Arkansas Basketball: 2021 keys for Razorbacks to beat Alabama Crimson Tide

Arkansas Basketball has a huge game on Saturday against Alabama in an SEC matchup. What are the keys for the Razorbacks to get the win?

After a win at Auburn to start the season 9-0, Arkansas Basketball has gone on a recent skid. They’ve since lost three of four games, including most recently, a 92-76 defeat to the LSU Tigers. The Razorbacks got off to a strong start in the first few minutes but then allowed a major run for the rest of the half, falling behind 51-31.

JD Notae had 22 points off the bench to make the game more respectable in the second half, while freshman guard Moses Moody had 18. The other four starters combined for 15 points on 5/27 shooting.

The Razorbacks can’t afford any offensive issues against their next opponent Alabama (10-3, 5-0), currently in first place in the SEC after a dominant 85-65 victory performance over Kentucky. John Petty Jr. had 23 points to lead all scorers, while Jaden Shackelford chipped in with 18 points and six assists.

There are plenty of storylines for this game, including the Crimson Tide looking to remain at the top of the SEC, while Arkansas trying to stay in contention. A loss here would drop them to 2-4 in league play, and trending backward in terms of Bracketology. Coming into the game, the Hogs’ best wins to date have been Auburn and Georgia, two teams near the bottom of the conference standings.

That makes this game a near must-win for the program. Here’s a look at the biggest keys for the road team to get the win over Alabama.