It took five games, overcoming key injuries and more than enough frustration, but Arkansas finally emerged victorious in an SEC basketball game Wednesday night.
The Hogs erased a 15-point deficit and sealed the game the same way they fought their way back into it – with a gritty offensive rebound off a missed shot leading to a second-chance opportunity for Adou Thiero, capping a 68-65 win over Georgia.
It was Arkansas’ 18th offensive rebound of the game – with 13 coming in the second half alone – and helped it win a game in which it shot only 31% from the field and 13% from long range. Gritty, team effort allowed the Hogs to sneak away with a hard-fought comeback victory for their first in conference play.
Not to mention they did all of this without their star freshman and offensive leader, Boogie Fland. After injuring his thumb in the game against Florida on Jan. 11, Fland played through the injury for two games before ultimately having surgery earlier this week.
His playmaking ability and ball security were certainly missed by the Razorbacks, though his overall scoring efficiency had taken a nose-dive in SEC play. Arkansas did not make up for that with any sort of efficient shooting against Georgia, but perhaps the bigger lineups they were forced to play led to more offensive rebound opportunities.
They won’t have to wait long to test the theory of if bigger does equal better, as their next chance to take the court comes Saturday against another very beatable team in the Oklahoma Sooners (14-4, 1-4). They’re currently ranked No. 41 in the NET Rankings and No. 49 on KenPom, including a defensive rating outside the top 80.
This game is set to tip off at 7:30 p.m. CT and will be televised on ESPN2.
What to Expect from Oklahoma Basketball
Jalon Moore, a senior in his second season with the Sooners, is in the midst of a breakout year, averaging 18.3 points compared to only 8.3 over his first three collegiate seasons.
He also leads Oklahoma in rebounding with 6.3 per game – something to watch as Arkansas continues to essentially live and die by the rebound battle. Moore is a notable 3-point shooter, as well, hitting at 43.9% from 3-point range – including 60% in conference play.
Though he’s only listed at 6-foot-4, Moore had been starting at essentially the power forward position for the Sooners alongside three other guards listed at 6-foot-4 or shorter. Over the last two games, the Sooners have inserted 6-foot-6 senior Glenn Taylor Jr. into the starting lineup, allowing Moore to play either forward position.
This indicates that Adou Thiero could see a lot of Moore on both sides of the ball in this matchup. The 6-foot-8 Arkansas forward has been a stellar off-ball defender all season, generating steals and blocks, but his ability to maintain his energy levels on both ends of the floor while leading the Hogs in scoring and guarding the opposition’s best scorer will be tested if this is indeed his matchup.
Another critical player to pay attention to is Jeremiah Fears. The 6-foot-2 freshman has proven to be a versatile asset on both ends of the court. Fears leads the team in steals, with 1.9 per game, and provides significant contributions elsewhere with 16.8 points, 4.4 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game.
“(He is an) aggressive driver trying to get downhill,” Arkansas assistant coach Chuck Martin said Friday morning. “Does a great job of probing in the half court in pick-and-roll action, and for someone his size, does an unbelievable job of finishing at the rim. So we’ve got to try and keep him outside the paint.”
Sam Godwin, a 6-foot-10 senior, brings a commanding presence to the paint, particularly the offensive glass. With an average of 2.6 offensive rebounds per game, the 240-pound forward holds the potential to give the Razorback bigs fits in this game.
He has an astounding offensive rebound rate of 16.4%, making him the most efficient offensive rebounder in the SEC. For reference, Jonas Aidoo and Trevon Brazile each have a 9.6% rate for Arkansas, and elite Georgia freshman Asa Newell – who recently grabbed 4 offensive rebounds against the Hogs – sits at a 15.6% rate.
Other notable players in Oklahoma’s rotation:
- Duke Miles (6-2, Sr) | 11.3 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.6 SPG, 44% 3P
- Kobe Elvis (6-2, Sr) | 9.3 PPG, 3.6 APG, 1.9 RPG, 36% 3P
- Brycen Goodine (6-4, Sr) | 7.3 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 42%
Contrasting Roster Strategies
A couple of guys not mentioned above are Jadon Jones and Jeff Nwankwo, both of whom joined Oklahoma over the offseason, but have yet to suit up because of injuries.
Jones, a transfer from Long Beach State, was projected to be a starter before the season, but has been battling a back injury. Nwanko was viewed as a key rotational piece as a JUCO addition, but has been out with an Achilles injury.
The good news for the Sooners is that both players seem to be healthy and practicing full-go, according to Oklahoma basketball coach Porter Moser. With the season halfway over, though, he’s now faced with a dilemma: Does Moser bite the bullet and put one or two of them in a game or does he keep them sidelined to preserve their redshirt?
Unlike football, where players can appear in four of 12 regular-season games and not burn the year of eligibility, no such rule currently exists in college basketball. (It is coming down the pipeline, though.)
With the Sooners on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament, it’s a roll of the dice for Moser. It could be what pushes them over the top and into the Big Dance, or it might waste their year for a lost season.
Of course, it’s worth noting that they at least have that flexibility. Even with those guys out, Oklahoma has a 10-man rotation.
That’s a stark contrast to Arkansas, where John Calipari’s gamble of a nine-man rotation has spectacularly backfired – to the point where he’ll likely tweak it moving forward.
With Boogie Fland out indefinitely – reportedly for the rest of the season – the Razorbacks are down to eight rotational players. Another injury would be devastating.
What to Expect from Arkansas Basketball
In their first game without star freshman Boogie Fland, the Razorbacks had to make all sorts of adjustments to account for his absence.
As expected, the team assist total plummeted without their starting point guard on the court. In fact, their six assists were easily the worst mark of the season. Fortunately, their defense held Georgia to only seven team assists of their own.
In addition to racking up a lot of assists, Fland was also one of the best at taking care of the ball and limiting turnovers. Despite his absence, though, the Hogs actually decreased their turnovers, tallying their lowest mark (10) over their last three games.
Their efficiency, unfortunately, did not see any improvement despite taking a high-volume, low-efficiency shooter out of the lineup. Fland’s struggles as a scorer were usually outweighed by his ability to knock down 3-pointers and set up shots for others.
Instead, the two lead guards for the Razorbacks – DJ Wagner and Johnell Davis – each shot the exact same from the floor, combining to hit only 6 of 28 from the field and 1 of 13 from beyond the arc – including 1 of 10 from deep by Davis alone.
The effort from the Hogs was great to see, but this type of offensive performance from the two lead guards is far from a sustainable winning formula, especially as Arkansas faces teams better than the Bulldogs.
Adou Thiero shouldered most of the scoring effort for the Hogs with 17 points and 11 rebounds (5 offensive) on 5 of 8 (63%) shooting from the field. His performance and continued effort on the glass is nothing short of essential for Arkansas in every game from here on out.
Karter Knox also had a “grow up” type of game, perhaps finally discovering his role as an effort player wreaking havoc in the paint as a rebounder and drawing fouls. He grabbed six rebounds, including two offensive, and forced his way to the free throw line 13 times in this game on his way to 13 points – the same number of points he had in the last three SEC games combined.
If Arkansas truly has discovered a potential formula for winning games through their improved defense and toughness on the glass – while finally figuring out how to get to the free throw line and convert – it’s going to take everyone.
Every Razorback who touches the court has to give supreme effort and not make back-breaking mistakes when they get an opportunity. As seen in the Georgia win, it’s not the end of the world if shots don’t fall so long as everyone is still giving maximum effort and finding ways to contribute. With only eight players, no one can afford to have an off night.
What to Watch in Arkansas vs Oklahoma
Much like the Hogs, Oklahoma’s only conference win came in their last outing. However, their last game came a week prior to their contest against Arkansas, meaning they’ve had four additional days of rest compared to the short-handed Razorbacks.
The impressive performance that led Arkansas to win its last game was largely sparked by effort and hustle on both ends of the court, but especially the offensive glass. This is a viable way to play that could win them games against lower-tier SEC teams – like Georgia and Oklahoma – but it’ll still be incredibly hard to win playing this way against powerhouse teams like Auburn and Alabama.
However, even against a relatively weaker team like Oklahoma, the Hogs still have to have great energy and effort from all eight active rotation players for essentially 40 minutes of game time to give themselves a chance.
Fatigue was already a factor with nine players, but with eight and their potentially new-found formula of winning that leans heavily on all-out effort, it becomes a real storyline to watch. Things become significantly easier for the Hogs if they can find their rhythm as shooters, but that’s easier said than done – and much harder to control than the effort it required for them to beat Georgia.
As a team, they shot only 31% from the field against the Bulldogs and have only been better from 40% as a unit once in SEC play (44% against LSU). At this point, there’s an easy argument to be made that the team is who they are, and shooting a high percentage isn’t in the cards.
However, an underrated part of being a high-percentage shooter is the confidence that every shot has a chance to go in. With the way Arkansas has been playing lately – both in terms of losses and scoring efficiency – it’s clear to see their confidence was shaken.
Could jumping back into the win column clear a mental block for a few players who have been struggling as shooters? It’s certainly possible and will be a major key to watch against Oklahoma and over the next few games.
Game Prediction
This will be the first time the Razorbacks and Sooners face off as SEC foes, though far from the first time these teams have met on the hardwood in recent years. Arkansas is 17-14 all-time against Oklahoma, but its recent three-game neutral-site series at the BOK Center in Tulsa went in favor of the Sooners, who won two of the matchups. Arkansas had won three of the previous four meetings, and each of the last three matchups in Fayetteville.
It also helps that Porter Moser’s team traditionally do much better in non-conference matchups than they do once they get into conference play against more familiar teams which scheme for weaknesses that often include lack of offensive rebounding. Even when he was with Loyola, a program he twice took the Sweet Sixteen, Morter’s teams were just 89-89 in conference play. If you expand to encompass his entire head coaching tenure – which includes his first gig at UALR – his teams are just 157-196 in conference games, as BoAS contributor Adam Ford points out.
While Arkansas found its first SEC win of the season on Wednesday, it must stay in desperation mode if it wants to push for the NCAA Tournament. In this brutal conference, seven or eight wins might be enough to put a team firmly on the bubble and give the selection committee a tough decision.
That means the Hogs need to win – at minimum – six of their final 12 games.
Based strictly on relevant metrics such as the NET and KenPom, Oklahoma is the third “worst” team remaining on Arkansas’ schedule, behind only South Carolina and LSU – the latter of which has already defeated the Hogs once this season.
Thiero will continue to will his team on both ends of the court, keeping them in the game as best he can. After breaking the mental hurdle of finally winning a game, the team as a whole will find a bit of footing from beyond the arc on their home court, led by Johnell Davis, whom Calipari continues to encourage to keep shooting.
Arkansas finds itself on the right side of a momentum shift for the first time in 2025 as it wins a second consecutive game.
Arkansas, 72-62
How to Watch Arkansas vs Oklahoma
Date: Saturday, Jan. 25
Location: Bud Walton Arena (Fayetteville, Ark.)
Tipoff Time/TV: 7:30 p.m. CT (ESPN2)
ESPN BPI: Arkansas is favored to win by 2.6 points.
KenPom: Arkansas is favored to win by a score of 76-73.
Line: Arkansas is a 3.5 point favorite according to sportsbooks through Spin City casino Canada
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Assistant coach Chuck Martin previews the Arkansas vs Oklahoma matchup:
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