14. Arkansas (25-8)
The Razorbacks have had some moments where things just haven’t gone their way, evident in blowout losses against Auburn and Florida and that double-overtime heartbreaker a few weeks ago to Alabama. However, John Calipari has one of the best young pieces in the country in Darius Acuff Jr. and these Razorbacks have shown that they can be a menace on the basketball court. The entered this week with high expectations for the SEC Tournament.
Arkansas did just what was needed in the quarterfinal, downing a red-hot Oklahoma team 82-79 with clutch play in the final minutes. Acuff proved his insane value with a 37-point showing to lead the charge. Things were even tougher in a surprising semifinal matchup against Ole Miss, the 15-seed in the field. The Rebels pushed them to the limit, but Arkansas prevailed 93-90 in overtime. Meleek Thomas had 29 points while Acuff put up 24 more points to advance to the finals.
Arguably, Arkansas would’ve liked to have played better these last two days against inferior SEC foes, but at least they’re still playing in the field. The Razorbacks avoided upset and have a chance to topple Vanderbilt for the SEC Tournament on Sunday right before the bracket is announced. We know that Arkansas can score with just about any team in the nation but can their defense do enough to produce a stretch run in the coming weeks?