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Arkansas Razorback Basketball Preview: Mississippi State Bulldogs come to Bud Walton

By Cory Thone

Jan 2, 2016; College Station, TX, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks forward Moses Kingsley (33) reacts after a play during the second half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Reed Arena. The Aggies defeated the Razorbacks 92-69. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 2, 2016; College Station, TX, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks forward Moses Kingsley (33) reacts after a play during the second half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Reed Arena. The Aggies defeated the Razorbacks 92-69. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Arkansas Razorback basketball team hosts the Mississippi State Bulldogs this afternoon in Bud Walton Arena. Here’s how the Hogs can get a win and start an SEC conference win streak.

Following a victory over Vanderbilt in an overtime thriller earlier this week, the Arkansas Razorbacks have a shot to get back over .500 today with a win over the MSU Bulldogs. The Razorbacks are going to need to take advantage of scoring opportunities, and control the rebounds on the defensive side of the court if they want to win over this talented, if not underachieving, MSU team.

You can catch the game on the SEC network today at 2:30, with former Razorback basketball coach John Pelphrey on the call. While it is early in conference play, it’s not too early to start classifying games as “must wins” for the Hogs. After struggling through non-conference play, the Razorbacks have started playing better and better over the last few weeks. Arkansas needs to at least win the games they have in Bud Walton, and take advantage of opponents like MSU, who the Hogs can outrun. out-shoot, and out-guard.

Keys to Victory

  • Force turnovers – In case you didn’t hear, the Razorbacks forced 26 turnovers in the win against Vanderbilt. The Hogs’ full court press and half court traps were on point all night long. While expecting 20+ forced turnovers might be a bit unrealistic, if Arkansas can keep that aggressiveness on defense going, then good things will happen.
  • Contain MSU’s playmakers – Freshman guard Malik Newman (who chose to stay home in Mississippi instead of going to Kentucky) and Senior forward Gavin Ware are both darn good players. Newman is averaging 13 points, 3 boards, and 2 assists a game. He is dangerous in the front court, especially off the bounce. Ware is a 6’9 forward who is averaging 17 points and 8 rebounds a game. He will be battling with Moses Kingsley in the paint for rebounds. The Hogs have to keep Ware limited in his offensive rebounds.
  • Take and Make the Three – Arkansas likes to shoot the three. Have you heard this? The Hogs are 1st in the SEC and 10th in the nation in 3 point percentage. Arkansas is also 2nd in the SEC in overall scoring. Defense may win championships, but you can’t win the game unless you score more points than the other team. The Hogs need to put up points and be able to depend on Dusty Hannahs and Anthlon Bell throughout the season.

Tipoff is at 2:30 and will be on the SEC network. If you’re thinking of going to the game, you should! Because the first 5000 fans in the gates will receive a commemorative poster recognizing last years 27-9, NCAA tournament team.

Woo Pig!

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