Texas Coach’s Chest Beating ahead of Hogs Showdown Is an Indirect Shot at Kansas

Rodney Terry, D.J. Wagner, Bill Self, Arkansas basketball, Arkansas vs Texas, Kansas basketball
photo credit: Texas Athletics / Craven Whitlow / Craven Whitlow

In storybook fashion, John Calipari led Arkansas into his former home and beat No. 12 Kentucky by double digits in his first trip back to Rupp Arena.

The three Kentucky transfers who followed him to Fayetteville combined for 52 points, 15 rebounds, 9 assists and 4 steals while shooting 55% from the field and 50% from long range in the upset victory.

The win was arguably one of the most satisfying of Calipari’s career after a somewhat abrupt departure from Lexington last April – much to the delight of many Wildcat fans – but he and his team don’t have long to dwell on the victory. Tonight, Arkansas takes the court in Austin for its second straight game as a significant underdog. This time around, Texas is a 7-point favorite in its rumble with the Hogs according to the latest sports betting odds.

There”s plenty on the line for an Arkansas team sitting at 13-8 overall, including 2-6 in SEC play. The Razorbacks have put themselves in a position to at least still have a chance at the NCAA Tournament. They climbed several spots in one night in the NET to No. 47, while also holding a top-50 spot on KenPom with the No. 32 ranked defense after the big win.

Beating Texas in the schools’ first meeting as conference foes since the Razorbacks left the Southwest Conference in 1991 is a significant challenge. Especially if its crowd brings the heat as expected. Indeed, Texas basketball coach Rodney Terry is hoping for such an rowdy environment at the Moody Center, the Longhorns’ new 10,763-seat arena that opened in 2022.

“We need a very difficult place to play in come Wednesday night,” Terry told reporters Monday. “We need Moody to be rocking at another level because we know when we got in Fayetteville, it’ll be sold out over in Fayetteville when the Horns are coming down.”

There’s a bit of truth to that statement. As Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian put it, Arkansas fans hate Texas more than they like themselves, so it probably will be a good atmosphere on Feb. 26.

However, Bud Walton Arena – despite the school announcing it sold all of its season tickets for a fourth straight year – has yet to have a true “sellout” crowd in which all of the seats are packed. Even the first (unofficial) game of the year, the exhibition against Kansas, had plenty of empty sections in the corners of the upper deck and a spattering of empty seats in the lower bowl.

To think an Arkansas vs Texas battle between two likely unranked teams could do something the No. 1 Jayhawks couldn’t even do could be viewed as a tinge of Texas arrogance, but the Razorbacks could help the cause by continuing their positive momentum with their third win in four games Wednesday night.

Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT and the game will be streamed on ESPN2.

What to Expect from Texas Basketball

The Longhorns have been playing well of late, winning three of their last four games to improve to 15-7 (4-5 SEC). Their last win came by 31 points on the road against an LSU squad that beat Arkansas earlier this season – perhaps the worst loss on the Razorbacks’ schedule thus far.

In Texas’ victory, three different Longhorns scored at least 16 points, including a very familiar face for Razorback fans.

Tramon Mark is averaging only 9.6 points for Texas this season, including hitting 38% from long range after hitting rough 36% a season ago at Arkansas, but he tallied a season-high 18 points on 5 of 8 from the field.

Mark has been starting at one of the wing positions alongside three other players listed at 6-foot-6 or taller, so don’t be surprised to see the Razorbacks deploy a top transfer of their own in Johnell Davis to guard the former Hog in this matchup.

Freshman phenom Tre Johnson (6-foot-6) is leading his team – and the entire SEC – in scoring so far this season. He’s averaging an eye-popping 19.0 points on nearly 38% shooting from long range. Johnson is one of the better tough-shot makers in college basketball and will likely draw a combination of different Razorbacks in an attempt to slow him down.

Johnson and injured Razorback freshman Boogie Fland were two of the highest-ranked recruits to join the SEC this season. The matchup – though they play slightly different positions – would have certainly been must-see TV if Fland wasn’t hurt.

Senior forward Arthur Kaluma – another big transfer making an impact for the Longhorns – is a force to be reckoned with on both sides of the ball and arguably Texas’ best all-around player.

During his stint at Creighton, Kaluma faced a Razorback squad that featured future NBA players Anthony Black, Ricky Council IV and Jordan Walsh – as well as a pre-ACL injury Trevon Brazile. Kaluma tallied 9 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 1 block in the 90-87 victory over the Hogs at the 2022 Maui Invitational.

At 6-foot-7, Kaluma is now averaging 13.6 points, a team-high 8.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals and blocks each while hitting 45% of his long range attempts for the Longhorns – his third collegiate stop.

It’s notable when a player can tally at least one steal and one block per came in the same season. Kaluma is one of only seven SEC players currently on pace to accomplish the feat this season – Adou Thiero is just outside the list with 1.9 SPG and 0.9 BPG averages so far.

Jordan Pope – a 6-foot-2 junior – rounds out the top scorers for the Longhorns with 11.6 points per game on nearly 40% from long range. His scoring has dropped drastically over the last five games, tallying only 6.0 points on under 27% from the field and just over 27% from long range. 

Kadin Shedrick poses the biggest challenge for the Hogs on the interior. Standing at 6-foot-11, the senior forward doesn’t average quite as many rebounds per game as his teammate Kaluma, but his 6.2 RPG are nothing to dismiss.

Not to mention he leads the team in offensive rebounds per game at 2.6 per game and has an offensive rebound rate of 12.2% – good for No. 8 in the conference. He also poured in a season-high 16 points on 55% from the field to go along with 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals in the Longhorns’ win over LSU.

Jonas Aidoo has been a virtual no-show in the last few games for Arkansas, but part of that has been due to the re-emergence of Zvonimir Ivisic on the offensive side of the court. Still, Big Z and Trevon Brazile can only do so much against a good offensive rebounder like Shedrick.

Other notable players in Texas’ rotation:

  • Chendall Weaver (6-3, Jr) | 6.7 PPG, 5.1 RPG | Out Indefinitely, Hip Flexor
  • Julian Larry (6-3, Sr) | 5.0 PPG, 3.8 APG (team high), 33% 3P
  • Ze’Rik Onyema (6-8, Sr) | 3.9 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 64% FG

What to Expect from Arkansas Basketball

Johnell Davis put together his best game as a Razorback at the perfect time. He tallied 18 points on 50% shooting from the field and 3 of 6 from distance to go along with 6 assists, 5 rebounds and 2 steals in the massive win over Kentucky.

The FAU transfer had been shooting only 28% from the field and 23% from 3-point range in SEC play, so seeing him return to his former high-scoring self – even if only for one game – was a breath of fresh air for Hog fans.

His ability to replicate that type of performance, or at the very least some of the efficiency, could be the difference between whether or not Arkansas makes the NCAA Tournament.

The real storyline of that game, though, was the pure dominance of the three former Kentucky Wildcats who followed their coach to Arkansas last offseason. Adou Thiero led the way with 21 points, his fifth time surpassing the 20-point mark this season and the first time he’s done so in conference play.

A majority of his points came from his relentless aggression and ability to get to the free throw line, where he was 10 of 12, though he also shot 50% from the field and knocked down a 3-pointer to go along with 8 rebounds and 3 steals in his return to Rupp Arena.

Thiero took a bit of time to adjust to life without Boogie Fland on the offensive side of the ball, taking a total of 12 shots over his last two games, but perhaps this performance against his former squad will give him the moxie needed to lead his squad for the rest of the season.

D.J. Wagner turned in his best performance as a Razorback, as well. He tied his season-high with 17 points and came two assists shy of his career best, dishing out 8 dimes.

Wagner had also been in a major slump for much of the conference schedule, but he hit a pair of triples against Kentucky and scored all 17 of his points in a monster second half to seal the victory.

Zvonimir Ivisic, the third Kentucky transfer, continued his stretch of recent good play with a 14-point performance, including going 4 of 7 (57%) from beyond the arc. He also grabbed four rebounds and recorded a steal and an assist on the night.

Over his last four games, Big Z is now averaging 11.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.3 blocks while shooting 50% from the field and 41% from long range.

“I think Z is evolving,” Arkansas assistant coach Kenny Payne said. “I think Z is getting better. I believe that Z can also can catch the ball in the post and if he’s at a position to where he doesn’t need to dribble, he can get into a shot and at 7-2, how do you block it? It becomes just a make or miss. He just has to keep evolving as a player.”

With Jonas Aidoo struggling to find his footing – quite literally after having foot surgery in the offseason – Ivisic’s ability to provide the Hogs with solid center minutes has become crucial. It will continue to be a major key against teams like Texas down the final stretch of the season.

The job Karter Knox has done as he’s settled into his “dirty work” role should not go unnoticed either. Though Knox was in consideration to be among the team’s leading scorers in the preseason, he has found his role through crashing the offensive glass (7 offensive rebounds in his last six games), out-running opponents to provide fast break opportunities and continuing to settle in as a spot-up shooter.

He had a massive 13 points in the Hogs’ win over Georgia a few games ago and provided a similar punch for Arkansas against Kentucky, stuffing the stat sheet with 10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 assist while hitting 57% from the field and 67% from 3-point range.

Knox is now averaging 10.3 points, 4.7 rebounds (including 1.0 offensive rebounds) and 1.0 steals while shooting 40% from distance over his last three games. With only eight players in the rotation, Knox stepping up the way he has is truly one of the unsung reasons Arkansas’ season is still holding on by a thread.

“We know he can score, we need him to score, we need him to score in a multitude of ways, but to see him grow like this has been gratifying,” Payne said.

What to Watch in Arkansas vs Texas

The Hogs figured things out offensively in a major way against Kentucky. Almost uncharacteristically so. It was the first time Arkansas has shot above 55% against an SEC team – only the fifth time they’ve reached that mark all season – and the first time all year they’ve shot better than 50% from 3-point range as a team.

That’s all well and good, but it’s not realistic to think the Hogs will hold up that scoring pace for the remainder of the season given some of the performance we’ve seen against other SEC teams. Kentucky’s poor defense certainly lended a hand in the offensive explosion.

However, the Hogs were able to hold the Wildcats in check slightly on the other end of the court. It was only the eighth time this season Kentucky was held below 80 points, and the Wildcats are now 3-5 in such games.

Similarly, Texas is only 7-6 when scoring fewer than 80 points this season and 8-1 when they surpass that point threshold. More notably, the Longhorns are only 1-6 when playing against teams ranked better than Arkansas (No. 32) in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency.

The lone win was a one-point victory at home over the Texas A&M Aggies on Jan. 25, a game in which the Longhorns took their first lead of the game with three seconds remaining thanks to a layup by Tramon Mark. (This one likely stung a bit extra for the Aggies considering Mark also hit a game-winner against them for Arkansas last year.)

In those seven games against notable defensive teams, Texas averaged only 69.0 points on 40% shooting from the field and under 29% from long range. Three such games happened on its home court, in which it put up 74.0 points per game on 45% from the field and 34% from distance.

By comparison, on the season as a whole, Texas averages 78.9 points on 48% FG and 37% 3P shooting.

Arkansas has had its fair share of defensive lapses, but defense usually travels to away games better than offense. Should the Hogs see a dip in their efficiency – which should be expected after the great shooting against Kentucky – their defense could still give them a chance to win a second consecutive road game.

Game Prediction

Arkansas is 87-68 all-time against Texas, though it has lost each of their last three meetings on the Longhorns’ home court – not including the preseason exhibition beatdown a couple years ago.

Regardless, John Calipari may have found some of his swagger back with the big win over his former team. His players certainly seemed to show more confidence in their abilities than they have perhaps all season.

Even if the efficiency falls, Arkansas will ride the feeling of its last win into a competitive road game with a historical rival. Davis and Wagner will continue to improve as leaders of the team, while Thiero asserts himself in the paint and at the free throw line.

Arkansas’ season isn’t over yet, and the Hogs are well aware of what needs to happen to get themselves back into tournament contention.

Arkansas, 77-72

How to Watch Arkansas vs Texas

Date: Wednesday, Feb. 5

Location: Moody Center (Austin, Texas)

Tipoff Time/TV: 8 p.m. CT (ESPN2)

ESPN BPI: Texas has a 79.1% chance to win and is favored to by 8.3 points.

KenPom: Texas has a 75% chance to win, with a projected score of 75-67.

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Assistant coach Kenny Payne previews the Arkansas vs Texas matchup:

YouTube video

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YouTube video

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More coverage of Arkansas basketball from BoAS… 

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