Arkansas
Missouri basketball at Arkansas: Prediction, scouting report
For Missouri basketball, a victory on Saturday would be sweet, as it would be its first victory in the Southeastern Conference and redemption over an old rival.
The Tigers (8-18, 0-13) will take on Arkansas (13-13, 4-9) at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville. The teams previously faced off on Jan. 31 at Mizzou Arena, where the Razorbacks, from start to finish, dominated the Tigers in a 91-84 victory, leading by as much as 23.
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On Tuesday, Missouri led and kept it close against No. 5 Tennessee before falling 72-67 for its 13th consecutive loss in the SEC.
Since playing the Tigers, Arkansas is 2-3 in February. The Razorbacks, led by head coach Eric Musselman, defeated Georgia but also fell to LSU, Tennessee, and Mississippi State. Most recently, Arkansas won 78-71 at Texas A&M on Tuesday.
Ahead of Saturday’s matchup (11 a.m., ESPN2), here are three things to keep an eye out for as the Tigers seek their first league victory against Arkansas.
Mabor Majak vs. Mekhi Mitchell
If Missouri wants to come away victorious on Saturday, it can’t let Makhi Mitchell flourish again. In the previous matchup, the 6-foot-10 forward scored a season-high 19 points against the Tigers. Since then, he’s topped that mark twice, each in the past two games, tallying 21 and 22 points at Mississippi State and Texas A&M.
Protecting inside the arc will be a big test for the Tigers, and Dennis Gates will likely have to depend on center Mabor Majak. The 7-foot-2 post player from Juba, South Sudan, played a season-high 22 minutes against Tennessee, recording four defensive rebounds.
“He’s very unselfish,” Dennis Gates said. “He’s given his body, he’s given whatever it is. It’s not even about offense. He’s out there fighting and giving us the emotional boost that most leaders do. He can do it silently, he can do it through action, and it can be the smallest things that stand out. He’s very connected to all of his teammates.”
Sean East II’s hot streak is key this time around against the Razorbacks
Fueling Missouri’s fight in its previous two games has been a resurgence of Sean East II. The graduate point guard has tallied 49 combined points and generated 23 attempts at the free throw line.
East scored just 11 points in the Tigers first matchup against Arkansas before suffering a knee contusion at Vanderbilt, forcing him to miss the following two games, which MU lost by a combined 43 points. The Tigers can’t afford a no-show from their best scorer, and the past week has shown that he isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
Can Missouri keep its focused on defense?
Arkansas’ 91 points on Jan. 31 is the second-most allowed by Missouri in SEC play.
Fast forward to Tuesday, and Missouri forced a top-50 scoring offense in Tennessee to miss its first 11 shots. The Volunteers’ offensive efficiency rating heading into their matchup with the Tigers ranked 16th in the nation according to KenPom.com.
“We said if our offense wasn’t there, that the defense had to pick up, it’s got to multiply. If we weren’t making shots, we weren’t going to let them make shots,” Missouri’s Noah Carter said Tuesday. “And that’s kind of what our mindset was, and it wasn’t expected to go that long. I think the score was 2-1 at the first media [timeout] and a little bit after that, but it was about getting our defense together, and if we’re not scoring, we can’t let them score.”
The Razorbacks’ offensive efficiency rating ranks 129th in the nation at 108.7. Remaining aggressive and dialed in on the defensive end is something worth watching.
Score Prediction
Arkansas 73, Missouri 67: Missouri has played better since the last time it faced the Razorbacks with inspiring efforts against Mississippi and Tennessee. But the Tigers are just 2-14 all-time at Bud Walton Arena and haven’t won in the opposing gym since Nov. 28.
Temperatures will climb to the upper 90s today and heat index values will get close to 105° this afternoon. There are heat advisories today for part of west and southwest Arkansas.
Today will bring a slight chance of showers or thunderstorms late in the day in Central Arkansas.
Friday will also bring a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms with very hot weather.
Rain chances increase and temperatures drop this weekend when a cold front moves through Arkansas.
Arkansas
ARKANSAS SIGHTSEEING: Randolph County can claim many firsts in Arkansas | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
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A former Arkansas Tech University graduate and commander of the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command is being remembered with two posthumous honors recognizing his lasting influence on the nation’s military intelligence operations.
The late Maj. Gen. Gary W. Johnston, a 1987 Arkansas Tech graduate and Russellville native, was honored during a dedication ceremony June 25 at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, where the Army officially named a newly consolidated military intelligence complex the Major General Gary W. Johnston Consolidated Mission Facility.
Johnston also was posthumously inducted into the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame for helping reshape Army intelligence through the integration of emerging technologies, including big data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning.
The new facility serves as a central hub for U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) operations at Fort Huachuca, known as the “Home of Army Intelligence.” It houses some of the Army’s most critical intelligence personnel and brings together units that had previously operated from aging buildings spread across the installation.
Army officials said the previous arrangement created operational challenges, including limited secure workspaces, outdated infrastructure and additional security requirements. Beginning in 2018, INSCOM launched an effort to consolidate those missions by renovating two existing buildings into a 16,300-square-foot intelligence operations center designed to improve collaboration and security.
The facility now houses INSCOM G3’s Detachment 52, elements of the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command, representatives from the Ground Intelligence Support Activity, an emerging Foundry program element and other intelligence organizations.
Among those attending the dedication were Johnston’s wife, Brig. Gen. Amy Johnston, daughter Lauren Woodworth and granddaughter Arabella Woodworth.
Maj. Gen. Rhett R. Cox, commanding general of U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command, said the building represents more than a new workplace.
“As we dedicate the U.S. Army INSCOM Major General Gary W. Johnston Consolidated Mission Facility, we do more than just open a new facility… we consecrate a tribute to his indelible legacy,” Cox said. “This facility will stand as a constant reminder of his service, his vision and his unwavering commitment to our nation and to the soldiers he led. It will inspire future generations of intelligence professionals to emulate his example of leadership and selfless service.”
Retired Chief Warrant Officer 5 Kevin Boughton, former INSCOM command chief warrant officer, said Johnston envisioned closer collaboration between the Army’s intelligence training and operational communities.
Boughton said Johnston believed the distance between the Intelligence Center of Excellence and INSCOM’s operational units “shouldn’t be measured in miles,” but instead by “a seamless flow of data, doctrine, and talent” where operational experience and institutional knowledge move freely between soldiers in the field and those training the next generation.
Johnston graduated from Russellville High School in 1983 before earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Arkansas Tech in 1987. Through the university’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program, he received his commission as a U.S. Army officer.
During a military career spanning more than 34 years, Johnston served in command and staff assignments ranging from platoon level to senior leadership within the Army and Department of Defense. He deployed in support of Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Joint Endeavor, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Freedom’s Sentinel.
In 2015, Johnston became the seventh graduate of Arkansas Tech’s Army ROTC program to attain the rank of general officer. He was promoted to major general in 2017.
He concluded his military career as commanding general of U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command, overseeing approximately 17,500 personnel operating in more than 40 countries.
Army leaders credited Johnston with helping modernize military intelligence by laying the groundwork for the establishment of the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command, which was formally created in 2022 after his retirement. He also led development of what became the Army Intelligence Data Platform, designed to incorporate advanced data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning into intelligence operations while supporting future large-scale combat operations.
Johnston also promoted data science education within the military intelligence community by partnering with George Mason University to provide specialized training for Army warrant officers.
Colleagues remembered Johnston not only for his strategic vision but also for his leadership style. Despite working in one of the Army’s most demanding operational environments, they described him as a source of humor, kindness and encouragement whose focus remained on the soldiers, civilians and contractors carrying out the intelligence mission.
Johnston retired from active duty in 2021 and died in January 2022.
His latest recognitions add to previous honors from his alma mater. Johnston was a member of the inaugural Arkansas Tech Army ROTC Hall of Honor in 2017 and was inducted into the university’s Hall of Distinction in 2019.
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