20. Arkansas (9-3)
More than a few college basketball teams have stood out in the early weeks of this season by beating up on inferior foes but that hasn’t been what Arkansas has done. John Calipari’s crew has been challenged several times, especially in recent weeks, leading to those early losses to Duke and Michigan State. The Razorbacks were clearly up to the challenge with big wins over Louisville and Texas Tech since December started but how would they deal with another this week?
Before that matchup, Arkansas was on the court on Tuesday against Queens and came away with a 108-80 victory. Trevon Brazile had 26 points while Darius Acuff Jr. added 23 points and 10 assists in a relatively easy win over the Royals. Things did not go the Razorbacks’ way in New Jersey over the weekend, falling 94-85 against a very talented Houston team. Acuff Jr. had another phenomenal showing with 27 points while Malique Ewin added 20 points and 9 rebounds off the bench.
These Razorbacks looked really good in those ranked wins earlier this month but let’s not let Saturday’s loss diminish their efforts. Arkansas fell out of that game against Houston but clawed back in several times and just couldn’t get over the edge. This team should still be an SEC contender, though we’re waiting over a week before we see them on the court again.