Arkansas vs Missouri: Arkansan Stars Getting Mothballed at Mizzou Now a Trend

Annor Boateng, Adou Thiero, Arkansas basketball, Arkansas vs Missouri
photo credit: Missouri Athletics / Craven Whitlow

Mental mistakes and defensive lapses at crucial moments led to yet another disheartening loss for the Arkansas basketball program earlier this week at LSU, dropping to 0-4 in SEC play for just the second time since joining the league.

Despite a much-improved offensive effort, the Razorbacks couldn’t secure the victory in a game that was as close to a must-win as it gets in mid-January. Given how difficult the rest of their conference slate projects to be and how the Tigers are among the “weaker” opponents, it was a game they desperately needed.

Up next in the gauntlet that is the SEC is another relatively winnable game for the Hogs, albeit another contest on the road. This time, Arkansas travels to Columbia to take on Missouri. The Tigers are 14-3 on the season, including 3-1 in SEC play with their only loss coming to top-ranked Auburn.

Missouri has been clicking as of late, including wins against two teams that have already defeated Arkansas: LSU (83-67 on Jan. 7) and Florida (83-82 on Jan. 14).

While recently notching a road win vs an elite team like the Gators lends to the idea that Missouri is more than capable of defeating the Hogs, it could also help Arkansas that the Tigers are riding such a high into their next matchup against a team that’s winless in SEC play.

The elements of a “trap game” are certainly there for the Tigers. This matchup is scheduled to tip off at 5 p.m. CT Saturday and will be televised on SEC Network.

Update on Annor Boateng

The most notable name on Missouri’s roster for fans of Arkansas basketball – especially those extending to the high school ranks – is Little Rock native Annor Boateng.

After choosing the Tigers over the Razorbacks and several other programs, the former five-star recruit has had a mediocre start to his freshman season, despite being their second-highest ranked recruit of the last 21 years.

Boateng, who prepped at Little Rock Central, has appeared in only 10 of Missouri’s 17 games and is averaging just 9.1 minutes in those games. Seven of those appearances were starts, but all of them came in non-conference play and he eclipsed double-digit minutes in only three of them.

The 6-foot-6 wing’s best game during that stretch came when he scored 10 points in a career-high 25 minutes against Mississippi Valley State, which is currently ranked 364th out of 364 Division I teams on KenPom.

Since the start of SEC play, Boateng’s lone appearance was in Missouri’s opener at Auburn. He played 12 minutes of mop-up duty in the blowout loss and didn’t attempt a shot, but did go 2 of 2 at the free throw line and added 1 assist, 1 block and 1 steal in addition to committing 3 fouls. So far, he isn’t yet producing anything near the jaw-dropping highlights from his prep days:

What doesn’t show up on the stat sheet, though, is what Boateng is doing behind closed doors. Missouri basketball coach Dennis Gates praised the Little Rock native for the work he’s put in at practice.

“Annor’s going to have his day because he comes in every day with a great attitude,” Gates told reporters Friday. “He comes in focused on the scouting report and he focuses on unselfishness and that’s just the character of that young man.”

Gates added that Boateng’s lack of playing time is mostly because he’s behind Caleb Grill and Tamar Bates, who have a combined 10 years of experience at the Division I level.

“He’s earning everything the right way,” Gates said. “It’s just a matter of his opportunity coming up, and I think it will.”

Until that opportunity comes, though, his career at Missouri seems to be reminiscent of the last top-100 recruit from Arkansas who chose to head north and play for the Tigers.

Pine Bluff’s Courtney Crutchfield actually committed to the Razorbacks before changing his mind and signing with Missouri. Despite being one of the top receivers in the country, he appeared in only two games as a freshman last season and didn’t record any statistics. That led to Crutchfield entering the transfer portal and ultimately ending up in Fayetteville.

It remains to be seen if Boateng can work his way back into the rotation or if he’ll meet a similar fate as Crutchfield – although who knows if such a homecoming is possible for him.

What to Expect from Missouri Basketball

As for the players Arkansas must worry about Saturday, the Tigers have a quartet of players leading the offensive attack. One of those standout players is Duke transfer Mark Mitchell. Known for his versatility and scoring ability, Mitchell is averaging 13.6 points and 4.9 rebounds this season.

Standing at 6-foot-8, his two-way play makes him a crucial piece of the Tigers’ game plan, though his scoring has dipped slightly in SEC play, as has his efficiency. He’s gone from 13.8 points on 53% from the field prior to SEC play to only 12.8 points on 46% against conference opponents. This should be an intriguing matchup with Arkansas’ leading scorer, Adou Thiero.

Tamar Bates (6-foot-5, Sr.) is next on the list of leading scorers for the Tigers, contributing 12.8 points and 2.9 rebounds per game while tallying a notable 1.9 steals per game. Bates’ leadership and experience as the highest scoring returner from last season’s Missouri squad will be at odds next to Boogie Fland’s young, on-court leadership for the Hogs.

Caleb Grill – a 6-foot-3 senior – is the team’s most prolific 3-point shooter, hitting a scalding near 49% from long range on 5.8 attempts per game. Grill missed some time due to injury through December, but he’s played in all four SEC games for the Tigers and averages 12.2 points per game on the season..

This is most likely to be DJ Wagner’s defensive assignment judging primarily on positional height and skill sets, but it will take a team effort to keep the Tigers at bay from the 3-point line – starting with Grill. As a team, they shoot over 37% from distance, including nearly 40% against SEC teams.

Anthony Robinson II (6-foot-2, So.) brings a strong defensive presence to the team, leading the Tigers with 2.1 steals per game. Robinson’s ability to disrupt opposing offenses is a considerable asset to a team currently ranked No. 8 in the country in team steals with 10.3 per game.

Robinson will likely cause fits for the Razorback guards as they attempt to initiate some sort of offense against a solid Missouri defensive unit. The Tigers are allowing only 69.3 points per game this season, which is just outside the top 100 nationally.

Marques Warrick is certainly another player the Hogs have to keep an eye on when he enters the game off the bench thanks to his 45% mark from 3-point range. He plays just over 16 minutes per game, but still averages 8.2 points, ranking him third on the team in points per minute behind Grill and Mitchell.

Other notable players in Missouri’s rotation:

  • Trent Pierce (6-10, So.) | 8.3 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 84% 2P
  • Josh Gray (6-11, Sr.) | 2.7 PPG, 5.2 RPG
  • Tony Perkins (6-4, Sr.) | 7.7 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 2.2 APG

What to Expect from Arkansas Basketball

Despite dropping their fourth consecutive SEC contest, things actually looked better at times for the Hogs in their last game against LSU. It was a combination of many small things – primarily untimely mental lapses and poor defensive effort – that ultimately led to the loss.

Still, the Hogs scored 74 points – by far their most against an SEC opponent – and shot 45% from long range while hitting 11 of 13 (85%) from the charity stripe. It’s their ability to finish inside the arc that has been their Achilles heel in many recent games, and the loss to LSU was no different.

Arkansas shot only 37% from 2-point range against the Tigers, their second-lowest outing of the season behind only their astronomically bad performance against Florida in the game prior, when they went 2 of 16 on layup attempts and finished at 34% overall inside the 3-point line.

A lot of this poor shooting has come from the team’s leading shot-taker, Boogie Fland. The freshman point guard has impressed with his ability to be a lead ball handler and facilitator, but he’s struggled with efficiency virtually all season.

Fland has hit only 42% of his 2-point attempts this year, including an abysmal 30% during SEC play. It’s hard to hand a true freshman the keys to the offense and expect elite efficiency, but Fland has shot 39% or worse from the field in more than half of his games. His 35% shooting against LSU was his highest against an SEC opponent this season.

Still, the freshman phenom caught fire down the stretch, hitting four big buckets in a row to keep the Hogs alive as LSU got whatever it wanted on the other end of the court. Perhaps this shooting performance will spark an uptick in efficiency for the young star, which would also correspond with an uptick in T-shirts sales:

Fland avoiding the freshman wall and figuring out a way to improve against better competition may be Arkansas’ best hope at salvaging their season at this point.

Johnell Davis had a bounce back game after an 0-of-8 performance against Florida. He tallied 10 points – all in the first half – on 50% shooting from the field and 67% from long range, sparking a couple of different runs for Arkansas. However, his 3 turnovers and defensive lapses contributed to the loss for the Hogs – including an odd play where Davis dribbled the ball off of his own leg after securing a defensive rebound.

That play alone summed up the strangeness in this matchup that led to the loss for Arkansas. Of course, credit is due to LSU for capitalizing on the opportunity, but the Razorbacks made so many mental errors, scoring droughts and poor defensive plays that it was nearly impossible for them to come away with a win.

The most worrisome part is that all of this came against essentially the second-worst team in the conference by the metrics. Missouri is closer to the top half of the SEC.

What to Watch in Arkansas vs Missouri

Arkansas has struggled with rebounding so far this season, especially against SEC opponents. It is currently 1-5 when it gets out-rebounded, including 0-4 in SEC play, compared to 10-1 when it is at least even in the rebound column.

The Tigers have a few different players that could pose a threat to Arkansas as rebounders, but Missouri as a team ranks outside the top 250 in the country in rebounding with 34.7 per game. Arkansas averages 35.9 rebounds per game by comparison.

One player in particular who the Hogs can’t afford to let hurt them on the glass is 6-foot-11 senior Josh Gray. The former Gamecock had the game of his life against Arkansas two seasons ago, tallying career highs in points (20) and rebounds (14) despite ultimately losing to the Hogs.

Gray had been a full-time starter for Missouri prior to SEC play, averaging 2.9 points and 4.5 rebounds in his first 14 games. Over the last three games, however, Gray has exploded as a rebounder off the bench and Missouri has beaten three straight conference foes. He’s grabbed an average of 8.7 rebounds (2.3 offensive rebounds) over that span.

The other key aspect to this game for Arkansas will be taking care of the basketball. The Tigers are one of the best teams in the SEC in steals with 10.3 per game, including nabbing 13 on the road against Auburn and 12 on the road against Florida.

“They get after you,” assistant coach Kenny Payne said. “They play passing lanes. Even in the zone, they’re active in their zone. They run at you. They try to force you into turnovers and get out in transition. In the man, there’s so much pressure put on the ball with no outlets, you have to be strong to attack their defense and then make plays.”

The Razorbacks are not a terrible turnover team, averaging 11.6 per game — including 10.3 against SEC teams, which ranks sixth in the conference. However, they still have a freshman point guard and transfer guard fighting to find his confidence game by game.

Taking care of the ball is always vital in road games, but paying a bit of extra attention to ball security in this matchup might not be the worst idea if Arkansas wants to return home with their first SEC win of the season on Saturday.

Game Prediction

Arkansas is 35-27 all-time against the Tigers, including winning seven of the last eight matchups and three of the last four in Columbia.

The Razorbacks are quickly growing desperate to get their season back on track. That sense of urgency will show against Missouri – a team they’re already supposed to hate due to an apparent rivalry.

Davis will improve his consistency and continue to ramp up as a scorer while Fland rides the hot streak he closed out the game against LSU on. It will take a total team effort, and another step forward offensively, but Arkansas is already running out of time to figure things out barely halfway through January.

Arkansas wins, 75-72.

How to Watch Arkansas vs Missouri

Date: Saturday, Jan. 18

Location: Mizzou Arena (Columbia, Mo.)

Tipoff Time/TV: 5 p.m. CT (SEC Network)

ESPN BPI: Missouri has a 66.3% chance to win and is favored by 4.2 points.

KenPom: Missouri has a 69% chance to win, with a projected score of 77-72.

Line: Odds Assist has Arkansas as a 2.5 point underdog

SEC Basketball Standings

Here’s what the standings look like entering Saturday’s games:

TeamSEC RecordOverall Record
t-1. Auburn4-016-1
t-1. Ole Miss4-015-2
t-3. Tennessee3-116-1
t-3. Alabama3-114-3
t-3. Kentucky3-114-3
t-3. Missouri3-114-3
t-7. Florida2-215-2
t-7. Georgia2-214-3
t-7. Mississippi State2-214-3
t-7. Vanderbilt2-214-3
t-7. Texas A&M2-213-4
t-12. LSU1-312-5
t-12. Texas1-312-5
t-14. Oklahoma0-413-4
t-14. Arkansas0-411-6
t-14. South Carolina0-410-7

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