20. Arkansas (13-5)
Things are far from perfect in Fayetteville this season but we all know that John Calipari can built a talented crew and he’s done that again. Arkansas has had their moments this season where they look like a real contender but the defense can really let them down just as easily. It’s been a bit of both this season, boasting nice wins over Tennessee and Texas Tech in the last month but also some of that bad.
More of the good came out to start the week as the Razorbacks unleashed in a 108-74 home win against South Carolina. Darius Acuff Jr. had 18 points and 13 assists, Malique Ewin put up his own 13 points, and the Razorbacks shot 59% from the floor as a team. The pendulum swung back the other way over the weekend, with Arkansas falling 90-76 at Georgia. A rough start doomed this team despite 20 points and 6 assists from Acuff as they picked up another league loss.
Great shooting has helped Arkansas really deliver in some of their best wins while unreliable defense keeps being their Achilles heel. This team boasts some fantastic young talent and Acuff has really proven his value throughout the year, but this team really needs even more from players like Trevon Brazile in the weeks ahead. Nothing comes easy, as the Razorbacks host Vanderbilt in just a few days while looking for a bounce back effort.