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Arkansas Basketball: 2019-20 keys for Razorbacks success against Indiana

By Curtis Wilkerson

NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 27: Jimmy Whitt #24 of the Arkansas Razorbacks drives the ball against Stanford Cardinal at Barclays Center on November 27, 2015 in Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 27: Jimmy Whitt #24 of the Arkansas Razorbacks drives the ball against Stanford Cardinal at Barclays Center on November 27, 2015 in Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /
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LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY – FEBRUARY 26: Tyler Herro #14 of the Kentucky Wildcats defends the shot of Mason Jones #13 of the Arkansas Razorbacks (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY – FEBRUARY 26: Tyler Herro #14 of the Kentucky Wildcats defends the shot of Mason Jones #13 of the Arkansas Razorbacks (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

After an impressive 10-1 start to the season, Arkansas basketball will head to Assembly Hall in search of a resume-building win Sunday at Indiana.

Arkansas Basketball fans are all-aboard the “Muss-Bus”, and the scrappy Razorbacks have been full steam ahead en route to a surprising 10-1 start to Eric Musselman’s first year at the helm in Fayetteville.  There’s a palpable buzz around the program, which finds itself very much in the mix for an NCAA Tournament bid this season and boasts a top-5 recruiting class for 2020.

The Razorbacks have a lethal back-court combo in Mason Jones and Isaiah Joe that is in the conversation as one of the top tandems in the SEC.  Jones has erupted into the spotlight for Arkansas.  The junior wing has stepped into an alpha role, averaging a team-high 19.6 ppg and 6.2 rpg.  Jones has excelled in big moments.  He knocked down a buzzer-beating three to seal an overtime win at Georgia Tech, dropped 41 points against Tulsa, and buried a pair of key three-pointers late in a come from behind win over Valpo.

Isaiah Joe is second on the team averaging a shade under 17 points per contest.  The sharp-shooting wing has shown improvement with an expanded game and better shot-creating ability.  Jones and Joe have been aided by critical contributions from back-court mates Jimmy Whitt Jr and Desi Sills as well as defensive stopper Adrio Bailey.

The real story for the Hogs, though, has been their defense.  Arkansas ranks 18th in the country in scoring defense (59.7 ppg), 10th in steals per game, and 2nd in 3pt FG defense.  Despite a lack of overall size, Arkansas has been suffocating on the defensive end for most of the season which will keep them in games the rest of the way.

Despite what on the surface seems like a team that may be the “real deal”, the jury is still out on Arkansas.  A road loss against a tough Western Kentucky team exposed some weaknesses, and the Razorbacks have had to grind out a couple scares against Northern Kentucky and Valpo.

Arkansas received zero votes in the latest AP Poll, ranks 37th according to KenPom, 35th in the NET ratings, and has been trending anywhere from a 7 seed to “First Four Out” in early bracketology projections.

The skepticism lies largely in the fact that the Razorbacks have yet to be tested against a legit Power 5 opponent.  That changes on Sunday, as they travel to Indiana to take on the Hoosiers in what Musselman hopes will be a big-time resume-boosting win prior to the start of SEC play.

A road win at Assembly Hall will be a tall task against the 11-1 Hoosiers.  Here are the 3 keys to success for Arkansas in this match-up.

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