TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — One other week and one other alternative for Alabama basketball to rewrite some historical past.
With the crew making its first highway journey in over two weeks, the 2022-23 Crimson Tide will look to change into the third crew for the reason that 1986-87 season to begin convention play an ideal 4-0. To try this Alabama must beat its fourth quad 1 opponent when it travels to Fayetteville to face No. 15 Arkansas.
“It is a huge highway recreation for us and an enormous take a look at,” Alabama head coach Nate Oats stated. “When you’re making an attempt to win a convention championship, these are huge video games you have to come able to play in. It is two top-20 groups they usually had been picked excessive within the preseason and second by the media to win the title. They have some actually good gamers and coach.”
This is all the things you have to know because the No. 4 Crimson Tide appears to win its seventh recreation in Bud Walton Area in opposition to the Razorbacks.
Arkansas’ sizzling begin got here at a price because the Razorbacks misplaced Nick Smith as a result of a knee harm and Trevon Brazile for the season with an ACL tear.
Regardless of dropping arguably its most gifted gamers coming into convention play, Arkansas at present averages 76.2 factors per recreation good for fourth within the SEC. With Smith and Brazile out, the Razorbacks turned to Ricky Council IV and Anthony Black for manufacturing. The transfer paid dividends instantly as both Council or Black has tallied 20 factors or extra in seven of the crew’s 15 video games this season.
Council ranks third within the convention in scoring averaging 18.1 factors per recreation whereas Black is twenty first with 12.5 factors per recreation.
“We recruited each of them, to be sincere with you,” Alabama head coach Nate Oats stated. “We’re very conversant in each of them. Each are actually gifted. Council is extra of a scorer. Black can rating however he is just a little bit extra of a distributor. Council performs off the ball, Black performs with the ball and each are huge expert guards. We’ll need to do a extremely good job on each of them. We’ll need to hold Black out of the lane and we’ll need to hold Council’s scoring restricted.”
The scoring duo is flanked by five-star ahead Jordan Walsh. The previous No. 24 participant within the 2022 recruiting class is averaging 7.7 factors per recreation whereas sporting a 46.8% discipline objective proportion. Arkansas additionally will get manufacturing from Davonta Davis and Makhi Mitchell, however in response to Oats, the Razorback offense depends closely on Council and Black.
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“I do assume that Council and Black are the 2 guys that make them go essentially the most however they positively have another gifted gamers,” Oats stated.
Turnover margin is vital
Alabama-Arkansas will characteristic two groups on reverse sides of the turnover margin spectrum.
The Razorbacks are twenty sixth within the nation with a plus-3.9 turnover margin whereas the Crimson Tide sits 343rd with a minus-3.5. Regardless of averaging greater than 16 turnovers per recreation, Arkansas has pressured simply 28 turnovers during the last three video games which have hindered the offense.
Arkansas has out outscored its opponents in factors off of turnovers in 10 of its 15 video games this season and whereas it was capable of win the turnover battle in opposition to Auburn, Missouri and LSU, the crew went 1-2 in these video games.
As for Alabama, the offense has cleaned up its poor ball safety in its final two video games, tallying lower than 10 turnovers in opposition to Ole Miss and Kentucky. With the crew going into its first-ranked highway recreation because it defeated Houston in December, Oats emphasised the significance of ball safety.
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“They have some guys which are aggressive,” Oats stated. “I feel with us on our finish, I feel guys have began to be just a little bit extra easy. (They) notice in case you hold turning the ball over we’re not going to have the ability to play you, it is hurting our offense. The fellows have simply been higher. When you take a look at our major ball handler has been higher and we have not had the turnovers from the fellows who do not deal with it that a lot.”
Recreation Notes
— Alabama is seeking to enhance to 4-0 in SEC play for the primary time since 2020-21 and second time for the reason that 1986-87 season
— Alabama is ranked No. 4 within the AP High 25 Ballot for the second time this season. Previous to this season, that’s the highest AP rating since 2006-07 (Ranked No. 4)
— After recording 16.9 turnovers per recreation throughout non-conference play, the Tide is now committing simply 11.7 turnovers throughout SEC video games
— Alabama is 13-12 in opposition to AP High 25 groups throughout Nate Oats’ tenure
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—Alabama has posted 4 wins over top-25 opponents in back-to-back seasons for the primary time in program historical past
— For the second straight week and fourth time this season, Brandon Miller has been named SEC Freshman of the Week
— Miller is averaging 19.1 factors per recreation, essentially the most by any freshman within the nation and No. 34 total
— Miller is the one freshman within the nation to rank within the prime 65 in factors per recreation (No. 34) and rebounds per recreation (No. 63)
— Miller is certainly one of 10 gamers in Division I, the one participant within the SEC and the one freshman within the nation that has scored 280 factors and recorded 125 rebounds this season
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— Miller and Noah Clowney are tied for No. 63 within the nation at 8.5 rebounds per recreation, which is second-best amongst freshmen within the nation
— Alabama ranks No. 1 within the nation in rebounds per recreation (46.1) and defensive rebounds per recreation (32.6), whereas additionally rating No. 13 in offensive rebounds per recreation (13.5) and No. 13 in rebound margin (+8.3)
Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn gave a long-awaited update Wednesday on the status of senior outfielder Kendall Diggs, who suffered a torn labrum during the 2024 season.
Diggs, who exited a game against McNeese State in March with the injury, was hitting .357 at the time before finishing the year with a lowly .229 batting average.
It seems, after an offseason of recovery, the SEC veteran is on track for a major return for the Diamond Hogs.
“He’s 100% cleared to do everything now,” Van Horn said Wednesday. “Now, it’s all about timing at the plate. Getting that bat speed back that he’s had in the past. Seeing live pitching and just feeling confident…now it’s not about him being part of the team, because he’s going to be a big part of the team. It’s just a matter of how soon. We know what he can do when he’s full-go.”
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A 6-foot-0, 210-pound lefty hitter from Olathe, Kansas, Diggs was named to the All-SEC Second Team in 2023 after slashing .299/.436/.547 with 12 home runs and a team-high 63 RBIs.
“You look at what (Kendall) has done in the past, he played 50-some games last year with major tears,” Van Horn said. “He’s swinging the bat, he’s going to hit live pitching tomorrow. When I say live pitching, not just batting practice, we’re talking live pitching. So, we’ll see how that goes. He’s a little bit behind, but he’ll get there.”
Even after his 2024 injury, many expected Diggs to be selected in the 2024 MLB Draft, and his return gave Arkansas another competitive piece in a loaded outfield full of transfer portal additions.
“He’s stronger than ever, even with the shoulder injury,” Van Horn said. “He’s had a chance to work on his lower half and he’s a full-grown man now. It’s time to go, and I think he’s excited about being out there.”
The Razorbacks will open their season Friday, Feb. 14, against Washington State at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville.
Jan 14, 2025; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks head coach John Calipari reacts after being defeated by the LSU Tigers at Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Give John Calipari credit for stumbling upon a foolproof way to avoid extending his streak of early-round NCAA tournament flameouts.
You can’t get Gohlked again if you’re watching from the couch.
Arkansas is in major jeopardy of missing the NCAA tournament in Calipari’s highly anticipated debut season after an unremarkable non-league showing and a nightmare start to SEC play. The preseason No. 16 Razorbacks lost 78-74 at previously struggling LSU on Tuesday night to fall to 11-6 overall and 0-4 in the SEC.
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It was concerning when then-No. 1 Tennessee outclassed Arkansas by 24 in Knoxville on the first Saturday of January. The warning signs grew more ominous when the Razorbacks followed that with back-to-back home losses against nationally ranked Ole Miss and Florida last week. Now it’s full-blown panic time in Hog Country after Arkansas went to Baton Rouge for an apparent get-right game against one of the SEC’s only non-NCAA tournament contenders and somehow lost that too.
Despite playing without its third- and fourth-leading scorers due to injury, LSU erased deficits of 12 points late in the first half and eight points a few minutes into the second half. The Tigers (12-5, 1-3) built a nine-point lead of their own with less than five minutes to go, then withstood full-court pressure and a late scoring flurry from standout Arkansas freshman Boogie Fland to close out the victory.
Calipari’s postgame news conference Tuesday night was reminiscent of many that he delivered after losses late in his Kentucky tenure. He shouldered the blame for not preparing his team well enough yet offered few specifics regarding adjustments he intended to make.
Twice, Calipari told reporters in Baton Rouge, “I’ve got to do a better job with my team.” Later, he described himself as disappointed he’s “not getting through to these guys” and claimed he “may have to drag them to the finish line in some of these close games.”
There’s still time for Arkansas to dig its way out of this midseason hole, but the Razorbacks’ road to the NCAA tournament is uphill and obstacle-laden. A neutral-court victory over Michigan is Arkansas’ lone Quadrant 1 or 2 victory this season in seven opportunities. The Razorbacks’ second-best win of the season is … Lipscomb? Troy? Maybe 4-13 ACC doormat Miami?
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The historic strength of the SEC could be Arkansas’ salvation or demise. On one hand, plenty of chances for marquee victories remain in a league with nine teams in the current AP Top 25. On the other hand, per Ken Pomeroy, the Razorbacks will only be favored in five of their remaining 14 conference games. At this point, Arkansas is more likely to finish in the bottom third of the SEC than to make the NCAA tournament.
That Calipari’s former program is flourishing in his absence only highlights Arkansas’ struggles. Kentucky coach Mark Pope didn’t inherit a single returning player from Calipari, yet the roster he rebuilt on the fly via the transfer portal is 14-3 overall and 3-1 in the SEC. Fueled by its sleek, modern offense, Kentucky boasts impressive victories over Duke, Gonzaga, Louisville, Florida, Mississippi State and Texas A&M. If the season ended today, the Wildcats would be no worse than a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament.
Deep-pocketed Arkansas boosters envisioned a similar outcome when they plunked down big money to lure Calipari from Kentucky last spring. The fresh start appeared to be a win-win for both parties with Calipari in need of an offramp out of Lexington and Arkansas in search of a jolt of excitement.
Calipari’s tenure at Kentucky was perfect, until it wasn’t. For almost a decade, he fulfilled Big Blue Nation’s wildest dreams. The revolving door of one-and-done talent he recruited won SEC titles, made deep NCAA tournament runs and even captured the 2012 national title. But the program that was two wins away from a historic 40-0 season in 2015 never approached those heights again. The atmosphere in Lexington turned especially toxic after Calipari’s Wildcats lost to 15th-seeded St. Peters in the first round of the 2022 NCAA tournament and to 14th-seeded Oakland last year.
What observers have since learned is that a fresh start requires more than a change of address and an influx of red blazers and quarter-zip pullovers. You can’t hire a 65-year-old coach, allow him to bring over an assortment of longtime assistants and then expect different results.
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Armed with a war chest of NIL money that few other programs could match, Calipari assembled a roster that doesn’t mesh well with one-another or fit the modern game. Fland and fellow perimeter players DJ Wagner, Johnell Davis and Karter Knox can all hit a 3-pointer but are best with the ball in their hands attacking downhill. The spacing gets worse with forward Adou Thiero and center Jonas Aidoo in the frontcourt together, as neither are a threat from 3-point range.
Arkansas is shooting 33.7% from behind the arc as a team and is 248th nationally in percentage of points scored from 3-point range. Opposing defenses can afford to clog driving lanes, pack the paint and dare the Razorbacks to hoist contested jumpers early in the shot clock.
The hallmark of Calipari’s best Kentucky teams were long, athletic defenses that aggressively hounded 3-point shooters yet surrendered nothing easy at the rim. This Arkansas team is better defensively than some of Calipari’s most recent Kentucky teams, but it commits too many fouls and surrenders too many second-chance points to make up for the Razorbacks’ offensive woes.
Against LSU, it also didn’t help that a tough call went against Arkansas at a key juncture of the second half. LSU led 53-52 when referees called this a flagrant foul on Arkansas’ Trevon Brazile. The Razorbacks trailed 58-52 by the time they got the ball back.
How will Arkansas respond to a dismal SEC start made worse by the LSU loss? With effort and energy, Calipari says, despite a difficult upcoming schedule. Arkansas visits Missouri on Saturday, then hosts Georgia and Oklahoma. Matchups with Kentucky, Alabama, Auburn, Texas and Texas A&M await in February.
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“I told them after the game, ‘I’m not cracking so let’s just keep going,’” Calipari said Tuesday.
The Razorbacks have no choice.
Either they turn their disappointing season around now, or Calipari’s debut campaign in Fayetteville will end shy of the NCAA tournament.
LAFAYETTE — The Louisiana women’s basketball team is off to its best Sun Belt Conference start since 2020, holding a 4-1 record as they aim to replicate the success that led them to a regular-season title just three years ago.
However, the Cajuns face a critical 11-day stretch as the team will take on Arkansas State and Troy twice, both teams boasting potent offenses ranked second and fourth in the conference, respectively.
Head coach Garry Brodhead emphasizes that defense will be the key to weathering this challenging stretch.
“Anytime that you have any type of system, if the kids believe in it, it seems like it works a little bit better or a lot better,” Brodhead said. “On the road, that’s one of the things that we really, really preach. You know, we may not be making shots like we’re capable of… but you can always defend.”
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The coach acknowledged the difficulties posed by Arkansas State and Troy, pointing out changes in the Red Wolves’ system, which now prioritizes a faster pace, three-point shooting, and relentless pressing.
“Troy is a tough team to play,” Brodhead added. “Both games will be tough. Can we withstand that, especially from the first game to the second game?”
The Cajuns’ pivotal run begins Wednesday in Jonesboro, where they’ll face Arkansas State at 7 p.m. A strong showing could position Louisiana for second place in the standings, trailing only James Madison. ———————————————————— Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
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