Early season takeaways for Arkansas Basketball

In John Calipari's first season with the Arkansas Razorbacks, the Hogs are off to an 8-2 start. He has put together a mix a talented veterans and freshmen that make this team exciting to watch and has the Arkansas fanbase hopeful for another deep run in March Madness. After 10 games, we now have enough tape to gather major takeaways from the season so far.

Arkansas basketball early season takeaways

The Dynamic Duo

Adou Thiero has been the best player for the Hogs this season, averaging a career-high in points at 18.0 per game on 61.9% from the field, as well as rebounds (5.9 per game), assists (1.9 per game), and steals (2.1 per game). He has been a force on defense, typically guarding the opponent's best player and creating turnovers on a consistent basis.

He is able to use his NBA-ready frame to get into the driving lane with ease, either finishing at the rim or drawing a foul and heading to the free-throw line. While his shooting percentages from three and the free throw line haven't been great so far, there's optimism that it'll get better throughout the season as he has a solid shooting form.

Boogie Fland has been an instant favorite among the Razorback fanbase with his electric blend of athleticism, scoring, and passing abilities. Averaging 15.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.6 steals, Fland has been one of the most productive rookies so far this season, doing just about everything you could ask for as the primary point guard.

He will use his speed and quickness to get to the basket or he'll manipulate the defense and find an open teammate. He can also shoot from anywhere on the court as a pull-up or catch-and-shoot threat. Even though he has a slight build, he is scrappy on the defensive end, using his quickness and active hands to disrupt opposing offenses.

A Tale of Two Halves

The Hogs have consistently gotten off to a slow start, having to play from behind in seven of their ten games. Four of those games, the deficit grew to double digits, unable to come back in two of them. In the first half, Arkansas is turning the ball over more and opposing teams are shooting at a higher clip. They have found themselves down at halftime in six of their ten games.

The second half has been a different story. The defense is more locked in and forces more turnovers while making opposing teams to shoot tougher shots. The offense gets settled in and starts to gain momentum as they shoot more efficiently from the field. Of the six games where they were behind at halftime, they were able to come back in four of those, getting it done on both ends of the floor.

Creating Turnovers

Arkansas' defense has been their biggest strength so far this season. According to Stats.NCAA.Org, they rank 41st in steals per game (6th in the SEC) and 45th in forced turnovers per game (5th in the SEC). They are very active on the defensive end and use their athleticism and quickness to make opposing offenses uncomfortable.

Four players averaging 1.3 or more steals per game, with two players not far behind at 0.9. They also make good rotations and recover quickly to block and alter shots. Zvominir Ivisic leads the team in blocks at 2.3 blocks per game, which is half of the team's blocks per game. These turnovers lead to transition opportunities, which is where the Hogs excel.

Defending the 3

The Achilles' heel for the defense has been defending the 3-point shot. Opposing teams are shooting 43.5% of their shots from behind the arc and many of those attempts are open looks. Arkansas implements a switchable defense, which can allow players to get open from three.

This is how Pacific was able to stay in the game in the first half, knocking down 8 threes, and how Michigan got off to a 15-point lead, hitting seven three-point baskets in the first half. It's also one of the reasons Illinois got off to a hot start and kept the lead the entire game, hitting 15 at a 48.4% clip.

Putting it all together?

Arkansas played their best game of the season against Michigan in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden. They got off to another slow start, but they settled in and took care of business on both sides of the ball. With 13 newcomers and a new coaching staff, you are bound to start the season with inconsistencies, but after ten games, they seem to be figuring it all out.