FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — It keeps getting tougher to survive and advance.
No. 4-seed Arkansas will face No. 12-seed New Mexico State on Saturday night in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Buffalo, N.Y.
The Razorbacks are trying to advance to the Sweet 16 for the second straight year after last year’s Elite Eight run.
To get there they can’t let the Aggies’ Teddy Allen go for 37 points like he did in their open-round win on Thursday night.
New Mexico State surprised UConn to move on.
Tipoff is set for 8:20 p.m. and the game will be televised on TNT.
“You just want to survive and advance,” Hogs coach Eric Musselman said later.
Now it will be a challenge on a short preparation time period, but Musselman has been there before. Coaching in the professional leagues he’s had to get a team ready with less than a full day.
And he’s done it for players that were pretty good like they face in Allen.
“(Allen) is really good but I have also game planned for Kobe Bryant and LeBron James and Dwyane Wade,” Musselman said. “He presents a lot of problems because of his ability to draw fouls. He has unlimited range.”
Arkansas earned a No. 4 seed in the West Region after finishing fourth during the SEC regular season and reaching the SEC Tournament semifinal.
• This is the third time Arkansas and New Mexico State have met. The Razorbacks own a 2-0 advantage.
• Arkansas earns its 35th NCAA bid and 2nd straight. Last year, Arkansas advanced to the NCAA Elite 8 before falling to eventual national champion Baylor.
• The Razorbacks own a 46-33 all-time record in NCAA action.
• This is the sixth time in program history Arkansas has earned a No. 4 seed and the 13th time to be among the top-4 seeds since the NCAA began its current seeding process for the 1979 championship. The previous No. 4 seeds came in 1999, 1993, 1990, 1983 and 1982.
• Arkansas is 18-8 in NCAA Tournament first round games.
• Arkansas 1-1 all-time in Buffalo. On Jan. 1, 1944, Arkansas lost to a George Mikan-led DePaul team, 59-30, at Buffalo’s Memorial Auditorium and beat a pesky Vermont team Thursday night, 75-71.
NCAA Tournament, Round 2
Arkansas vs. New Mexico State
Current Records: No. 4 seed Arkansas Razorbacks (26-8) vs. No. 12 seed New Mexico State Aggies (27-6)
Date-Time: Saturday, March 19 at approximately 7:40 p.m.
Where: Keybank Center (20,500), Buffalo, N.Y.
TV/Streaming: TNT (Brad Nessler, Brendan Haywood and Evan Washburn).
Radio: There is no online streaming. Listen to Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman on the radio at ESPN Arkansas 99.5 in Fayetteville, 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and central Arkansas, 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home and on satellite radio at Sirius 136 and XM 203.
Sportsbook Info (via BetOnline.ag)
Spread: Arkansas -6.5 (-113), New Mexico State +6.5 (-107)
Total: 139 – Over: -110, Under: -110
Moneyline: Arkansas -290, New Mexico State +245
