Anderson talks about upcoming season, schedule

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas will play 21 times in Bud Walton Arena in 2018-19, including matchups against Indiana and Georgia Tech, coach Mike Anderson announced Thursday afternoon.

The public will get its first look at the 2018-19 edition of the Razorbacks on Oct. 19 at the annual Red-White Game. The squad will also play exhibition games on Oct. 26 and Nov. 2.

The Razorbacks will open their regular-season home slate by hosting UC Davis, Indiana, Montana State and UT Arlington as part of the Hardwood Showcase, with additional home non-conference games versus FIU, Western Kentucky, Georgia Tech, Texas State and Austin Peay. Arkansas will face UTSA on Dec. 15 in Little Rock’s Verizon Arena.

Arkansas, featuring four returning players and 10 newcomers, will look to make its fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in the last five years.

In doing so, the Razorbacks will be put to the test in their season opener as the squad travels to Fort Bliss — a United States Army post in El Paso, Texas — to face the Texas Longhorns in the ESPN Armed Forces Classic.

The Longhorns, like the Razorbacks, played in last season’s NCAA Tournament and posted a 19-12 record.

Arkansas and Texas are familiar foes with the Razorbacks leading the all-time series 87-67, including a 77-74 Arkansas win on Dec. 17, 2016 in Houston.

The test does not get easier when the Razorbacks return home for five straight games in Bud Walton Arena, four of which will be part of the Hardwood Showcase.

Arkansas will host defending Big West Conference champion UC Davis (Nov. 12), Indiana (Nov. 18), Montana State (Nov. 21) and UT Arlington (Nov. 23). The fifth game of that homestand will be on Dec. 1 as the Razorbacks face FIU.

The remaining home games in December include Western Kentucky (Dec. 8), Georgia Tech (Dec. 19), Texas State (Dec. 22) and Austin Peay (Dec. 28). Western Kentucky was 26-11 last season and had an RPI of 32.

Georgia Tech will be making its first trip to Fayetteville as the Razorbacks and Yellow Jackets have met twice in Atlanta and twice on a neutral court.

Other than Texas in the season opener, the Razorbacks will have three non-conference games away from Bud Walton Arena.

First, Arkansas will play the back-end of a home-and-home series with Colorado State in Fort Collins, Colo. Last season, the Razorbacks hosted the Rams and Arkansas claimed a 92-66 victory.

On Dec. 15, the Razorbacks will meet UTSA in Little Rock. The last of the non-conference games will be Jan. 26 versus Texas Tech in the Big 12/SEC Challenge.

Southeastern Conference play begins Jan. 5 at Texas A&M. The first home league game for the Razorbacks is set for Jan. 9 versus Florida.

No Place Like Home

• In the seven years of the Mike Anderson era, Arkansas has 110 home wins, which ties for fourth-most in the NCAA over the span.

• After facing Texas in the season opener, Arkansas will return home to host UC Davis in the first of four games of the Hardwood Showcase.

• The Razorbacks have won 43 straight home openers, including a 25-0 record in openers inside Bud Walton Arena.

• This is the 12th time Arkansas has played at least 18 regular-season home games in Bud Walton Arena and will be the ninth time in an 11-season span. The school record for regular-season home games is 21, set in 2009-10. Arkansas is 347-79 (.815) in the first 25 seasons of Bud Walton Arena. Arkansas has two clean slates in Bud Walton Arena (16-0 in 1993-94 and 15-0 in 1997-98) and has lost no more than two games 11 times, including a 15-2 mark last season.

Noting the Non-Conference

• Arkansas owns a 113-74 record versus its 2018-19 non-conference opponents.

• Of those combined 187 previous meetings, Arkansas and Texas have met 154 times with the Hogs owning an 87-67 advantage in the series.

• Arkansas will be facing Montana State and FIU for the first time.

• While Arkansas and Western Kentucky have met six previous times (Arkansas leads series, 4-2), it will be just the first meeting between the Razorback and Hilltoppers since the 1974-75 season. (WKU won, 74-63, on Dec. 7, 1974.)

• Arkansas is a combined 18-0 versus UT Arlington (7-0), UT San Antonio (5-0), Texas State (3-0) and Austin Peay (3-0).

• Eight of Arkansas’ 13 non-conference opponents posted winning records last season and six of the 13 participated in the postseason.

Rare Trips for Big 10 and ACC to Bud Walton Arena

• This year will mark just the 10th and 11th time a member of the Big 10 and/or ACC have come to Fayetteville.

• This will be the first trip to Fayetteville for both Indiana and Georgia Tech.

• A Big 10 team (Indiana) is coming to Fayetteville for just the fourth time. Arkansas is 3-0 versus a member of the Big 10 at home and 2-0 in Bud Walton Arena, including a 95-79 victory over 14th-ranked Minnesota last season. (Then #20 Michigan is the only other Big 10 member to come to Bud Walton Arena with the Hogs winning 66-64 on Jan. 21, 2012.) Overall, Arkansas has faced a member of the Big 10 on 34 previous occasions and trail in those games, 14-20. Of the 34 previous meetings with a Big 10 member, 24 have been at neutral sites (Arkansas trails 11-13).

• An ACC team (Georgia Tech) is coming to Fayetteville for just the seventh time and first time since Nov. 19, 2014 when Arkansas defeated Wake Forest, 83-53. Arkansas is 4-2 versus ACC members in games played in Fayetteville and 2-1 versus ACC members in games played in Bud Walton Arena. Overall, Arkansas has played a member of the ACC 39 times (Arkansas trails in such games 15-24) with 25 of those encounters coming at neutral sites (Arkansas trails 10-15).

On the Road for Season Opener

• Arkansas will open the season facing Texas in the ESPN Armed Forces Classic at Fort Bliss in El Paso. It will be the 11th time in school history the Razorbacks have opened the season at a neutral site.

• Arkansas is 9-1 in the previous 10 season openers at neutral sites.

• 1976-77 Won vs Air Force (Little Rock)
• 1980-81 Won vs Missouri (Great Alaska Shootout)
• 1983-84 Won vs Fordham (Great Alaska Shootout)
• 1985-86 Won vs Southern Illinois (Little Rock)
• 1986-87 Won vs Grambling (Pine Bluff)
• 1987-88 Won vs Chicago State (Pine Bluff)
• 1989-90 Won vs Samford (Pine Bluff)
• 1991-92 Won vs Minnesota (Maui Classic)
• 1994-95 Lost vs UMass (Springfield, Mass.)
• 2004-05 Won vs Winthrop (St. Thomas, Virgin Islands)