Arkansas basketball fans saw their Thanksgiving Day end on a sour note thanks to Cameron Boozer’s statsheet-stuffing performance.
No. 4 Duke outlasted the Razorbacks 80-71 with the five-star freshman scoring 35 points on 13 of 18 from the field to go along with 9 rebounds. The Blue Devils only had two other players in double figures, but Boozer put the team on his back and carried them to victory.
Arkansas struggled with Duke’s length, shooting 41% from the floor and 33% from behind the arc. Freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr. led the Hogs in scoring with 21 points and 5 assists, shooting 8 of 17 from the floor and 4 of 8 from deep. Sophomore guard Billy Richmond III played inspired basketball, finishing with 11 points and 5 rebounds but turning the ball over 5 times.
Trevon Brazile chipped in a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds, but Arkansas’ bigs had no answer for Boozer. Nick Pringle and Malique Ewin combined for just 10 points, 4 rebounds and no blocks in 39 total minutes. Karter Knox, who has frequently supplemented Arkansas’ frontcourt on the glass, finished with 2 points and 2 rebounds.
The Hogs were outrebounded 37-29 and outscored 42-28 in the paint, too often settling for jumpshots rather than attacking the rim. Boozer alone attempted as many free throws (11) as Arkansas’ entire team.
Arkansas held a 60-53 lead with less than 10 minutes remaining, but Boozer and the Blue Devils continued to wear the Hogs down, eventually finishing the game on a 10-2 run.
It’s a gut-punch of a loss for the Razorbacks, but they once again went down to the wire against a team with all the makings of a championship contender.
Greatness Within Reach for Arkansas Basketball
It was the Hogs’ second loss of the season along with the 69-66 road defeat against Michigan State in the first week of the season. Since then, the Spartans have beaten No. 12 Kentucky and No. 16 North Carolina by a combined 33 points on neutral floors. Duke is now 8-0 with wins over the Razorbacks, Texas and No. 24 Kansas.
Arkansas clearly has what it takes to play with the best of the best this season, but moral victories count for squat. Like Michigan State, Duke has shown just how much Hogs must smooth out a litany of sloppy issues to reach their true ceiling as a 2026 Final Four team.
Frontcourt play is a major part of that. Brazile was terrific, but got little help on the glass from Ewin and Pringle, and Knox was a virtual no-show. Whether it’s more help or cleaner defending needed, Arkansas has to find a way to keep Pringle from fouling out against elite bigs. The South Carolina transfer hit five fouls against Duke, Michigan State and Memphis in the preseason.
