Arkansas

Arkansas Hoping Early Season Test Pays Dividends

Published

2 weeks ago

November 10, 2024

Arkansas Hoping Early Season Test Pays Dividends

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas coach John Calipari threw his young team to the wolves against No. 8 Baylor. Baylor was coming off of a 101-63 loss against No. 6 Gonzaga and was seeking to atone for getting blown out on national television.

“[Gonzaga coach] Mark Few and I talked,” Calipari said. “I said, ‘Well, thanks. I appreciate you doing that. So now I’ve got to play them.’ We knew they were going to be alert. They lost that game and now they’re coming back here, they played good.”

Baylor Bears guard Robert Wright III (1) shoots the ball against the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the second half at Spokane Arena. / James Snook-Imagn Images

Arkansas, Baylor and Gonzaga are part of a small group of ranked teams that decided to test themselves early against another ranked foe. The Razorbacks are just one of seven teams to take on such a challenge this early in the season.

“The teams you’re trying to compete with are like this team [or] like a Kansas,” Calipari said. “These kind of people that we’re playing, and then playing them away from our building is important too. To, okay, you don’t have the home crowd riding you, can we come together and do this?”

Baylor guard Robert Wright III has his shot blocked by Arkansas forward Jonas Aidoo (9)

Baylor Bears guard Robert Wright III (1) has his shot blocked by Arkansas Razorbacks forward Jonas Aidoo (9) during the second half at American Airlines Center. / Chris Jones-Imagn Images

The last time that Arkansas opted to challenge itself with a ranked opponent within the first two games of a season was the 2009-10 year under John Pelphrey when Arkansas took on No. 20 Louisville.

Arkansas will likely not play another ranked opponent until the CBS Thanksgiving Day Game against Illinois, who is currently the first team out of the Top 25. The next game against Troy will provide the toughest challenge until the marquee game in Kansas City. The Troy Trojans are 2-0 with wins over Toledo and New Orleans and are ranked just outside the Top 100 in the KenPom rankings.

Tipoff between the Trojans and the Hogs is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday from Bud Walton Arena. The game will be broadcast on SECN+.

• Razorbacks facing motivated Texas team for first time in long time

• Arkansas stil learning on the fly against Baylor

• Longhorns’ Talent Level in Win Over Florida Problem for Hogs

• Razorbacks have need for speed against Baylor on Saturday night

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Arkansas

Steals, slams winning combo for Hoop Hogs against Little Rock

Published

2 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

Steals, slams winning combo for Hoop Hogs against Little Rock

Behind a fully-torqued defensive effort, the No. 20 Arkansas Razorbacks (4-1) claimed victory 79-67 over the Little Rock Trojans inside Bud Walton Arena on Friday night in Fayetteville.

Arkansas’ intensity was evident at the get-go, as head coach John Calipari’s club ripped off five steals on Little Rock’s first five possessions, good enough to hand the Hoop Hogs a quick 11-0 advantage.

That pressure never relented in the first half, as the Razorbacks had eight steals and nine forced turnovers at the under-8 mark, and 10 steals and 11 forced turnovers by halftime.

“That first five or six minutes of the game we were a deer in headlights,” Little Rock head coach Darrell Walker, a former Razorback, said postgame. “We were terrified for no reason. We turned the ball over. Now, they got 19 turnovers. We turned the ball over 19 times and they got 28 points off of that. I told my team before the game, ‘We cannot have a lot of turnovers. If you do, this team is really good in the open court. You put them in half court you’re going to have a chance to get in the game.’”

Leading the way for most hands in the cookie jar was forward Adou Thiero (six steals), though five Razorbacks recorded at least one steal and four Hogs totaled 2+ steals.

“The biggest plays were effort plays,” Calipari said of Thiero. “Those were the biggest plays he made. He had six steals — all effort steals. Just he out-worked the other guy to get the ball.”

As a result of the defensive ferocity, Arkansas pushed the pace in transition to the tune of 22 fastbreak points, 28 points off turnovers and five slams through both halves.

“From watching all the film of all the games they’ve played, I knew this was going to be an off-the-dribble game,” Walker said. “And when they shoot the ball well they can become dangerous. But they really an off-the-dribble team and a transition team right now. I’m sure Cal is still trying to figure things out. This is early in the season, just like I’m trying to figure things out with my basketball team. He’s got some key guys hurt.”

One can’t mention Arkansas’ up-and-down court explosion without further crediting Thiero, who racked up a team-high 23 points, a team-high eight rebounds, two blocks and pulled off an immaculate left-handed windmill transition dunk.

“There was a will to win,” Calipari said. “I don’t care who it’s against. When a game gets like that, that stuff was on us, and Adou making that play on the offensive rebound, again, he’s standing out how he’s playing. He’s getting it done.”

Up next, Arkansas will close its home-stand with a matchup against Maryland-Eastern Shore on Monday. That game is set to tip-off at 7 p.m. CT and will stream on SEC Network+.

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Arkansas

Arkansas basketball vs Little Rock score today: Live updates, game highlights, how to watch

Published

11 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Press Room

Arkansas basketball vs Little Rock score today: Live updates, game highlights, how to watch

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas basketball will welcome one of the best players in program history back to Bud Walton Arena tonight.

The No. 24 Razorbacks (3-1) will host Little Rock (3-2) Friday. The Trojans are coached by Darrell Walker, who was a consensus All-American for the Razorbacks in 1983 and is a member of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame and the University of Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor.

The Hogs are in the midst of a four-game homestand and are coming off a 91-72 victory over Pacific Monday. They’ve been stingy through the early portion of the season and rank 10th in the nation in KenPom’s defensive efficiency metric.

This will be just the second meeting between the two Natural State programs. Arkansas won 93-78 in 2021, and the Trojans are coming off a road victory over Tulsa in their most recent contest.

Below are live score updates, highlights and other notes from Arkansas basketball’s fifth game of the season.

Arkansas basketball vs. Little Rock score updates

This section will be updated when the game begins.

What time does Arkansas vs. Little Rock play today?

Date: Friday, Nov. 22
Time: 8 p.m. CT
Location: Fayetteville

What channel is Arkansas vs. Little Rock game on today?

TV channel: SEC Network
Streaming: FUBO (Free Trial), ESPN+

Arkansas vs. Little Rock live stream options

Arkansas vs. Little Rock will be broadcast on SEC Network. The matchup can also be streamed with a subscription to FUBO, which has the option for a free trial, and ESPN+, which includes ESPNU and all other ESPN channels.

Arkansas vs. Little Rock prediction

Arkansas 79, Little Rock 63: This game could follow a familiar theme to earlier home games, with a mid-major squad staying close thanks to 3-pointers, but Arkansas’ talent eventually wearing out the opposition. A blowout is more likely if one of Trevon Brazile or Jonas Aidoo returns to the floor for the Hogs.

Arkansas vs. Little Rock betting odds

Game lines and odds from BetMGM as of Friday morning:

Spread: Arkansas -20.5
Over/under: 143.5
Moneyline: Little Rock +1250

Arkansas basketball schedule

Record: 3-1

(Next five games)

Little Rock, Nov. 22
Maryland Eastern Shore, Nov. 25
Illinois (Kansas City), Nov. 28
at Miami, Dec. 3
UTSA, Dec. 7

Little Rock schedule

Record: 3-2

(Next five games)

at Arkansas, Nov. 22
at Illinois, Nov. 25
Maryland Eastern Shore, Nov. 27
Central Arkansas, Dec. 4
Ouachita Baptist University, Dec. 10

Arkansas basketball news

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Arkansas high school football second-round playoff scores, live updates (11/22/2024)

Published

18 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Press Room

Arkansas high school football second-round playoff scores, live updates (11/22/2024)

Second-round playoff games take place across the state Friday, November 22, in the Arkansas high school football postseason.

You can follow all of the AAA playoff football games and get updated scores by tracking the SBLive/SI Arkansas High School Football Scoreboard.

Arkansas (AAA) high school football playoffs: 2024 brackets, Round 2 matchups, game times

High School on SI will have in-game score updates and all of the final scores from every corner of the state. You can also search for full schedules and complete scores from all of your favorite teams.

Here’s your guide to catching all of the Round 2 Arkansas high school football playoff action on Friday night (November 22, 2024).

STATEWIDE ARKANSAS FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD

CLASS 7A SCORES

CLASS 6A SCORES

CLASS 5A SCORES

CLASS 4A SCORES

CLASS 3A SCORES

CLASS 2A SCORES

CLASS 8 MAN SCORES

2024 ARKANSAS FOOTBALL SCHEDULES: FIND YOUR TEAM

Can’t make it to your favorite team’s game but still want to watch them live? You can watch dozens of Arkansas high school football games live on the NFHS Network:

WATCH AAA GAMES LIVE ON NFHS NETWORK

Want to know how your team finished the regular season? Find out where they landed in our final computer rankings:

And don’t forget to visit the brand new Arkansas homepage on High School on SI, powered by SBLive Sports, for all the latest news, highlights, analysis, scores, photos and information on Arkansas high school sports. Follow our live game coverage and read our feature stories, breaking news, the latest recruiting news, rankings and much more.