Could the SEC have 6 NCAA tournament Teams?
By Alex Miller
Arkansas Razorbacks
The Arkansas Razorbacks have shown promise this year under 4th year head coach Mike Anderson, who just this morning, received a two year extension that runs through 2020. They have improved every year since Anderson’s arrival and are poised to return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2008.
The Razorbacks already have a few quality wins under their belt – a 78-72 win on the road at SMU and a 69-55 win over Dayton at home.
Leading the way for Arkansas is 6’11” center Bobby Portis and 6’6″ forward Michael Qualls. Portis is averaging 16.8 ppg and 7.8 rpg while Qualls averages 15.4 ppg and 5.2 rpg. Both players have become more efficient (Portis ranks 67th and Qualls ranks 153rd nationally in offensive efficiency according to Kenpom) this season. They have also been more consistent than they were a year ago, which has helped Arkansas’ overall offensive efficiency jump from 91st to 15th this year.
Rashad Madden, the team’s lone senior starter, has put up a solid season at the point guard spot, but guard play won’t make or break Arkansas’ year. If Portis, Qualls, and Madden keep playing like this, the rest of the supporting cast should be enough to get Arkansas over the hump. All they need to do is keep getting the ball to Portis down low, and they’ll win plenty of games in the SEC despite some defensive issues.
Next: South Carolina Gamecocks