Arkansas and Kentucky meet as two teams headed in opposite directions; can the Razorbacks challenge the Wildcats or will this be another Kentucky blowout?
TV schedule: Tuesday, February 26, 9:00 pm ET. SEC Network
Arena: Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky
Struggling mightily, Arkansas (14-13) is a program in transition that has seen better days. The Razorbacks have lost five straight games and do not look like a team that will return to the NCAA Tournament. On Saturday, they dropped a very winnable home game against Texas A&M. Earlier in February, they did pick up an impressive road win at LSU, but winning at Rupp is another animal.
Sophomore forward Daniel Gafford (16.6 ppg, 8.9 rpg) is the player to watch for the Razorbacks, especially as he continues his development. He had 23 points and 13 rebounds against the Aggies, though defense let them down in that game. This is a young Razorbacks squad with a brighter future. Freshman guard Isaiah Joe (14.1 ppg) and sophomore guard Mason Jones (13.9 ppg, 4.0 rpg) are two scorers to watch for the future.
Arkansas sits at 66th in KenPom, mostly buoyed by a tough SEC schedule. They do boast wins over LSU and Indiana, but this is a struggling squad. The Razorbacks do rank 21st in forcing turnovers on defense, but they play at a fast pace and their defense has faltered at times. On another fortunate note, they rank 32nd in free throw shooting, but will that matter against the Wildcats?
Aside from a home loss against LSU two weeks ago, Kentucky (23-4) has been one of college basketball’s hottest teams. They rolled #1 Tennessee last week and have powered through most of the competition in the SEC. The Wildcats dispatched Auburn with ease on Saturday and will look to do the same at home against another struggling SEC program.
PJ Washington (15.2 ppg, 7.9 rpg) has been the standout on the Wildcats in recent weeks. He has scored at least 20 points in eight of their last ten games, leading the way with 24 against Auburn this past weekend. Freshmen guards Keldon Johnson (13.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg) and Tyler Herro (13.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg) have shined in recent weeks, while grad transfer senior Reid Travis (11.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg) will not play, currently fighting to return from a knee injury.
This Kentucky squad sits at 5th in KenPom, 9th in offensive efficiency and 8th in defensive efficiency. This is undoubtedly one of the nation’s best teams. They rank 3rd in offensive rebounding, though without Travis it won’t be as easy. Their a great defensive team down low and shoot free throws extremely well.
For the Razorbacks, the best case scenario would be to get on an early run, led by some hot shooting by their young guards. If they get behind on the road, they will fall out of this game early. For the Wildcats, they’ll need to keep figuring out what to do without Travis down low, though it hasn’t been a problem against weaker competition. Just get Washington going and make a few shots and there shouldn’t be too much issue.
If this game turns into a track meet, Kentucky has a remarkable advantage. Even if the Razorbacks can hit some shots early, I don’t see a way for them to stay in this game for 40 minutes. Expect Kentucky to win easily.