Arkansas
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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The No. 8 Houston Cougars face the No. 14 Arkansas Razorbacks Saturday at 5:30 p.m. ET. Both teams have won their past four games, including ranked wins for the Razorbacks over Louisville and Texas Tech.
Houston vs. Arkansas will air on CBS, and streams live on DIRECTV (free trial).
What: Men’s college. basketball regular season
Who: No. 8 Houston Cougars vs. No. 14 Arkansas Razorbacks
When: Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025
Where: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey
Time: 5:30 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Live stream: DIRECTV (free trial), fuboTV (free trial)
Here’s a recent college basketball story via the Associated Press:
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Trevon Brazile scored a career-high 26 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the field to lead No. 14 Arkansas to a 108-80 victory over Queens on Tuesday night.
Arkansas (9-2) was never in trouble, taking a 24-point lead into halftime behind 60% shooting from the floor. Brazile had 18 points in the opening 20 minutes. Darius Acuff Jr., who finished with 23 points and 10 assists, scored 16 in the first half.
Brazile went 5 for 7 from 3-point range and Arkansas was 14 of 28 compared to 6 for 25 for the Royals (5-7). The Razorbacks also outscored Queens 32-14 on fast-break points.
Atlantic Sun preseason player of the year Chris Ashby entered averaging 13 points per game but was limited to just two on 1-of-9 shooting, including 0 for 7 from 3-point distance. The Royals were led by Nasir Mann, who had 16 points.
Four other Arkansas players joined Brazile and Acuff in double figures. Billy Richmond III scored 15 points off the bench, Nick Pringle added 14, Karter Knox had 11 and D.J. Wagner provided 10.
The win was Arkansas’ fourth in a row since losing to then-No. 4 Duke on Thanksgiving.
Up next
Queens faces another Southeastern Conference opponent Monday when it visits Auburn.
Arkansas plays No. 8 Houston on Saturday in New Jersey.
Can I bet on the game?
Yes, you can bet on the game from your phone in New York State, and we’ve compiled some of the best introductory offers to help navigate your first bets from BetMGM, FanDuel, DraftKings, Bet365 and more.
Ryan Anderson
Ryan Anderson covers higher education across the state. He joined the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in August 2022 after covering education — and other topics — for a decade at four newspapers in three states. A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Ryan attended DePaul University in Chicago and now resides in Fayetteville.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – This week, host Alex Kienlen sat down with reporter and KARK News Anchor Mattison Gafner to discuss her report on the surge of runaway youth in Arkansas.
Topics included not just the numbers but also causes, consequences, and what can be done.
If you, or someone you know, is dealing with running away, or considering it, help is available through the National Runaway Safeline at 1-800-RUNAWAY or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.
Make It Make Sense is a KARKFOX16+ exclusive show that airs weekly at 7 p.m. Monday on the free app. For more information on how to get the free app, head to KARK.com/Streaming.
Questions? Considerations? Reach out at MakeItMakeSense@Nexstar.TV.
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