Arkansas Razorbacks
SEC (19-13, 10-8)
During Coach Mike Anderson’s first season with Arkansas last year, the Razorbacks struggled down the stretch. They lost eight of their last ten games. Part of the problem was the tired legs that inevitably happen in Coach Anderson’s hectic up and down style of play. But now there is some depth to work with and that makes the Razorbacks a very, very dangerous team in the tournament. Coach Anderson has a history of pulling off some surprises in March.
Big Wins: 12/04 Oklahoma (81-78), 2/05 Florida (80-69), 2/16 Missouri (73-71)
Bad Losses: 1/26 at South Carolina (54-75), 2/09 at Vanderbilt (49-67), 2/27 at LSU (60-65)
Coach: Mike Anderson (2 seasons at Arkansas)
Why They Can Surprise:
From the looks of it, Arkansas is scrambling all over the place on both ends of the floor. There are blocks, steals, fast breaks, pressure defense and a whole lot of scoring. The Razorbacks rank 11th in the nation in steals, 32nd in blocks, and 39th in scoring offense. That is their style of play, but this team is very good because of their turnovers. Normally a high scoring team like Arkansas would commit quite a few turnovers; but not this group. The Razorbacks average a mere 11.6 turnovers per game and have the second best turnover margin in the country. BJ Young and Marshawn Powell lead the way. Young thought about splitting for the NBA, but is instead leading Arkansas with 15.2 points and 3.4 assists. Powell missed just about all of last season and the 6-7 junior is a tough matchup with his ability to step outside and knock down the long ball with consistency.
Why They Can Disappoint:
However, the rest of the Razorbacks have had a lot of trouble shooting the ball. Young shot 41.3 percent from long range as a freshman and this year that number has dropped significantly. At least that has not stopped him from scoring. Mardracus Wade shot 47.6 percent from three point land in 2011-2012. This year he did not even eclipse the 30 percent mark. Other guards like Rickey Scott, Rashad Madden and Michael Qualls are either shooting very poorly as well or are not significant outside shooting threats. The Razorbacks can live without hitting three-pointers, although they can take too many even when they are not falling and that often neutralizes their possession advantage created by turnovers. And this is not a team that can afford to throw away possessions by taking bad shots when they work so hard taking care of the ball. Their positive turnover margin also takes a hit with their inability to rebound. Powell is a decent rebounder and Coty Clarke has had a good year and is very effective on the offensive glass, but Arkansas will lose the rebounding battle just about every game.
Probable Starters:
BJ Young, Sophomore, Guard, 15.2 ppg, 3.4 apg, 3.5 rpg
Rickey Scott, Junior, Guard, 4.3 ppg, 1.4 apg, 2.0 rpg
Mardracus Wade, Sophomore, Guard, 6.5 ppg, 1.7 apg, 1.7 spg
Coty Clarke, Junior, Forward, 7.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg
Marshawn Powell, Junior, Forward, 14.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Kikko Haydar, Junior, Guard, 3.3 ppg, 1.6 rpg
Rashad Madden, Sophomore, Guard, 4.2 ppg, 1.8 apg
Hunter Mickelson, Sophomore, Forward, 5.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg
Michael Qualls, Freshman, Forward, 4.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 73.7 (39th in nation, 4th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 68.6 (229, 10)
Field-Goal Percentage: 43.5 (172, 6)
Field-Goal Defense: 43.4 (203, 12)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.1 (175, 6)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 30.2 (282, 12)
Free-Throw Percentage: 67.7 (222, 10)
Rebound Margin: -2.7 (273, 13)
Assists Per Game: 14.9 (44, 2)
Turnovers Per Game: 11.6 (46, 3)
Last Five Postseason Appearances:
2008 NCAA Round of 64 win over Indiana
2008 NCAA Round of 32 loss to North Carolina
2007 NCAA Round of 64 loss to USC
2006 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Bucknell
2001 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Georgetown
2000 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Miami
*all team stats through 3/10
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
