HawgBeat – Takeaways, notes, stats from Arkansas’ win over Bradley

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Arkansas superior to 10-1 on Saturday, beating Bradley 76-57. The groups performed at Simmons Financial institution Enviornment in North Little Rock, the place the Razorbacks made up for shedding to Hofstra final 12 months. Listed below are my takeaways from the sport:

Walsh constructed off his sturdy exhibiting in opposition to Oklahoma with one other full efficiency Saturday. With 5:11 remaining within the first half, the freshman subbed out with 16 factors, the identical quantity as all the Bradley crew. He additionally had three steals and a rebound at that time.

He solely scored two factors within the second half, however completed with a career-high 18 on an ideal 7-for-7 from the sector.

“He is enjoying with nice confidence, No. 1,” Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman mentioned. “I feel No. 2, he is making threes together with his ft set. He isn’t taking a excessive quantity, however the high quality of shot choice Jordan has had has been very, superb. In Europe, he realized going to the basket and ending with contact and to go sturdy to the cup. I feel he is actually improved in that space to in going with some authority to the rim.”

Walsh creating as a scorer and constructing on his confidence is essential for an Arkansas crew that misplaced one in all its main scorers for the season in Trevon Brazile.

The 6-foot-7-inch wing displayed some strikes in opposition to Bradley he has not proven but this season, together with some straight-line drives in opposition to his defender and ending by contact.

The spotlight of the sport got here in a sequence of back-to-back quick breaks, through which Walsh soared by the air and completed with a dunk. Walsh compelled a steal and tip-passed the ball backwards and forwards with Anthony Black for the primary. The ball by no means touched the ground, and Walsh completed with the ball in his fingers and dunked it from a methods away from the rim.

On the second play, it was a trio of Walsh, Black and Davonte Davis, ending with a lob from Black to Walsh for the alley-oop. The gang exploded, almost taking the roof off of Simmons Financial institution Enviornment.

This Razorback crew was constructed round an extremely gifted backcourt. I even went on file on the Hardwood Hawgs Podcast this previous week saying that the trio of Ricky Council IV, Nick Smith Jr. and Anthony Black was the most effective backcourt group within the nation. Smith was restricted immediately with some discomfort with the tape on his knee. Musselman mentioned in his postgame press convention that he could be nice for Wednesday.

“He bought taped at halftime, after which the tape felt somewhat uncomfortable,” Musselman mentioned. “I simply didn’t actually really feel the necessity to put him again in when he bought taped up at halftime, after which left to get re-tapped. By that time I simply felt like…And I mentioned it fairly a bit on bench with Coach Good, due to his expertise. Coach Argenal. The three of us talked about it. With the stream and the way in which the sport was going, I simply felt like there wasn’t a must in all probability put him again in at that juncture.”

Black, Council, Walsh and Davis all stepped up and performed at a excessive degree, dominating the sport.

The 4 mixed for 56 of Arkansas’ 76 factors. Trying on the field rating, every of them contributed in all sides of the sport, too.

Davis scored seven factors but additionally registered seven rebounds, 5 steals and three assists on the sport. Black additionally stuffed the stat sheet, posting a stat line of 15 factors, 4 assists, three rebounds, two blocks and two steals.

“He was all over the place on the ground,” Walsh mentioned. “He was being the purpose guard that we wanted on this sport, clearly, with the assists, additionally scoring and attending to the road 11 instances. Like, that’s a giant deal. That’s a giant factor that we want out of our level guard, and we count on him to do this and he did it, and we’re probably not shocked.”

For the backcourt being so younger, the corps performs very mature and largely mistake-free basketball. The 4 additionally mixed for simply 5 turnovers and shot 18-of-33 from the sector (54.5%).

Pretty much as good as this Arkansas crew is offensively, its protection has been even higher. The Razorbacks compelled Bradley to commit 16 turnovers and allowed simply 25 factors within the first half.

That stifling protection continued within the second half, because the Braves scored simply 57 factors in all the sport. Arkansas allowed Bradley to shoot simply 40.0% from the sector, 26.7% from 3-point vary and 81.0% from the free throw line. It’s the fifth crew Arkansas has held beneath 30% from the 3-point line.

Moreover, the Razorbacks compelled 27 turnovers, off of which they scored 37 factors

“I really feel like the entire thing was potential simply because me and Coach Good would watch movie with one another, we’d examine the opposite crew and we’d know what their weaknesses are on protection and likewise on offense,” Walsh mentioned. “It was all simply part of his sport plan, for actual.”

Arkansas has struggled in North Little Rock in current reminiscence. Whether or not that was a last-second victory over Valparaiso or a loss to Hofstra, Razorback followers get an antsy feeling round video games at Simmons Financial institution Enviornment.

That was not the case on Saturday. Bradley scored the primary basket of the sport and led for two:43, however as quickly because the Hogs took the lead, they by no means gave it up. In truth, they stored constructing on their lead all through the sport on their strategy to a 19-point victory.

The Central Arkansas crowd was into the sport from the tip. The world was full with a rowdy capability crowd. The Braves did their finest to reduce the noise, calling fast timeouts each time the gang tried to get going, however as a rule, it did not matter.

In a single occasion, the Arkansas teaching employees took issues into its personal fingers. Bradley known as a day trip after Davis made a 3-pointer. The house crowd began to erupt, however began to die down with the timeout. Musselman and his employees beginning elevating their fingers, egging the gang on to maintain going, which it did.

“Our guys had been actually excited to play right here,” Musselman mentioned. “I assumed the anticipation, the joy degree tonight was totally different than final 12 months. I feel the fellows had been actually excited to play this sport. They had been speaking about it. I feel their effort tonight was actually good, and the followers deserved it. That is an unbelievable exhibiting by the followers right here.”

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