Arkansas Razorbacks
SEC (21-11, 10-8)
Due to a relatively easy non-conference schedule and a slow start in SEC play, Arkansas has stayed off of the national radar. Yet, in the end, the Razorbacks had a very good season and finished the regular season winning eight of their last ten games. In a conference that turned out to be extremely balanced after Florida, finishing 10-8 is not bad at all.
Big Wins: 1/14 Kentucky (87-85), 2/27 at Kentucky (71-67), 3/1 Georgia (87-75)
Bad Losses: 1/8 at Teaxas A&M (53-69), 2/1 at LSU (74-88), 3/8 at Alabama (58-83)
Coach: Mike Anderson (3 seasons at Arkansas)
Why They Can Surprise:
Arkansas wants to score a lot of points. This team gets up and down the floor in a hurry and has the athletes and depth to do it successfully. Freshman Bobby Portis has lived up to the hype. The 6-10 forward leads the team in rebounding and can score from anywhere on the floor. Portis, along with Alandise Harris and Moses Kingsley, make this one of the best shot blocking teams in the SEC. High pressure defense is always a staple of a Mike Anderson coached team and this group is no different. They led the SEC in steals and those often lead to quick and easy buckets the other way. With the length of guard Michael Qualls and forward Coty Clarke, Arkansas will almost always get into the passing lanes.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Traditionally, under Coach Anderson, Arkansas is not a strong rebounding team, but this year has been worse than usual. The Razorbacks rank dead last in the SEC in rebounding margin and they cannot afford to give up too many rebounds, especially on the offensive end. Portis and Clarke are big and relatively tough, but they are not dominating forces on the glass. Rashad Madden, a junior guard, has stepped up his scoring and does a fine job sharing the ball, but turnovers can be an issue for this team as well. That is going to happen on a team that wants to run, yet Madden and the rest of the backcourt do need to keep those mistakes to a minimum.
Probable Starters:
Rashad Madden, Junior, Guard, 12.7 ppg, 2.6 apg
Fred Gulley, Senior, Guard, 4.0 ppg, 1.9 apg
Michael Qualls, Sophomore, Guard, 11.8 ppg, 2.0 apg, 4.5 rpg
Coty Clarke, Senior, Forward, 9.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg
Bobby Portis, Freshman, Forward, 12.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.6 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Anthlon Bell, Sophomore, Guard, 6.6 ppg
Alandise Harris, Junior, Forward, 8.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg
Kikko Haydar, Senior, Guard, 3.1 ppg
Moses Kingsley, Freshman, Center, 4.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.6 bpg
Mardracus Wade, Senior, Guard, 4.1 ppg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 80.6 (16th in nation, 1st in conference)
Scoring Defense: 71.2 (212, 11)
Field-Goal Percentage: 44.4 (162, 6)
Field-Goal Defense: 40.7 (49, 6)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 7.7 (52, 2)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 37.0 (68, 1)
Free-Throw Percentage: 72.3 (83, 2)
Rebound Margin: -3.7 (307, 14)
Assists Per Game: 15.5 (27, 1)
Turnovers Per Game: 11.8 (117, 5)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2013 NIT First Round loss to Iowa
2012 CIT First Round loss to Robert Morris
2011 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Syracuse
2010 CBI First Round loss to St. Louis
2001 NCAA Round of 64 win over Oklahoma
2001 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Gonzaga
2000 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Texas
*all team stats through 3/9
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
