Arkansas’ Jimmy Whitt, Jr. (12 points, 4 rebounds) talked after the 69-59 win over Texas A&M that tight games are what you expect when you get to conference play.
Razorbacks open SEC play at Bud Walton against Texas A&M
Who: Arkansas Razorbacks (11-1) host Texas A&M (6-5)
What: Arkansas’ SEC Opener – GAME IS SOLD OUT
When: Saturday, Jan. 4, 6 p.m.
Where: Fayetteville, Nolan Richardson Court at Bud Walton Arena
How (to follow):
• TV: SEC Network (Kevin Fitzgerald and Dane Bradshaw)
• Watch SEC Network Online
• Radio: ESPN Arkansas 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home (Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman)
• Online: HitThatLine.com
• Sirius/XM: XM Channel 374 and streaming online, channel 374
• Live Stats: www.Arkansas.StatBroadcast.com
Pregame information
• The first 5,000 fans through the gates of Bud Walton Arena will receive a free poster. WATCH
• As we welcome back our men’s basketball lettermen, there will be an autograph session featuring former Razorbacks from 4:30-5:30 p.m. in the northwest concourse of Bud Walton Arena.
Some of the former players scheduled to participate in the autograph session include: Kikko Haydar, Kareem Reid, Joe Kleine, Charles Balentine, Sunday Adebayo, Darrell Hawkins, Ken Biley, Corey Beck, Ron Brewer, Sr., Clyde Fletcher and others.
Did you know?
• Arkansas is one of five teams in Division I basketball without a loss in regulation. The other four include Duke, Dayton, Auburn and San Diego State.
Best scoring trio in SEC
Arkansas is the only team in the SEC to feature:
• Two players in the league’s top 5 for scoring — Mason Jones (2nd / 19.7) • Isaiah Joe (4th / 17.4)
• Three players in the league’s top 20 for scoring — Jimmy Whitt Jr. (18th / 13.5)
Versus Texas A&M
• This will be the 159th meeting between Arkansas and Texas A&M. The Razorbacks own a 102-56 advantage in the series, including a 57-15 advantage in games played in Fayetteville.
• Arkansas is 7-5 versus the Aggies since A&M joined the SEC for the 2012-13 season.
• The teams split the series last season, each winning on the road. Texas A&M defeated Arkansas in the last meeting, 87-80 last February in Bud Walton Arena. The Hogs had won 10 straight in Fayetteville over the Aggies prior to the loss dating back to Jan. 25, 1987.
Oldest, most common rival
• Texas A&M is one of three teams on this year’s schedule that Arkansas played in its inaugural season in 1923-24. Rice (144 meetings) and TCU (142 meetings) are the others.
• The Aggies won each of the first two meetings in that 1923-24 season – back-to-back games in College Station, 35-27 and 32-17.
• The Aggies are the Razorbacks’ most common opponent with 158 games played in the series.
SEC play begins
• Arkansas will open conference play versus Texas A&M for the fifth time in the eight years since A&M joined the league (2012-13) but this is the first time the meeting has been in Fayetteville. With a win to open SEC play last season at A&M, the Razorbacks are 1-3 versus the Aggies when opening league play.
• Beginning its 29th season in the Southeastern Conference, Arkansas is 16-12 all-time in SEC openers.
• Arkansas is 11-4 when its first SEC game is at home and are 17-11 overall when playing its first SEC home game.
Razorbacks are 11-1
• Arkansas is off to an 11-1 start for the first time since 2016-17. The 2016-17 Hogs lost their 13th game, an SEC opener at #25 Florida.
• Arkansas’ .917 winning percentage is 8th-T in the NCAA.
• Arkansas is 1 of 11 teams in the NCAA with one or fewer losses.
• Arkansas is 1 of 11 teams in the NCAA with one or fewer losses.
No. 26 in NCAA NET, No. 10 in RPI
Arkansas’ NCAA NET jumped seven spots to 26th after a 71-64 road win at Indiana.
• Arkansas’ NET is 2nd-best among SEC schools behind Auburn (5).
• The rest of the SEC: LSU (41); Kentucky (44); Ole Miss (54); Florida (55); Missouri (57); Alabama (62); Georgia (68); Tennessee (75); Miss. State (82); South Carolina (121); Vanderbilt (143) and Texas A&M (188).
Arkansas has an RPI of 10.
• Arkansas’ RPI of 10 is better than 16 teams ranked in the in the AP top 25, including top-ranked Gonzaga (#1 AP/#50 RPI); Oregon (#4 AP/#15 RPI); Baylor (#6 AP/#23 RPI); Louisville (#7 AP/#12 RPI); Memphis (#9 AP/#24 RPI); Butler (#11 AP/#11 RPI); Michigan (#12 AP/#31 RPI); Michigan State (#14 AP/#17 RPI); Kentucky (#17 AP/#87 RPI); Virginia (#19 AP/#28 RPI); Dayton (#20 AP/#13 RPI); Penn State (#21 AP/#37 RPI); TX Tech (#22 AP/#104 RPI); Iowa (#23 AP/#48 RPI); Wichita St (#24 AP/#21 RPI); Arizona (#25 AP/#26 RPI)
Isaiah Joe on Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Watch List
• Arkansas sophomore Isaiah Joe was named to the 2020 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award watch list, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today.
• Fans can vote for their favorite player HERE
SEC West will be getting another new face after Moorhead kicked to curb
At the rate things are going in the SEC West the total annual payout to fired coaches is going to be higher than what Nick Saban gets every year in Tuscaloosa.
Mississippi State finally had enough of the Joe Moorhead act and fired him after athletics director John Cohen saw he couldn’t get control of the team from the end of the year to the bowl game.
“This decision goes beyond wins and losses,” Cohen said Friday after cutting Moorhead earlier in the morning. “There were other issues, and everything factors in.”
Sources close to the program said it was basically a complete lack of control over the players. There were already enough questions from some in the fan base for Moorhead.
In the most recent NFL draft, the Bulldogs had four players among the first 44 selections. Some questioned how you go 7-5 in the regular season with that kind of talent.
Backing into a win in the final game of the season against rival Ole Miss bought some time, but the questions remained and starting quarterback Garrett Shrader got into a very public fight that left him injured for the bowl game re-ignited the flames.
Moorhead, who defiantly said after the win over the Rebels that getting a win mainly because an Ole Miss player tried to mimic a dog, coached 26 games in Starkville and joins Arkansas’ Chad Morris and Willie Taggart as coaches fired after their second season.
Ten players missed eight games during the season and, according to multiple sources, that tipped the edge on team discipline.
Moorhead basically lost control of the team, despite managing to get six wins. It helped he had Arkansas on the schedule, caught Kentucky in transition and Ole Miss finding ways to lose games.
Louisiana coach Billy Napier was reportedly the main target for Cohen, but the timing may be bad for that change.
Former Auburn coach (and current SEC Network analyst) Gene Chizik is reportedly looking to get back into coaching and on the list for Cohen.
Moorhead is the now the fourth coach in the league to be fired. In addition to Morris and Ole Miss’ Matt Luke, current Arkansas defensive coordinator was let go at Missouri.
???? Halftime Pod — Horns Down and Justin Bieber
Phil & Tye discuss the A&M matchup, interview Aaron Torres, plus Horns Down/Justin Bieber discussion
Photos, highlights from Razorbacks’ 84-77 loss to Texas A&M
FAYETTEVILLE — No. 20 Arkansas (12-2, 0-1) dropped its SEC opener, falling to No. 11 Texas A&M (13-1, 1-0), 84-77, at Bud Walton Arena on Thursday night.
Chennedy Carter dropped a game-high 28 points, while two Aggies, N’dea Jones and Ciera Johnson, had double-doubles. Jones had 22 points and 11 rebounds, while Johnson had 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Arkansas had the edge from deep, making 12 threes to A&M’s six, but were outrebounded by the Aggies, 45-29.
Redshirt junior guard Chelsea Dungee paced the Hogs with 20 points, while senior guard Alexis Tolefree kept up her strong play with 18 points.
Amber Ramirez and Kiara Williams also reached double-figures for the Red & White, going for 14 points and 11 points, respectively.
Turning point
After trailing by 12 at halftime, Arkansas showed great fight in the second half. The Hogs won the third quarter 22-15, going into the final intermission trailing just 59-54.
Their strong play carried over into the beginning of the fourth quarter, as the Hogs opened the frame on a 7-2 run to tie the game up at 61 on a Makayla Daniels’ layup.
However, A&M would strike back, closing the game on a 23-16 run. Arkansas would get to within three (80-77) with 22 seconds to play, but the Aggies would put the game away at the free throw line.
Hog highlights
• For Dungee, it was her 28th game as a Razorback going for 20+.
• Tolefree has been on a tear over her last three games, averaging 20.7 over that stretch.
• It was Tolefree’s third game this season with six treys, matching her career-high.
• For Williams, it was her first double-digit outing since last season’s WNIT, when she went for 15 against Houston (3/21/19). Williams also added two blocks.
Next time out
The Razorbacks hit the road for the first time in conference play, heading to Auburn for a showdown with the Tigers.
That game is set to tipoff at 1 p.m. and can be watched on the SEC Network.
Hogs’ Neighbors liked response in second half of loss to No. 11 Texas A&M
Arkansas coach Mike Neighbors on team bouncing back with strong second half but not being able to hit shots at end in 84-77 loss to Aggies on Thursday night.
Texas A&M’s Blair recapping win over Arkansas at Bud Walton on Thursday night
Aggies’ (and former Razorbacks) coach Gary Blair talked about being glad to get game with Hogs out of the way right off the bat in the SEC because this “will be an NCAA Tournament team.”
Razorbacks Dungee, Tolefree recapping Thursday’s night loss to Texas A&M
Arkansas players Chelsea Dungee (20 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists) and Alexis Tolefree (18 points, 4 rebvounds) talked about the problems the team had in the 84-77 loss.
Texas A&M players after pulling out win over Razorbacks on Thursday night
Aggies Chennedy Carter (28 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists) and N’dea Jones (22 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists) recapped their performance in the victory over the Hogs.
Ahead of SEC opener, Hogs’ Musselman talks about competitiveness of league
Razorbacks coach Eric Musselman talked after practice Thursday about how the 11-1 record doesn’t mean a thing playing in the competitive SEC.
