Oral Roberts vs Arkansas: 2021 NCAA Tournament game preview, TV schedule
By Joey Loose
Oral Roberts and Arkansas meet up in a very unexpected Sweet Sixteen matchup; who gets the win and moves on in Indy?
TV schedule: Saturday, March 27, 7:25 pm ET. TBS
Arena: Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana
Very few people in the country certainly expected to see Oral Roberts (18-10) in this game a few weeks ago. Just the fourth seed in the Summit League, the Golden Eagles have launched themselves onto the national stage, winning the Summit League Tournament before pulling a pair of upsets in the NCAA Tournament’s opening weekend. Oral Roberts shocked 2-seed Ohio State before overcoming 7-seed Florida, advancing to the unbelievable Sweet Sixteen bid.
The story for the Golden Eagles has started with their two impressive shooters. Sophomore guard Max Abmas (24.6 ppg, 3.8 apg) put up 29 points against the Buckeyes before a 26-point outing against Florida, one that including hitting all 12 of his free throw attempts. Junior forward Kevin Obanor (19.0 ppg, 9.6 rpg) has been even more impressive, with double-doubles in both games, totaling 58 points in the two Oral Roberts wins.
Seeing as how they were a 15-seed, it’s no surprise that all common metrics find Oral Roberts as the weakest team left in the field. Even after those two upset wins, they are still only 128th in KenPom, with their offense impressive but their defensive efficiency quite disappointing. The Golden Eagles have proven they belong, but how long can their run and gun offense survive in this Tournament?
Across the court, Arkansas (24-6) has certainly proven that they belong. One of the SEC’s top teams this season, the Razorbacks secured a 3-seed and have taken care of business. They were a trendy upset pick against an upstart Colgate squad, but took care of them and Texas Tech during the opening weekend. Do they have an even deeper run in them?
Senior forward Justin Smith (13.9 ppg, 7.1 rpg) has been doing the heavy lifting on the offensive side of the ball, though this is a pretty balanced scoring attack. Smith’s 29-point, 13-rebound effort against Colgate was followed up by 20 points against the Red Raiders. Freshman guard Moses Moody (17.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg) is another clear name to watch, putting up 15 points against Texas Tech. Be on the lookout for other contributions, even as coach Eric Musselman plays with a short bench.
Arkansas enters play ranked 15th by KenPom, sitting at 10th in defensive efficiency in the nation. Musselman has put together a fantastic team that has fought hard to get to this point, including scrappy play on the defensive end. The Razorbacks find themselves as definite favorites to make the Elite Eight, but will they be able to contain these dynamic players on the Golden Eagles?
As wild as this matchup stands, it’s even wilder to consider that these two teams played each other back in December. In that game, the Golden Eagles were actually holding their own, building a double-digit lead early in the second half. However, Arkansas’s offense exploded down the stretch, notching 57 points after halftime. For the Golden Eagles to win this game and make the Elite Eight, they’ll not only need their offense operating at a high level but their defense as well.
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No 15-seed has ever made the Elite Eight; what makes the Golden Eagles any different? These stories of Cinderella teams are usually born on the backs of star players and collaborative team efforts on both sides of the court. If Arkansas continues to lock down on defense and can contain Abmas and Obanor, then they will be an Elite Eight team. It may take the best effort from the Golden Eagles to pull off a third upset, but wouldn’t this be the year for that kind of magic?