FAYETTEVILLE --What Arkansas coach Mike Anderson saw from the Razorbacks in the first half against Dayton last week is what he would like to see for two halves against Southeast Missouri tonight.
In their annual trip to central Arkansas, the Razorbacks (7-2) face Little Rock native and former Arkansas State coach Dickey Nutt's Redhawks (5-5) at 7:30 tonight at Verizona Arena in North Little Rock. The game airs on the SEC Network (Resort Channel 79).
Dayton, an NCAA Elite Eight team last season, came to Walton Arena a strong 6-1 but was dismantled in the first halfby Arkansas, 40-23.
"I am looking forward to see if we can build off the Dayton experience," Anderson said. "I thought defensively, especially the first half, we probably played as well as we have all year. We kept Dayton out of sync in what they wanted to do. We had great ball movement offensively. We shared the basketball and hopefully there will be a continuation of that."
Dayton outscored the Hogs over the final 20 minutes of Arkansas' 69-55 victory, the Hogs committing nine second-half turnovers.
Anderson stressed correcting unforced errors during the week's practices,which also had been emphasized after the Razorbacks blew a six-point lead in the final 1:17 of regulation in an 68-65 overtime road loss to Clemson the previous Sunday.
"We had some unforced turnovers that if you are going to be one of the better teams in the country you have got to eliminate," Anderson said. "That's what we have been working on this week, making sure our defense continues to be the strength of the basketball team."
With their venture into Pulaski County the Razorbacks bring home starting sophomore forward/ leading scorer Bobby Portis (Little Rock Hall) and two prominent reserves, senior forward Alandise Harris (Little Rock Central) and freshman guard Anton Beard, truly home from North Little Rock.
"There is a lot of excitement," Anderson said. "The fans relish the Razorbacks coming down there and they show up and show out. It's an opportunity for some of our guys that are from that area, like a homecoming so to speak. But I want to make sure our guys stay focused on the task at hand. Southeast Missouri State comes in with an experienced basketball team."
Though only a modest 5-5, Nutt's Redhawks only lost 65-61 on the road to SEC member Missouri.
"They have lost close games," Nutt said. "I believe they have six seniors. That's a very dangerous team. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain."
The Razorbacks have seen some of these Redhawks. When University of Houston teammates before transferring to Arkansas and SEMO, respectively, Alandise Harris and SEMO starting point guard J.J. Thompson helped the Cougars defeat the Hogs at Verizon Arena in Anderson's first season with the Razorbacks.
SEMO senior reserve forward Josh Langford formerly played in the SEC for Auburn against Arkansas while freshman reserve guard Marcus Wallace is a Little Rock native and Pulaski Academy product who played high-school ball against some of Anderson's Razorbacks.
The most statistically relevant Redhawks are starting senior guard Jarekious Bradley, their leading scorer averaging 16.1 points; 6-9 senior forward Nino Johnson, 10.9 points and a team-leading 6.9 rebounds and 24 blocked shots, and guard Antonius Cleveland, 9.9 points.
Though he thought displaced senior starters Ky Madden and Harris responded well off the bench, Anderson plans to start junior point guard and junior forward Jacorey Williams again, as he did vs. Dayton, along with regulars Portis, Anthlon Bell and Michael Qualls.
" I just thought Jacorey gave us a jolt in that lineup and I thought Jabril gave us a jolt of energy in that lineup." Anderson said. "You could see a different when those guys were out there."
Beard comes home to North Little Rock an invaluable guard off the bench.
"He doesn't predicate his game on offense, so that means he's coming with a defensive mindset," Anderson said. "Guarding people he's in the right place at the right time. He doesn't mind getting down there and getting dirty. Offensively, he moves the basketball. He's just doing all the little things. and all those little things are adding up to playing time."
The Hogs hustle back to Fayetteville after the SEMO game to ready for Monday night's visit to Walton from the Milwaukee Panthers (5-6), who today host Montana. The Arkansas-Milwaukee game tips at 8 p.m. on ESPNU.
At 3 p.m. Sunday, Arkansas women's coach Jimmy Dykes makes his central Arkansas debut as the Razorbacks face Oklahoma at Verizon Arena in the second game of an SEC/Big 12 Challenge doubleheader. Texas A&M faces Texas at 12:30 p.m. before the Razorbacks, with starting forwards Jessica Jackson of Jacksonville and Melissa Wolff of Cabot, take the floor.
Arkansas (7-2)
Pos.-Player Height-Class Pts. Reb.
F-Jacorey Williams 6-8 jr. 7.3 3.1
F-Bobby Portis 6-8 soph 15.8 6.8
G-Jabril Durham 6-1 jr. 2.9 1.3
G-Anthlon Bell 6-3 jr. 10.6 1.4
G-Michael Qualls 6-6 jr. 14.3 4.7
SE Missouri State (5-5)
F-Nino Johnson 6-9 sr. 10.9 6.9
F-Aaron Adeoye 6-7 sr. 7.4 6.7
G-J.J. Thompson 6-0 jr. 4-4 2.0
G-Jarkeious Bradley 6-5 sr. 16.1 4.5
G-Antonius Cleveland 6-6 soph 9.9 4.5
Sports on 12/20/2014