20. Arkansas (20-7)
There are several contenders in the SEC this season but John Calipari knows a thing or two about winning this conference. Sure, the Razorbacks haven’t been perfect and would certainly like a few of those performances back, namely double-digit losses at Auburn and Georgia. However, they’ve been playing much better recently, mashing Vanderbilt, getting revenge over Auburn, and putting themselves in prime position in the league standings.
On Wednesday night the Razorbacks came up just short in an all-time classic, falling 117-115 at Alabama in double overtime. Darius Acuff Jr. had a program-altering performance with 49 points while Meleek Thomas added 24 points and Billy Richmond III put up 20. Arkansas got back on track over the weekend, getting a 94-86 home win over Missouri to conclude the week. Richmond led with 21 points, Acuff added 20 points, and the Razorbacks won while shooting 52% as a team.
Even in recent weeks, the Razorbacks have had some tough shooting efforts but constantly have been finding ways to win big games. It’s hard to hate on a team too much that loses when scoring 115 and losing several starts to foul trouble, especially when Arkansas is still in second place in the SEC. The last few weeks will be vital on their chances to win a league title, especially with a trip to league leader Florida this upcoming Saturday.