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NCAA Basketball: 5 surprising 2020-21 Final Four contenders entering league play

By Holden Walter-Warner

PISCATAWAY, NJ - DECEMBER 08: The Rutgers Scarlet Knights huddle before their NCAA basketball game against the Syracuse Orange at Rutgers Athletic Center on December 8, 2020 in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
PISCATAWAY, NJ - DECEMBER 08: The Rutgers Scarlet Knights huddle before their NCAA basketball game against the Syracuse Orange at Rutgers Athletic Center on December 8, 2020 in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /
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Arkansas Razorbacks NCAA Basketball Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images
Arkansas Razorbacks NCAA Basketball Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images /

Arkansas Razorbacks

Speaking of undefeated teams, it’s time to be formally introduced to the Arkansas Razorbacks. To put it succinctly, they are what many believed the Alabama Crimson Tide would be this season.

The Razorbacks are 8-0 this season and none of those wins have been particularly close. The smallest margin of victory for Arkansas has been 11 points, while the biggest has been a whopping 80 points when they dropped 142 points on Mississippi Valley State to open the season.

Arkansas’ offense has been electric (90.0 points per game), but the team’s calling card may be their aggression on the boards. Their 46.6 rebounds per game ranks fourth in the nation, first among Power 5 schools.

Freshman Moses Moody has lived up to the hype. He’s averaging 16.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game on 41.7 percent shooting from three. Transfer JD Notae has also picked up where he left off at Jacksonville, averaging 14.3 points per game despite coming off the bench and struggling from three-point range.

Competition level is a problem for Arkansas and the biggest reason why they aren’t ranked at this point. They haven’t played a single game against a major conference opponent and saw their most enticing game, a road contest against Tulsa, postponed.

SEC play will then be the real test to see if Arkansas can continue pursuing a Final Four trajectory. They open at Auburn before a home game with Missouri and a road game at Tennessee.

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