Arkansas played arguably its most well-rounded game of the season Wednesday in a 91-84 win over Missouri, which remains winless in SEC play through eight games.
The Razorbacks improved to 11-10 overall and 2-6 inside the league.
Below are some key numbers and notes that tell the story of how Arkansas claimed its first true road victory in 2023-24:
• 56 — Paint points for the Razorbacks
Eric Musselman challenged his team in the lead-up to the game to send a message on the interior and not take a high volume of perimeter jumpers. Arkansas got the message loud and clear.
The Razorbacks’ 56 paint points against the Tigers are a season high and their most in an SEC game in 10 years. Arkansas had 50 points in the paint against Ole Miss and Kentucky combined.
The Razorbacks got the ball to the heart of Missouri’s defense early and often. According to CBB Analytics, Arkansas took 45 of its 61 shots in the lane, and it converted on 62.2% of those looks.
“I would say [it was] more than a point of emphasis. It was a mandate to score in what we call Zone 1,” Musselman said. “If you settled for threes, you probably were going to come out and not go back in.
“We did not want to take a lot of three-point shots.”
The Razorbacks wound up with more dunks (9) than three-point attempts (6).
• 24 — Points generated by Makhi Mitchell
The forward played like a man possessed off the bench and carried momentum from his double-double against Kentucky into CoMo.
He was the star of the game on his 24th birthday, finishing with 19 points and 14 rebounds, including 5 offensive. The 19 points are his most against a Division I opponent.
Mitchell also had a pair of assists that led to five points. You could argue he is a bit underrated as a passer.
• 10 — Arkansas steals
The Razorbacks entered Wednesday with one of the lowest defensive steal rates in SEC play. They’re still 13th in that category after the win, according to KenPom data, but it was refreshing to see Arkansas generate some defensive havoc.
The 10 steals match a season high set against Alcorn State and Oklahoma. The Razorbacks scored 25 points off turnovers and had an SEC-high 19 fast-break points.
“Defensive activity is where it needs to be with 10 steals,” Musselman said.
• 2 — Field goals allowed by Jalen Graham on 11 shots defended
The forward was terrific offensively with 13 points on 6 of 11 from the field and 4 assists (6 potential assists). It was far and away the most confidence I’ve seen Graham play with.
And he was even better on defense. Graham led Arkansas with 3 blocks and 4 steals, and he gave up only 1 score on 8 two-point attempts defended.
Opposing players are 4 of their last 24 (16.7%) from the field against Graham, who has a block in 7 straight games. I love what he’s brought to the table of late, especially on defense.
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