It wasn’t without some bumps in the road, but the top-seeded Wildcats are heading back to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season and fourth time in five season under Tommy Lloyd. After dominating 16-seed Long Island (LIU) 92-58 in the First Round, then securing a gritty 78-66 win over No. 9 Utah State in the Second Round, the Arizona Wildcats shift their attention to the No. 4 Arkansas Razorbacks as they look to advance to the program’s first Elite 8 since 2015.
Get to Know the Arkansas Razorbacks:
Arkansas (28-8) is led by Naismith Hall of Fame head coach John Calipari and SEC Player and Freshman of the Year Darius Acuff Jr. The Hogs finished second in the SEC regular season standings, behind the reigning national champion Florida Gators, which fell in the Second Round to the 9-seed Iowa Hawkeyes. Arkansas also took down Vanderbilt in the SEC Tournament Championship to secure the program’s first conference tourney title since 2000.
Calipari is widely regarded as one of the best college recruiters of all-time, leading Kentucky to the 2012 national championship, while coaching players like Anthony Davis, Karl-Anthony Towns, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Devin Booker. He has a 905-285 all-time record as a head coach in the NCAA and is 50-22 at the helm for the Hogs.
Acuff Jr. will be one of the best players the Wildcats face this season. The 6-foot-3 guard is averaging 23.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game and is shooting 48.6 percent from the field, including 44.6 % from 3-point range. He has eclipsed 30 points in five games this season, including a career-high 49-point outing in Arkansas’ double overtime loss at Alabama in mid-February.
Billy Richmond III rounds out the back court of the Hogs. The sophomore shooting guard averages 11.1 and can use his height at 6-foot-6 to drive inside and get high-percentage shots up at the rim. At the three, freshman Meleek Thomas has been part of a one-two punch with Acuff Jr. in terms of scoring this season, averaging 15.6 points per game and shooting 42.0 percent from the perimeter and 85.0 percent from the free throw line.
In the front court, Trevon Brazille presents a unique blend of size and athleticism. The 6-foot-10 senior, who began his career at Mizzou, averages 13.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game and can knock it down from three, shooting 35.2 percent from distance this season. Malique Ewin rounds out the starting five, averaging 9.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
Arkansas does not have a lot of depth off the bench, but two players to watch are Nick Pringle, who excels at drawing fouls, as well as DJ Wagner, the former No. 1 rated combo guard and No. 6 overall prospect in the 2023 recruiting class.
Arkansas by the Numbers:
The Razorbacks are the No. 17 team in the latest KenPom.com ratings. Arkansas has the No. 5 adjusted offensive efficiency, one spot behind Arizona, and averages 90.3 points per game. Defensively, the Hogs check in at No. 53, compared to the Wildcats’ third-rated defense, allowing opponents to score 80.3 points per game this season.
Arkansas has the second-highest scoring offense in college basketball and leads the nation in field goals made, averaging 32.4 shots per game, and is 11th in the nation in 3-point percentage, connecting on 38.7 percents of shots from the perimeter. The Hogs also do an impressive job taking care of the ball, boasting the top turnover percentage on KenPom and the ninth-fewest turnovers nationally at 9.0 per game.
As the KenPom metrics suggest, the Razorbacks have some gaps on defense though. Arkansas’ 80.3 points allowed this season ranks 335th in the nation, or 31st-most in the college basketball this season.
In the NCAA Tournament wins over No. 13 Hawaii and No. 12 High Point, the Hogs are averaging 95.5 points on 52.9 percent shooting from the field, while allowing 83 points per game.
Arizona-Arkansas Preview & Prediction:
This is the ninth all-time meeting between the Wildcats and Razorbacks, but the first in over 30 years, with the last matchup coming in 1995. Its also the second meeting between the two programs in the NCAA Tournament, after Arkansas knocked off Arizona 91-82 in the 1994 Final Four.
Arkansas will be one of the best offenses Arizona faces this season. Fortunately, the Wildcats have a high-powered offense that can hang with the Hogs, especially if Brayden Burries continues to make shots at the same clip he scored at through the first two games of the NCAA Tournament. Jaden Bradley will have the tough task of trying to limit Acuff Jr., but the All-Big 12 Defensive Team selection is more than capable of at least making things difficult for him.
Overall, Arkansas does not have the physicality to contest Arizona, especially in the paint. Trevon Brazille can score, but Koa Peat is much a stronger player, while Motiejus Krivas has a significant height-advantage and the opportunity to put his shot-blocking ability on full display.
The Wildcats will need to rely on their size and physicality to get to the line, put foul pressure on the Razorbacks, and continue putting points on the board if the offense goes cold, like it did against Utah State (even though the Aggies are a much better team defensively).
Look for Arizona to win in a high-scoring affair, taking down Arkansas 88-79 to advance to the program’s first Elite Eight since 2015 for a possible matchup against former UA head coach Sean Miller.
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