SEC Now’s Dane Bradshaw and Antoine Walker break down Arkansas’ first round matchup against Seton Hall.
Hogs draw No. 8 seed in South for NCAA Tournament
FAYETTEVILLE — Fresh off an SEC Tournament Championship appearance, Arkansas punched its ticket to the Big Dance on Sunday night, earning a No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Winning eight of their last 10 games, the Razorbacks (25-9) will square off against the Seton Hall Pirates (21-11) of the Big East Conference in the round of 64 in Greenville, South Carolina.
Arkansas will play its opening game on Friday at 12:30 p.m.
The Razorbacks are a No. 8 seed for the second time in program history, holding an overall record of 0-1.
Arkansas is making its 31st appearance in the NCAA Tournament and its second appearance in a three-year span for the first time in nine years.
In the Razorbacks’ last NCAA Tournament appearance, Arkansas defeated the 12-seed Wofford Terriers 56-53 in the round of 64, before falling to fourth-seeded North Carolina.
Arkansas is 41-30 all-time in their previous 30 appearances and is 19-11 in its first game in the tournament.
This marks head coach Mike Anderson’s eighth appearance in the NCAA Tournament as a head coach.
Anderson is 8-7 all-time in the Big Dance, having advanced as far as the Elite Eight in 2008-09 during his days at Missouri.
Arkansas’ bats silent in loss of finale against Rhode Island
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas’ bats were nearly silent on Sunday in the series finale with Rhode Island.
The Hogs only managed three hits off Rams’ starting pitcher Matt Murphy, dropping their first game at home this season, 3-0, at Baum Stadium.
Arkansas (12-4) still claimed the series victory after winning both ends of a double-header Friday night with the Rams (6-8).
The Razorbacks have won three straight series at Baum Stadium to open the year and are, currently, one of five teams in the conference with one loss or less in its home stadium.
This year marks the third straight that Arkansas has won its first three weekend series at home.
Third baseman Hunter Wilson had two of Arkansas’ three hits in the game as it capped a tremendous weekend for the sophomore. In his last 10 at-bats, he has seven hits, all singles, including two RBIs.
On Friday, in game two of the doubleheader with Rhode Island, the Spiro, Oklahoma native went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate, his first three-hit game of the year and first of two straight multi-hit games.
Redshirt senior pitcher Josh Alberius made his third start of the year, going five innings on the mound and allowing three earned runs on seven hits with three strikeouts.
Alberius struggled through the first two innings, giving up three straight hits to start the game, including a two-RBI double. Then, in the second, he gave up a solo home run, which made it 3-0 in favor of the Rams.
After the homer, he settled down and retired 11 of the final 14 batters he faced. Alberius has been used in many different roles so far this year. His last three appearances have been starts, but he’s also been one of the Razorbacks’ most effective arms out of the bullpen.
In his three non-starting appearances this year, Alberius has held opponents to just two hits in 5.2 innings, while striking out seven. He’s allowed no runs across in those innings and is one of only two Hog pitchers with five or more innings pitched and no runs allowed out of the bullpen.
Redshirt freshman Kevin Kopps relieved Alberius in the sixth inning of Sunday’s game and gave Arkansas a chance in the late innings. Kopps pitched three scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and struck out out three Rhode Island batters.
After starting the first two weekends, Kopps has made three straight appearances out of the bullpen and has yet to allow a run. He’s thrown six innings and struck out only four, but has allowed just six baserunners in those three appearances.
Arkansas now focuses on the two-game midweek series with Alcorn State, which starts on Tuesday at Baum Stadium. Due to forecasted cold temperatures in the area on Tuesday, the start time for the series opener has been moved up from 6:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday’s game between the Braves and Hogs will still be played as scheduled at 3 p.m. Both games will be televised on SEC Network+ and broadcast on the radio on the Razorback Sports Network.
Kentucky ends Hogs’ run in SEC Tournament, running away in final
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Arkansas fell to Kentucky on Sunday afternoon in the SEC Tournament Championship, 82-65.
Down by as many as 19 in the second half, Arkansas fought back to cut the deficit to nine with 1:32 left in the contest, after sinking six of its last seven shots. Kentucky made its late free throws to keep Arkansas from getting any closer.
Arkansas’ bench, with the exception of Daryl Macon, did not perform as it has all year. Macon led the Razorbacks and tied for the game-high in scoring with 18 points, including 10 in the first half. The junior also pulled down four rebounds, tying for the most among Arkansas guards.
To start the contest, Kentucky raced out to an early 6-2 lead but Arkansas shortly responded. Going on a 7-0 run, the Razorbacks were able to take their first lead of the game at 9-7.
Early on, neither team could pull away from the other. Kentucky and Arkansas battled for the first 18 minutes of the game, before Kentucky was able to use a 9-0 run at the end of the first half to take a 12-point lead into the locker room.
Dusty Hannahs tallied 14 points, as Jaylen Barford scored 13 points to go along with two rebounds. Manuale Watkins posted seven points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals. Trey Thompson led the team with four assists and two blocks.
UP NEXT
Arkansas now waits for its ticket into to the NCAA Tournament. The selection show begins at 4:30 p.m. CT Sunday afternoon on CBS.
Arkansas punches ticket to SEC title game by downing Vandy
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Moses Kingsley had 12 points and 13 rebounds as third-seeded Arkansas beat Vanderbilt 76-62 on Saturday in the Southeastern Conference Tournament semifinals.
The Razorbacks (25-8) won their third straight to reach the championship for the seventh time. They will play No. 1 seed Kentucky, a 79-74 winner over Alabama, for the second time in three years Sunday.
Arkansas simply smothered Vanderbilt, especially in the paint where the Razorbacks had a 46-16 scoring edge.
Jaylen Barford led Arkansas with 18 points. Dusty Hannahs added 16 and Daryl Macon 15.
Playing a third game in as many days took its toll on seventh-seeded Vanderbilt (19-15). The Commodores saw a three-game winning streak end after reaching the semifinals for the first time since 2013.
Riley LaChance scored 12 points for Vanderbilt. Joe Toye added 12, and Jeff Roberson and Matthew Fisher-Davis each had 10.
These teams won on each other’s floor during the season with Vandy a blown 15-point lead away from sweeping Arkansas.
This time, the Razorbacks led 35-31 at halftime and took control with a 21-4 run to start the second half.
Vandy coach Bryce Drew tried to rest his starters where he could in the first half with Luke Kornet and Roberson playing only 12 minutes after each played at least 38 minutes in Friday’s overtime win over No. 17 Florida in the quarterfinals. It just wasn’t enough as the Commodores missed their first nine shots to start the game and the first six of the second.
Vandy used a 12-2 run to take its first lead but couldn’t hold it for long.
Barford scored seven of his 10 points in a quick spurt after a tie at 19 to put the Razorbacks ahead to stay.
Arkansas, outscored only three times in the second half all season, wound up leading by as much as 27. Vanderbilt used a 13-0 run late to make the final margin more respectable.
UP NEXT
The Razorbacks face No. 1 seed Kentucky in Sunday’s championship game at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Arkansas rolls by Ole Miss to advance to SEC semifinals
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Manuale Watkins drove for a layup with 1:28 left to put No. 3 seed Arkansas ahead, and the Razorbacks held off No. 6 seed Ole Miss 73-72 on Friday night in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals.
Watkins’ layup made it 71-70, and Daryl Macon hit two free throws with 23.8 seconds left to pad Arkansas’ lead. The Razorbacks needed every point as the Rebels took and missed a flurry of shots in the final 10 seconds before Justas Furmanavicius‘ layup just before the buzzer.
Officials reviewed the play before ruling the game over.
Ole Miss (20-13) snapped a two-game winning streak.
Macon finished with 17 points, including 9 of 10 at the free throw line. Jaylen Barford and Dusty Hannahs each added 13.
Terence Davis led Ole Miss with 26 points.
This was the first time these teams have played in the SEC Tournament, and they turned in a doozy after Arkansas routed Ole Miss 98-80 on Feb. 18.
Ole Miss, fresh off beating Missouri in the Rebels’ tournament opener, jumped out to a 17-8 lead on a 3-pointer by Davis. After that, neither team led by more than six in a game featuring 13 ties, including 40-40 at halftime, along with 12 lead changes.
Breein Tyree gave Ole Miss its last lead at 70-69 with a 3-pointer with 1:47 to go. The Rebels didn’t score again until a layup that was too little and too late.
With Moses Kingsley helping harass Sebastian Saiz, the Ole Miss senior who was the SEC’s only player to average a double-double this season, into just nine points and 17 rebounds.
Deandre Burnett added 16 points, and Tyree had 13 for Ole Miss.
BIG PICTURE
Ole Miss: The Rebels, who lead both the SEC and the nation with the most made free throws, just couldn’t get to the line enough with Saiz. He was just 1 of 2 at the line. They also didn’t help themselves from 3-point range, missing their first five in the second half trying to match the speedy Razorbacks up and down the court. They finished 1 of 10 beyond the arc in the second half and 8 of 28 for the game despite outrebounding Arkansas 49-39.
Arkansas: The Razorbacks already had their sights set on their second NCAA Tournament berth in three seasons for the first time in nine seasons. They improved to 23-24 in this tournament and now are a win away from playing in the title game for the second time in three years.
UP NEXT
Arkansas moves on to play in the second semifinal game against No. 7 seed Vanderbilt Saturday on ESPN. The Commodores-Razorbacks matchup will begin 25 minutes after the conclusion of the Alabama-Kentucky game, which tips off at noon.
Anderson talks about Razorbacks’ win over Ole Miss
Arkansas coach Mike Anderson and senior Moses Kingsley discuss the Razorbacks’ 73-72 victory against the Rebels in the SEC Tournament.
Hogs set to kick off 11-game homestand against Louisiana-Monroe
After a five-game road trip, Arkansas returns home this week to begin an 11-game homestand at Baum Stadium starting with Louisiana-Monroe on Tuesday at 3 p.m.
The Warhawks will come to Fayetteville for a two-game midweek series, the first between the two teams since 2009.
Follow Live
Both games will be available on SEC Network+ with Alex Perlman (PXP) and Troy Eklund (Analyst) on the call. Phil Elson (PXP) and Rick Schaeffer (Analyst) will call both games for the Razorback Sports Network on the radio.
Probable Starters
Tue. | 3 p.m. | (ARK) RHP Dominic Taccolini vs. (ULM) RHP Cole Hendrix
Wed. | 3 p.m. | (ARK) TBA vs. (ULM) TBA
Feels Good To Be Back
Arkansas kicks off an 11-game homestand Tuesday against ULM. The Hogs will play two against the Warhawks in the midweek and three this weekend against Rhode Island. The Hogs are a perfect 6-0 at home this year with series sweeps over Miami (Ohio) and Bryant. The Razorbacks are one of six teams in the SEC still undefeated at home this year, but are one of three to have played six or more games at home and still be undefeated.
Shaddy Takes Home Top Tournament Honors
Redshirt junior Carson Shaddy had a week to remember. Over the five games last week, the Fayetteville native hit .438 with four of his seven hits going for doubles. He also had one home run coming against Louisiana Tech to give him two for the year. Being a tough out against some of the best pitching at the Frisco Classic, Shaddy hit a staggering .556 with six RBIs, including a career-high three doubles against Nebraska. His weekend performance outshined the rest to earn him Frisco Classic Most Outstanding Player honors.
Knight Goes Toe-to-Toe With No. 5 Arizona
Even though he was saddled with the loss Friday against No. 5 Arizona at the Frisco Classic, sophomore pitcher Blaine Knight threw, arguably, the best game of his young career. The Bryant, Arkansas native matched the Wildcats number one pitcher, lefty J.C. Cloney pitch for pitch through six innings and totaled a career-high 10 strikeouts. Knight set down 11 of the first 12 batters he faced and had his 10 strikeouts by the fifth inning. The 10 strikeouts is the most by a Hog pitcher since Dominic Taccolini’s 10-inning masterpiece against Kentucky last season. In his three starts this year, Knight has had at least four strikeouts or more and has only walked one batter in 15 innings. The walk total makes him one of five pitchers in the SEC with one walk or less this year.
The Return Of The Long Ball
After beating Nebraska at the Frisco Classic and splitting the midweek series at Louisiana Tech, the Hogs moved to 8-3 on the year and have done so by scoring in bunches. In six of their last nine games, Arkansas scored 10 or more runs. Through 11 games this year, the Razorbacks have touched the plate 97 times, third-most in the SEC and 21st in the nation. Much of how Arkansas seems to be getting their runs is by the home run ball. 15 home runs have been hit by Arkansas players this season, good for tops in the league and 15th in the nation. Grant Koch leads all Hogs with four home runs, followed by Carson Shaddy, Jake Arledge, and Dominic Fletcher, who each have two. At least one home run has been hit in eight of Arkansas’ 11 games this year.
Scouting ULM
Arkansas and ULM will face off for the second straight year starting on Tuesday at Baum Stadium. Last year, the Warhawks and Razorbacks played a single-game midweek contest at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock, Arkansas. The Hogs took the 3-1 victory for its third win in four games over ULM. The last time ULM visited Fayetteville, the two teams split the midweek series with Arkansas winning 10-9 in the 10th inning in the final game on a Scott Lyons two-run walk-off home run. Arkansas currently leads the all-time series 8-7 with ULM, including 2-1 in Fayetteville.
Thanks to Ole Miss, Hogs now third seed in SEC Tournament
After winning six of its last seven games to end the regular season, Arkansas will be the No. 3 seed in the upcoming SEC Tournament at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.
Going into Saturday night’s game in Oxford, Miss., the Hogs were sitting at No. 4. But the Rebels shocked the Gamecocks, 75-70, lifting Arkansas to the No. 3 spot.
The advantage is the Hogs will not have to face No. 1 seed Kentucky until the championship game. Florida is the No. 2 seed for the tournament this week.
The Razorbacks will play their SEC Tournament opener on Friday, March 10 at approximately 8:30 p.m. against the winner of No. 6 seed Ole Miss versus No. 11 seed Auburn or No. 14 seed Missouri.
Arkansas is the No. 3 seed for the fifth time since joining the SEC, having advanced to the championship game two of the previous four times at the No. 3 spot. The Razorbacks hold an 8-3 overall record in the tournament as the No. 3 seed, including winning their only SEC Tournament Championship in 2000. Having a double bye in the tournament puts Arkansas in the quarterfinals, where it has a 12-2 all-time record.
Arkansas is making its 26th SEC Tournament appearance where it has an all-time record of 22-24, including a berth in the championship game two years ago.
After being voted to finish fifth in the league by the media, Arkansas finished higher than it was picked for the fourth straight season, ending the year with an 18-point rout of Georgia to post a 23-8 overall regular season record and a 12-6 mark in league play.
The Razorbacks have posted 23 regular season wins and 12 SEC victories for the second time in the last 22 years, joining the 2014-15 NCAA Tournament team as the only squads to accomplish the feat.
Information from Razorback Sports Communications contributed to this report.
