Arkansas’ men’s basketball team is back on the road Wednesday night against Ole Miss. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. on ESPNU.
The Razorbacks (10-8, 1-4 SEC) are looking to bounce back from a lifeless home loss to South Carolina last Saturday, and they’re aiming to avoid a second straight 1-5 start in SEC play.
Curtis Wilkerson and Scottie Bordelon teamed up to bring you four things they will be looking for when the Razorbacks play the Rebels. Introducing the 4-Point Play:
• HOW WILL THE HOGS DEFEND OLE MISS’ BACKCOURT?
Arkansas has struggled mightily on the defensive end of the floor all year, and one of the most glaring issues has been guarding the ball on the perimeter. Insert Ole Miss’ three-headed monster in the backcourt, and the Hogs will have their work cut out for them in Oxford.
The guard trio of Matthew Murrell, Allen Flanigan and Jaylen Murray combine to average 47.3 points and 9.6 assists per game, and account for more than 70% of the Rebels’ three-point makes.
Going zone feels like an unwise option against a team shooting 38.3% from beyond the arc, so it will be up to Devo Davis, Tramon Mark and whichever other guard gets the nod to sit down defensively and contain the versatile playmakers.
— Curtis Wilkerson
• CAN ARKANSAS GET ON THE OFFENSIVE GLASS?
The Razorbacks’ lack of offensive rebounding this season has been astounding. They rank 300th nationally, according to KenPom data, with an offensive rebound rate of 25.4%. Through five conference games, that figure sits at 19.0%, which is last in the SEC. Jalen Graham leads Arkansas with seven offensive boards in league play, and no other Razorback has more than five.
The offensive glass — when Arkansas has possession — should be intriguing to monitor and may be a big key Wednesday because Ole Miss has been vulnerable in that area to this point. The Rebels have allowed SEC opponents to grab 39.6% of their misses. That mark is last in conference games.
Rebounding is about want-to, and the Razorbacks have not shown much in that respect lately. Second and third efforts will be critical to competing for 40 minutes on the road. An uptick in second-chance points (9.0 per game in SEC play) would be encouraging.
— Scottie Bordelon
• WHICH TEAM HAS THE BETTER B?
In theory, Wednesday’s contest should feature an enticing matchup at the power forward position between Trevon Brazile and Jaemyn Brakefield. In reality, Brazile needs to level up to avoid getting exposed.
Arkansas’ unicorn has looked anything but extraordinary in SEC play, averaging 7.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game on .38/.18/.64 shooting splits, with lackluster defense to boot. Meanwhile, Brakefield (6-8, 220) is pitching in just shy of 15 points with a highly efficient .51/.40/.95 split.
The Razorbacks could be operating at a disadvantage in the backcourt at Ole Miss, so Brazile bringing his A-game for the first time in quite some time feels like a must.
— Curtis Wilkerson
• WHO WILL COMPLEMENT TRAMON MARK SCORING-WISE?
The Houston transfer is the unquestioned go-to offensive option for Arkansas and is the lone Razorback averaging 10-plus points inside the conference (19.8). I think it’s fair to say Arkansas can count on him to bring it from a scoring standpoint.
But will he have a wingman at Ole Miss? And who might it be? Mark was sensational in last week’s win against Texas A&M, but El Ellis provided a nice boost with 15 points and helped get the Razorbacks over the hump. You can take it to the bank that Rebels coach Chris Beard will have his guys hyper-focused on Mark when Arkansas has the ball, so secondary sources of offense will be important.
Davis has not yet cracked 10 points in a game in conference play, and Brazile has done so just once. I’m still holding out hope that Khalif Battle re-emerges, too. Perhaps one or two of them can complement Mark, or maybe Ellis rises to the occasion again with solid point guard play.
— Scottie Bordelon