimum, they’d have to also beat Alabama and reach the SEC Tournament finals, and I’m not sure it’s guaranteed even then.
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