Arkansas Basketball: 3 keys to beating Gonzaga in Sweet 16 matchup

3. Focus on the Perimeter

Jaylin Williams will have an extremely tough assignment dealing with both Drew Timme and Chet Holmgren in the post. Eric Musselman might have a better chance at the victory if he focuses on winning the perimeter game.

Offensively, Arkansas Basketball has managed to be a very solid unit without hitting threes consistently. For the season, the team shoots 30% from beyond the arc with just one rotation regular converting above 35% in Stanley Umude. With Timme and Holmgren clogging the paint and protecting the rim, having a good game from distance will give Arkansas’ offense another necessary dimension to defend against.

Umude is the primary perimeter threat, while JD Notae is in a slump, shooting just 4-22 on attempts from deep over his last four games. Focused attention on moving the ball around the perimeter may also force Holmgren and Timme out of the paint, thus freeing up driving lanes for players like Notae to take advantage and make plays.

Defensively, the key to victory may also lie in the perimeter game. Gonzaga has no shortage of perimeter threats to deal with, including Andrew Nembhard and Rasir Bolton. Even Chet Holmgren will stretch the floor to knock down threes.

However, Arkansas has beaten teams with good big men before by allowing those bigs to feast while keeping defensive attention on the outside. This strategy produced wins over Kentucky (Oscar Tshiebwe), Florida (Colin Castleton), and Auburn (Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler). Jaylin Williams will still need help inside to avoid early foul trouble, but attempting to win the game through the frontcourt on either end seems like a losing battle.

Timme and Holmgren are going to make life very difficult for Arkansas Basketball down low. The Razorbacks will thus need to prioritize the perimeter game on both ends of the floor: knocking down open threes while simultaneously limiting the Zags from the outside.