Arkansas basketball hits the road for Dallas this weekend, set for its first marquee matchup of the John Calipari era.

The No. 16 Razorbacks will face No. 8 Baylor on Saturday (6:30 p.m., ESPNU) inside the American Airlines Center, home of the Dallas Mavericks. The Hogs opened their season with a 76-60 victory over Lipscomb on Wednesday, while the Bears stumbled in a 101-63 loss Monday at No. 7 Gonzaga.

Here are a scouting report and prediction for this weekend’s matchup between Arkansas and Baylor.

Can the Hogs hit open threes?

Arkansas went 4-for-19 from 3-point range against Lipscomb. If you count their two exhibition games, the Hogs are shooting 26.5% on threes this year.

More: Defense powers offense in Arkansas basketball’s win over Lipscomb to begin Calipari era

More: Be like Sabonis: Why Zvonimir Ivišić could be a hub for the Arkansas basketball offense

Gonzaga made 13 3-pointers at a 41.9% rate in its blowout win over Baylor.

Calipari’s dribble-drive offense is still a work in progress this early in the season, but the Razorbacks created great looks against the Bisons, they just couldn’t get shots to fall. Boogie Fland struggled, going 1-for-8 from downtown. The entire team will need a better shooting performance to beat a hungry Baylor squad.

Bears present intriguing test for Arkansas frontcourt

Baylor’s Norchad Omier is only 6-foot-7, but he’s one of the most physical and athletic bigs in the country. Omier gobbles offensive rebounds and has a craft game around the rim. With Jonas Aidoo still trying to reach full fitness, Omier could be a matchup problem for the Hogs. He will be a good test for Zvonimir Ivišić and Trevon Brazile.

Josh Ojianwuna stands next to Omier in the frontcourt with a more traditional 6-foot-10 frame, serving as Baylor’s rim protector. If there is a weakness for Baylor down low, it’s depth: The Bears didn’t play another forward more than six minutes against Gonzaga.

Two of the best freshmen in America

Hopefully, fans in Dallas and watching on television get to see Arkansas’ Boogie Fland and Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe go head-to-head Saturday.

Both were five-star prospects, headlining elite recruiting classes at their programs. They’re the only two freshmen in the starting lineups and are potential lottery picks in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Edgecombe is looking for a bounce-back performance after going 2-for-11 with four points against Gonzaga, while Fland led Arkansas with 17 points Wednesday night.

Prediction

Both teams are getting comfortable on the fly with rosters filled by newcomers and potential. Baylor will be motivated to put the Gonzaga loss in the rear-view mirror but, while Omier could have a big night, the Razorbacks’ defense will be the X-factor in a 2-0 start. Arkansas 74, Baylor 68.

Despite public outcry about a lack of transparency, the Arkansas Board of Corrections will vote Friday morning on the state’s $2.95 million purchase of 815 acres in Franklin County for a prison.

Board Chairman Benny Magness confirmed the board’s meeting agenda during a town hall Thursday night in Charleston, where residents defiantly opposed locating a prison in their community. 

“As chairman I’m calling the vote tomorrow, and I’m not going to be a part anymore of being put in a position to defend ourselves that we’re stalling the building of a 3,000-bed prison,” Magness told reporters following the meeting. 

State officials for years have pursued construction of a new prison to alleviate overcrowding in existing facilities and county jails. The state spends roughly $30 million a year to house about 3,000 inmates in county facilities, according to the governor’s office. More prison beds also likely will be needed in the future due to the Protect Arkansas Act. Backed by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the 2023 law overhauls the state’s parole system and eliminates the possibility of parole for the most serious offenders.

“The process we started in ‘22 was not getting the results we needed, so they, and I say they, the governor’s office, chose to do this process,” Magness told reporters.

Hundreds of local residents seeking answers about the state’s decision to purchase land for the prison in the Vesta community north of Charleston packed the local middle school’s gymnasium Thursday evening. 

Community members as well as state and local officials said they were not involved in the decision-making process and were blindsided by the governor’s formal announcement about the purchase last Thursday.

The governor’s office touted the prison as an investment in public safety and economic development. The prison is expected to create several hundred construction jobs and employ 800 once it’s operational, according to a press release. 

A few hours prior to the town hall, Corrections Secretary Lindsay Wallace emailed the media letters from the mayors of Calico Rock and Malvern citing the positive aspects of having prisons in their communities.

Security and safety, especially for their children and grandchildren, are major concerns for Jo Stubblefield and her son and daughter-in-law, Brandan and Rosa Cummings, who live on property that shares a fence line with the proposed prison site. Jo Stubblefield, whose husband is a cousin of Sen. Gary Stubblefield, R-Branch, told the Advocate they “were all very upset, very upset” about the proposed prison site.

The trio questioned how the state could pay for and staff a new prison when other local businesses are struggling to find employees.

“They can’t even pave the roads around here, yet you can buy a bunch of land without nobody knowing? I mean that just blows my mind,” Brandan Cummings said.

Rosa Cummings said a new prison isn’t needed and that releasing nonviolent criminals, like people who’ve been arrested for drugs, would free up bed space. While she hoped that state officials would listen to the community’s concerns Thursday, she said it wasn’t likely.

“I mean it’s the government. We don’t feel too confident obviously, that’s why we heard about it just the other day,” she said. 

State legislators and members of the Department of Corrections and Board of Corrections attended the town hall Thursday. Local residents submitted questions ahead of time that were read by a moderator, including questions about costs and why the community wasn’t notified sooner.

Former Corrections Secretary Joe Profiri said the land purchase was not made public sooner because of concerns over a bidding war. Profiri was hired as a senior adviser to the governor after the prison board fired him in January.

“Ultimately what we were looking at was to make sure that the price of the land didn’t escalate and that we were good stewards of the taxpayer dollars to make sure that we didn’t pay more than the land was worth,” he said. 

Profiri said the cost of the prison will depend on what design is ultimately selected, but he noted $330 million has been set aside by the Legislature and there’s another $75 million in reserves. Officials said they looked at a number of sites over several months. Profiri said they chose to purchase the Franklin County property about three months ago. 

Magness said he learned about the decision two weeks ago, while state lawmakers like Rep. John Eubanks, R- Subiaco, and Stubblefield said they received word just a few days prior to last week’s formal announcement. 

Stubblefield criticized the lack of transparency and said he was going to explore pursuing legal action because he believed officials broke state law by not notifying the public sooner. Wallace said lawyers she spoke with who reviewed the statute in question believed it didn’t apply to the Department of Corrections. 

While community members were not allowed to ask questions Thursday night or bring signs, attendees made their opinions known by cheering or booing, and shouting phrases like “we don’t want it,” ‘we don’t consent,” “disrespect” and “liar.”

The town hall concluded after about an hour and a half, and Jo Stubblefield left unsatisfied with state officials’ responses. 

“I feel like the governor’s office didn’t answer any questions they were asked,” she said.

The Board of Corrections’ special meeting on Zoom is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Friday. The agenda includes hiring a public information officer and voting on the Franklin County land. 

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Nov. 7, 2024 | UAMS is committed to supporting growth in Northwest Arkansas, UAMS Chancellor Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, told the Rogers Rotary at its regular meeting Oct. 28.

“Since we opened our campus in Northwest Arkansas in 2007, we have added new patient care services, research and educational programs as we work to be a part of the exceptional growth happening in this region,” Patterson said. “We are here to stay. Our intention is to work alongside health care providers and business leaders in this area so that we are making meaningful contributions to the quality of life for this area and its residents.”

Joined at the meeting by Michael Manley, UAMS chief of staff, Ryan Cork, vice chancellor for the UAMS Northwest Arkansas Region, and Tim Dockery, UAMS associate vice chancellor for development, Patterson began the meeting by commending the city of Rogers for how the community came together to rebuild after tornadoes ripped through the heart of the city in May.

“That was a terrible time,” Patterson said, “and our hearts went out to everyone in this area who was affected. I know there’s still work to be done, but this city will persevere. I’m so proud of the heart that Arkansans have for each other, which is one of the reasons I’m glad I moved to this beautiful state.”

“UAMS has enjoyed generous support from business leaders and others throughout this city,” Patterson said. “Rogers is growing, and we want to support that growth by working with community and health care leaders here to help promote this city and Northwest Arkansas as a health care hub.”

One of the most visible examples of UAMS’ commitment to Northwest Arkansas is the construction of the UAMS Health Orthopaedics and Sports Performance Center, which is scheduled for completion in 2027. The 115,000-square-foot facility will be the home for all UAMS Health orthopaedic clinics in Northwest Arkansas, as well as sports performance and therapy. Patterson said the center’s goal is to serve patients in Northwest Arkansas and beyond.

“I suspect we will see patients from all over the country come to Northwest Arkansas to get their care here,” Patterson said. “Our orthopaedic and sports medicine specialists are already highly regarded nationally and internationally. With this new innovative facility, this reputation will continue to grow.”

Patterson also spoke about the need for a new campus location to house the expanding clinical, academic and research programs that serve the region.

“Over the last 17 years, our programs, like this region, have grown exponentially,” Patterson said. “We now have programs in 14 different locations in this region, including our main campus building, the old Washington Regional Hospital in Fayetteville. We have been very grateful for this facility, but we have outgrown it, and it has several challenges including its age and lack of space and parking.”

UAMS acquired 48 acres of land in 2021 near Interstate 49 in Rogers, a portion of which was gifted to the university by Don, Joe, Doug and Mike Mills. Last year, Johnelle Hunt made a gift to support activities at the UAMS Northwest Regional Campus, including funding a feasibility study for the development of operations on the land.

“We are currently in the second phase of the feasibility study of that property that will allow us to have a real campus,” Patterson said. “Our goals include creating a space that is inviting and welcoming, where we can increase collaboration among multiple areas and stakeholders and have the newest technology in all spaces.”

The total square footage of the new building will be more than 326,000 square feet and will feature a modern design that incorporates natural light and materials throughout, includes an outdoor space central to the building and a shared collaborative space for the entire campus. Phase two of the feasibility study should be completed by Jan. 1, 2025.

Patterson also pointed out several advancements in the educational arm of its mission in Northwest Arkansas, which includes a variety of programs including medicine, nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy and occupational therapy, which is a partnership with the University of Arkansas.

For example, what began as a medical school program in which UAMS College of Medicine students spent two years in Little Rock and then finished their last two years at the Northwest Arkansas campus has expanded to medical students spending their entire four years in Northwest Arkansas. What’s more, UAMS initiated an accelerated three-year M.D. program that is unique to the Fayetteville campus. The first student from that program graduated in May.

After the pandemic highlighted the nursing shortage in Arkansas, UAMS started an accelerated BSN program on the Northwest campus. The accelerated BSN program is aimed at people who have pursued other careers and make a switch to become nurses. They have completed their prerequisites and so their course of study is shorter. There are currently 24 students in that 18-month program.

“UAMS is proud to be a part of the transformation of health care here in Northwest Arkansas,” Patterson said. “We are excited about increasing collaborations with you to ensure that we are building the health care workforce of tomorrow, ensuring that everyone in this region and across the state has access to exceptional care continually transformed through the benefit of laboratory discoveries.”