Just when you thought the Arkansas basketball team's nonconference season couldn't get any more exciting, John Calipari has added another electrifying matchup. The Razorbacks will play Mount St. Mary's on Dec. 16, according to reports.
The Mountaineers are another NCAA tournament team, finishing 23-13 and winning the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament to earn a play-in opportunity in the NCAA Tournament as a 16 seed. Mount St. Mary's beat American University 83-72 to make the field of 64, where it encountered a buzzsaw in Duke. The Blue Devils sent Mount St. Mary's home with a 93-49 routing.
The Razorbacks continue to stack up last year's NCAA Tournament teams. Along with Mount St. Mary's, Arkansas has scheduled Memphis as an exhibition game and Louisville as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge. More importantly, Calipari has managed to schedule games against every team from last season's Elite Eight.
The Hogs will play Duke during the CBS Sports Thanksgiving Classic in Chicago, then head to New York City to play Houston in Barclays Center. Arkansas will also travel to East Lansing to play Michigan State and seek revenge against Texas Tech in Dallas. Arkansas will play the other four Elite Eight teams during the conference schedule.
Baylor was also reported to be on the nonconference schedule for next season, but according to a recent update from HawgSports.com, the Razorbacks and Bears may not square off after all.
Arkansas basketball tentative nonconference schedule
Memphis
Date: TBA
Location: Memphis, Tenn.
Southern
Date: Nov. 3
Location: Fayetteville, Ark.
Central Arkansas
Date: Nov. 11
Location: Fayetteville, Ark.
Duke
Date: Nov. 27
Location: Chicago, Ill.
Louisville
Date: Dec. 3
Location: Fayetteville, Ark.
Texas Tech
Date: Dec. 13
Location: Dallas, Texas
Mount St. Mary's
Date: Dec. 16
Location: Fayetteville, Ark.
Houston
Date: Dec. 20
Location: New York City, N.Y.
Michigan State
Date: TBA
Location: East Lansing, Mich.