Arkansas
Arkansas Battled #6 Kentucky, But Lost 63-57
FAYETTEVILLE – Despite a double-double from Makhi Mitchell (12 points and 13 rebounds) and Arkansas out-rebounding Kentucky, 44-39, the #6 Wildcats used an 8-0 run late in the game to secure a 63-57 victory Saturday afternoon at Bud Walton Arena.
The 13 rebounds by Mitchell were a season high as well as being his best total in an SEC game.
Arkansas led at halftime and seven minutes into the second half and was down one with 2:54 left to play before the 8-0 run. Antonio Reeves started the surge with a 3-pointer, D.J. Wagner followed with a layup and Reed Sheppard capped the run with a 3-pointer with 1:27 left. The last two baskets for the Wildcats came from Razorback turnovers.
Both teams struggled offensively in the first half, each going 9-of-31 from the field (29%), Arkansas making just 2-of-10 from 3-point range and Kentucky making just 2-of-9.
The difference in the second half was Kentucky making 7-of-11 from 3-point range with Arkansas going 2-of-9.
The 24 first-half points by Kentucky were the fewest by the Wildcats in the series with the Razorbacks (97 total halves of basketball) – HogStats.com. Overall, the 63 points was the second-lowest by Kentucky this season. The Wildcats entered the game first in the NCAA in scoring at 89.9 ppg.
Kentucky was led by Sheppard’s 24 points with Tre Mitchell adding a double-double (10 points and 11 rebounds).
Arkansas was led by Mitchell’s 12 points and four blocked shots. He was 8-of-10 at the line with the eight makes tying his career high. Khalif Battle and Tramon Mark each added 11 points. Chandler Lawson contributed seven rebounds.
Arkansas hits the road for its next two games. First, the Razorbacks play at Missouri on Wednesday (Jan. 31) at 7 pm and will close the week at LSU on Saturday (Feb. 3) at 11 am.
NOTES
- Arkansas starters were El Ellis, Khalif Battle, Tramon Mark, Jalen Harris and Chandler Lawson.
- Kentucky controlled the tip to start the game.
- El Ellis scored the first points of the game with a 3-pointer at 17-45.
- Makhi Mitchell was the first Razorback sub.
- Arkansas entered the game third in the NCAA in blocked shots and finished with nine. With Mitchell’s four blocked shots today, Arkansas has had a player with at least three blocked shots in a game in 12 of its 20 games.
- Trevon Brazile missed the game due to right knee soreness.
- Arkansas is now 7-12 all-time versus the AP #6 team and falls to 4-4 in such games at home. Ironically, the last Razorback win over #6 was versus Kentucky on Feb. 26, 2022, in Bud Walton Arena.
- Arkansas now trails Kentucky 14-35 in the all-time series and 8-10 in games in Fayetteville. Kentucky has won two straight in the series after Arkansas had won three straight. Coach Muss is 3-3 all-time versus Kentucky (all at Arkansas).
- Layden Blocker was a team-best +7 in 5:27 played. Jalen Graham, who battled foul trouble, was +3 in 17:51 played.
For more information on Arkansas Men’s Basketball, follow @RazorbackMBB on Twitter.
Arkansas
OPINION | WALLY HALL: Arkansas will need more than Robinson’s coerced contribution | Arkansas Democrat Gazette
Wally Hall
Wally Hall is assistant managing sports editor for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. A graduate of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock after an honorable discharge from the U.S. Air Force, he is a member and past president of the Football Writers Association of America, member of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, past president and current executive committee and board member of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, and voter for the Heisman Trophy. He has been awarded Arkansas Sportswriter of the Year 10 times and has been inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and Arkansas Sportswriters and Sportscasters Hall of Fame.
Will Garrett Nussmeier’s size hold him back in the NFL?
LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier will look to impress scouts at the NFL Combine despite size concerns.
Move over, Anthony Richardson. There’s a new quarterback athletic marvel at the NFL scouting combine.
On Saturday in Indianapolis, Arkansas’ Taylen Green broke Richardson’s top marks at the position since 2003 for both the vertical leap and broad jump. Green’s 43½-inch vertical topped Richardson’s previous high by three inches, while his 11-2 broad jump beat the Indianapolis Colts signal-caller’s measurement by five inches.
Then, Green reeled off a 4.36-second 40-yard dash time. That stood as the second-best time for any quarterback since 2003, trailing only Reggie McNeal in 2006 (4.35 seconds). Richardson, for comparison, logged a 4.43-second mark in 2023.
Green didn’t even bother with a second attempt after his initial time.
The testing profile created quite the stir around the 6-6, 227-pound passer, who had widely projected as a developmental option for teams on Day 3.
NFL Network’s Charles Davis said Green told him that no teams had approached him about working out as a receiver, adding that he would not be interested in a position switch.
Green started for the Razorbacks for the last two seasons after playing the first three years of his career at Boise State. Known for his running ability and ample arm strength, Green threw for 2,714 yards and 19 touchdowns last year while adding 777 yards and eight scores on the ground.
It was a banner day for Arkansas, as running back Mike Washington Jr. also stood out among his peers with a group-leading 4.33-second 40-yard dash as well as strong marks in the vertical leap (39 inches) and broad jump (10-8).
Rex Nelson
Rex Nelson has been senior editor and columnist at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette since 2017, and he has a biweekly podcast called “Southern Fried.”
After graduating from Ouachita Baptist University in 1981, he was a sportswriter for the Arkansas Democrat for a year before becoming editor of Arkadelphia’s Daily Siftings Herald. He was the youngest editor of a daily in Arkansas at age 23. Rex was then news and sports director at KVRC-KDEL from 1983-1985.
He returned to the Democrat as assistant sports editor in 1985. From 1986-1989, he was its Washington correspondent. He left to be Jackson T. Stephens’ consultant.
Rex became the Democrat-Gazette’s first political editor in 1992, but left in 1996 to join then-Gov. Mike Huckabee’s office. He also served from 2005-09 in the administration of President George W. Bush.
From 2009-2018, he worked stints at the Communications Group, Arkansas’ Independent Colleges and Universities, and Simmons First National Corp.
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