Arkansas

Desperate teams clash when Florida basketball hosts Arkansas

Published

2 years ago

January 12, 2024

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Desperate teams clash when Florida basketball hosts Arkansas

Florida basketball hasn’t gotten off to the kind of start in conference play it envisioned.

Neither has an Arkansas team unable to build momentum from a non-conference upset of Duke at Walton Arena,

Something has to give when the Florida Gators (10-5, 0-2 SEC) host Arkansas (9-6, 0-2) on Saturday at the O’Connell Center (4 p.m., ESPN).

Porductive meeting: Florida basketball coach Todd Golden, sophomore guard Riley Kugel clear the air in meeting

Road razed: No resistance: Florida basketball defense unravels in second half again at Ole Miss

Another sellout is expected in a matchup of teams still seeking their first conference win of the season. Florida had a six-game win streak snapped last week when it lost 87-85 at home against No. 6 Kentucky, and followed that up with a 103-85 loss at Ole Miss on Wednesday night.

“The parallels are we are both 0-2 in league and we’ve got to find a way to get it on and get going,” Florida basketball coach Todd Golden said. “I know they’re going to be hungry as hell to get this win, and we’re in the same boat.”

Defensive laspes hurting UF basketball

In the Ole Miss loss, Gators allowed the Rebels to shoot 75 percent from the field in the second half (21-28). Overall, Florida ranks 13th in the SEC in scoring defense, giving up 76.5 points per game.

Florida junior guard Walter Clayton Jr. said the Gators need to improve defensively in all apsects.

“Watching the film, just better ball-screen defense, better close-outs, better contesting, better contest on jump shots, you know, not fouling,” Clayton said. “So, there’s a lot of aspects we can get better on defense.”

Golden said UF’s offense can help its defense by limiting turnovers and finishing stronger at the rim. Ole Miss scored 24 points off of 13 Florida turnovers.

“We had a lot of possessions that led to transition for them,” Golden said. “A lot of it was blocked shots – they blocked 16 shots – and a lot those stayed in bounds. When that happens, usually a guy is flying in trying to make a layup, then pound it off the glass and now they’re going 4-on-3 the other way. There was nothing good about our defensive effort the other night, but we have to help ourselves more in terms of our offense not leading to putting us in predicaments on the defensive end.”

UF basketball, Arkansas coaches share friendship, mutual respect

Golden and Arkansas coach Eric Musselman will coach hard on the court on Saturday, but both share a bond off the court. Musselman offered Golden jobs when he was a G League head coach in Reno and later as a head coach at Nevada.

“I almost went out there to work with him in Reno, but it just never worked out timing-wise,” Golden said. “I’ve always had a lot of respect for him and obviously he’s done a great job at Arkansas and won at an insanely high level. This league is full of great coaches and he’s definitely toward the top of that list. … I’ve known him since I was 21 years old.”

Like Florida, Arkanasas has struggled defensively this season, ranking last in the SEC in scoring defense at 76.8 points per game, Arkansas lost 76-66 at Georgia on Wednesday, and due to travel concerns related to the weather, opted to change plans and head directly from Athens, Ga., to Gainesville on Thursday. Golden let the Arkansas team use UF’s practice facility on Friday.

“Not often do coaches have camaraderie,” Musselman said. “I actually talked to Todd earlier (Wednesday). They’re big, they rebound, they have great guard play, they’re well-connected, they play extremely hard, they play very, very fast. You know, they’re one of the top tier teams in the SEC, there’s no question.”

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Arkansas looks like Mississippi State’s most winnable SEC game again. Can Jeff Lebby break through?

Published

11 hours ago

October 30, 2025

Press Room

Arkansas looks like Mississippi State’s most winnable SEC game again. Can Jeff Lebby break through?

STARKVILLE — Coach Jeff Lebby doesn’t talk about last season to his Mississippi State football players anymore.

Nothing can be changed from the Bulldogs’ 2-10 record in Lebby’s first season where they lost every SEC game by double digits and only notched wins against FCS Eastern Kentucky and then-FBS independent UMass.

But with MSU’s next game at Arkansas (2-6, 0-4 SEC) on Nov. 1 (3 p.m., SEC Network) perhaps a portion of last season should be revisited.

The matchup for MSU (4-4, 0-4) appears to be its best remaining chance to end its 16-game SEC losing streak. But that was also a thought last season when Mississippi State hosted Arkansas. Mississippi State was served a humbling 58-25 beatdown at Davis Wade Stadium.

“One thing I mentioned last year was ‘Hey, let’s go play as hard as we possibly can,’” Lebby said. “‘Let’s do everything we can this week to go play as hard as we can and maybe the ball will bounce the right way and somehow we’ll be able to go win a football game.’ That was the reality of it. I didn’t talk like that during the season because I never will.

“This is a completely different situation. We got a good football team. We did not a year ago. We have a good enough team to win.”

Even with Arkansas’ six-game losing streak and Bobby Petrino as the interim coach, Lebby said the Bulldogs will have to beat “the best 2-6 football team in the country” to get the elusive SEC win. The program’s last SEC win was at Arkansas in 2023.

Why Arkansas is Mississippi State’s best chance to snap SEC losing streak

Mississippi State has four games remaining. Arkansas is the only opponent not ranked in the US LBM Coaches Poll. Mississippi State still has home games against No. 5 Georgia, No. 8 Ole Miss and a road game at No. 20 Missouri.

In a way, Arkansas is similar to last season’s Mississippi State team. It’s in the midst of a long losing streak. Arkansas is anchored down by the SEC’s worst defense, just like MSU in 2024.

But there are differences too that make the Razorbacks not a gimme. BetMGM lists Mississippi State as a 4.5-point underdog as of Oct. 29.

The Razorbacks have played all of their SEC games close, including Ole Miss, Tennessee and Texas A&M. Taylen Green is a quarterback who causes problems in the air and on the ground. He scored six touchdowns against the Bulldogs last season.

Arkansas fired its defensive coordinator, defensive line coach and secondary coach on Sept. 29.

“Defensively, they’re completely different,” Lebby said. “… We have three games that we’ve watched that can kind give you the information of what we’re going to get this weekend. It’s very limited tape, but feel like we have a good grasp of what it’s going to look like and what we’re going to get.”

How Mississippi State vs Arkansas could be decided

Three of the last four games for Mississippi State have been heartbreaking losses.

MSU led Tennessee by seven points in the fourth quarter before losing in overtime. It was in range for a potential game-winning field goal at Florida until quarterback Blake Shapen threw an interception. In Week 9, MSU coughed up a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter before losing to Texas in overtime.

“It’s truly each position and that’s what we talked about in the team meeting,” Lebby said. “It’s not one guy in one situation and one thing happening that’s keeping us from knocking the door down and getting the victory. It’s every position on the field. It’s giving these guys something a little better to go execute.”

Arkansas has lost those same battles as Mississippi State.

Against Ole Miss, the Razorbacks lost a fumble near the red zone while trailing by six with two minutes to play. They also fumbled with 1:18 remaining while in field-goal range against Memphis before losing 32-31. Their losses to Tennessee and Texas A&M were both by three points. Arkansas’ last game ended in a brutal 33-24 loss to Auburn when in the fourth quarter it committed four turnovers and was outscored 17-0.

“I think every game in this league is hard to win,” MSU wide receiver Brenen Thompson said. “I think winning is hard as it is no matter what league you’re in, but especially this league. Every game gets diagnosed the same. Every game gets the same amount of effort put in to it, at least for me and this team.”

Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.

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Arkansas looks to build on Sweet 16 run with new recruits and transfers

Published

1 day ago

October 29, 2025

Press Room

Arkansas looks to build on Sweet 16 run with new recruits and transfers

Arkansas (22-14, 8-10 SEC)

After a run to the Sweet 16 following a middling regular season, the No. 14 Razorbacks enter the second year of the John Calipari era having to replace their top three scorers from last season. Calipari reloaded with a highly-rated freshman recruiting class and the Razorbacks picked up a pair of all-conference big men from the portal to bolster a frontcourt that was outrebounded in league play more often than not last season.

Players to watch

Darius Acuff (freshman, G, 6-2). Acuff is the star recruit of Calipari’s 2025 class. He should step into the point guard role that Boogie Fland handled a year ago before transferring to Florida.

DJ Wagner (junior, G, 6-4, 11.2 ppg). Wagner is the only returner who averaged double-figure scoring last season. His experience playing both point and off guard should help bring Acuff and fellow freshman Meleek Thomas along.

Trevon Brazile (senior, F, 6-10, 6.8 ppg). Brazile’s points-per-game totals belie his importance. He was the team’s best player in the late-season run the Razorbacks needed just to make the NCAA Tournament.

Departures and arrivals

Fland is gone, and top scorer Adou Thiero was lost to the NBA.

Acuff and Thomas were both McDonald’s All-Americans last season in high school, while 6-foot-7 guard Isaiah Sealy ranked in the top 100. They’re joined in the frontcourt by Florida State transfer Malique Ewin (6-11, senior, C, 14.2 ppg) and longtime SEC veteran Nick Pringle (6-10, senior, F, 9.5 ppg), who played two seasons at Alabama before playing last year at South Carolina.

Top games

The Razorbacks have five ranked opponents during non-conference play. Texas Tech, the team that knocked the Razorbacks out the NCAA Tournament last year is one of them. They will league play against No. 18 Tennessee at home on Jan. 3. Calipari will face his old Kentucky team in Fayetteville on Jan. 30. And Arkansas travels to defending national champion Florida during the stretch run, Feb. 28.

Arkansas guard Meleek Thomas (1) dribbles the ball defended by Memphis center Thierno Sylla (31), of Guinea, and guard Zach Davis (2) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball exhibition game Monday, Oct. 27, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn. Credit: AP/Nikki Boertman

Facts and figures

Not only have the Razorbacks started the last two years of SEC play at 1-6, but before that they went 1-5, 0-3 and 1-4. Still, Arkansas has qualified for the NCAA Tournament in four of those five seasons, reaching the Sweet 16 all four times. … Arkansas will play 19 games against teams that made the Big Dance last year, including all four Final Four teams in Duke, Michigan State, Houston and Auburn.

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Arkansas High School Football Rankings: Top 25 Teams – Oct. 28

Published

2 days ago

October 28, 2025

Press Room

Arkansas High School Football Rankings: Top 25 Teams – Oct. 28

The Arkansas high school football high school football season is nearing its end and the Bryant Hornets remain in the top spot Top 25 rankings.

Besides the Hornets, who else makes the cut for the Top 25 high school football teams list out of Arkansas?

From established powers to emerging programs, here are the top 25 teams in the Natural State, according to Massey.

The Massey Ratings, officially used during the BCS era, is a model that ranks sports teams by analyzing game outcomes, strength of schedule, and margin of victory as of Oct. 28.

1. Bryant Hornets

Bryant (8-0) has maintained the top spot in the Arkansas high school football rankings throughout the season as the head to the regular season finish line. Hornets up next will face North Little Rock (3-5) this Friday night.

The Hornets most recent win was a 49-3 decision over Cabot as they have two games remaining.

All the question marks on offense have been checked off as the Hornets have begun a new era behind center with Kyler Shelby, who saw limited game action in 2024 as a sophomore last season while playing behind Jordan Walker.

2. Bentonville Tigers

Bentonville (9-0) is coming off a tight victory over No. 4 Rogers, with the Tigers winning 31-28.

The 5-time state champion Tigers are coming off a 9-4 campaign and needing to replace plenty of starters on both sides of the ball. Bentonville is armed with a pair of Arkansas commitments in four-star wide receiver Dequane Prevo and three-star Blair Irvin.

The Tigers finish the regular season with games against Springdale and Bentonville West.

3. Greenwood Bulldogs

Greenwood Bulldogs (8-0) having the state’s best quarterback in Kane Archer certainly helps and the Bulldogs boasting the UCF commit behind center makes them dangerous every Friday night on offense.

Archer has made the argument to being the state’s Most Valuable Player as the senior signal caller, with the future Knight completing 172 of 227 passes for 2,141 yards and 18 touchdowns.

The Bulldogs finishes off the season with Southside and No. 11 Mountain Home.

4. Rogers Mountaineers

The Rogers Mountaineers (7-1) are coming off a narrow 31-28 loss to Bentonville last week, but remain in the Top 5 of this week’s rankings.

The Mountaineers’ defense has been solid all season long behind the play of BYU commitment Braxton Lindsey, who leads a defensive unit that’s only yielded. Rogers closes out the regular season with games against Har-Ber and Rogers Heritage.

5. Conway Wampus Cats

Conway (7-1) started the season off with an offensive explosion as they defeated Jonesboro in a 68-37 shootout.

The Wampus Cats feature a couple of the state’s top players in three-star safety Tay Lockett (Arkansas commit) and interior offensive lineman Isaiah Bowman (Arkansas State commit). Lockett is already making an impact on both sides of the ball as Conway has become a viable state title contender.

Last week, Conway won another offensive shootout, 61-38, over Pulaski Academy. This Friday night the Wampus Cats take on Little Rock Christian Academy.

6. Benton (6-2)
7. Shiloh Christian (7-2)
8. Bentonville West (6-2)
9. Joe T. Robinson (8-0)
10. Fayetteville (4-4)

11. Mountain Home (7-1)
12. Little Rock Christian Academy (6-2)
13. Parkview Magnet (5-3)
14. Greenbrier (8-0)
15. Lakeside (7-1)

16. Arkadelphia (7-1)
17. Sylvan Hills (7-1)
18. Pulaski Academy (2-6)
19. Hot Springs (7-1)
20. Jonesboro (4-4)

21. El Dorado (5-3)
22. Farmington (6-2)
23. Searcy (7-1)
24. Har-Ber (3-5)
25. North Little Rock (3-5)

For Arkansas high school football fans, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the state, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the gridiron excitement in the Natural State.

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