At least in the mind of one fan, the Gators have a tactical advantage heading into the Arkansas vs Florida showdown Saturday afternoon.
The @UFBarstool account on Twitter, an official affiliate of Barstool Sports, shared photos of what it believed to be Eric Musselman’s game plan for the Razorbacks’ 3 p.m. CT tip against the Gators.
However, upon closer inspection by those familiar with the Arkansas basketball program, this is not another “Wakeyleaks” or Connor Stallions incident. Rather, it’s simply how Musselman does his scouting reports.
The fifth-year coach utilizes large poster boards that his staff tapes to the walls of their practice facility and then takes on the road for games away from Bud Walton Arena. That’s why there’s one poster that describes Florida guard Denzel Aberdeen as a “3 Level Scorer” that Arkansas wants to give “No In Rhythm 3s.”
The plays in the photos are likely Florida’s sets that Arkansas picked up from film study and would like to shut down in Saturday’s game. It’s that line of thinking that led to the UFBarstool account doubling down on its post after being called out by Arkansas and Florida fans alike:
Whether or not Musselman’s scouting report actually leads Arkansas basketball to its first SEC victory of the season remains to be seen. What it won’t do, though, is help the Gators — despite what the fan running the UFBarstool account believes.
Follow along for updates, stats and highlights from the Arkansas vs Florida game…
(READ NEXT: Check out our in-depth preview of the Arkansas vs Florida matchup)
LIVE UPDATES – Arkansas vs Florida
15:05, 1H – Florida 13, Arkansas 6
Jeremiah Davenport made a tough 3 and Trevon Brazile knocked down a tough long 2, but the Gators have been getting into the paint and converting. Eight of Florida’s 13 points have been inside.
12:00, 1H – Florida 23, Arkansas 9
It was a 13-0 run by Florida before Mark finally made a jumper. The Gators have more points in the paint (10) than Arkansas has total (9). They’re also winning the rebounding battle 13-5.
10:29, 1H – Florida 27, Arkansas 9
It’s now a 22-2 run by the Gators, who are now getting to the rim at will. The Hogs have not scored in 3:17, missing five straight shots. It leads to a rare Musselman timeout.
6:46, 1H – Florida 32, Arkansas 22
The deficit got as high as 19, but Arkansas switched to a zone and subbed in a pair of lightly used reserves – Layden Blocker and Joseph Pinion – and it seems to be working. Pinion has scored five straight points after an alley oop from Davenport to Brazile. It’s a 12-3 run by the Hogs.
2:54, 1H – Florida 41, Arkansas 27
The Razorbacks got within nine a couple of times, but that has been as close as they’ve been since the 22-2 run. Jeremiah Davenport has nearly half of Arkansas’ points with 13 on 3 of 5 shooting, including 2 of 3 from inside the arc, plus 5 of 7 from the charity stripe.
HALF – Florida 46, Arkansas 33
Tramon Mark got a layup in the closing seconds to end the half on a high note, but that followed five straight points by the Gators after the Hogs had cut it to 10. Joseph Pinion and Layden Blocker were plus-4 in their 7 minutes of action.
16:26, 2H – Florida 57, Arkansas 37
Florida has been on fire since halftime, making 5 of 7 shots, while Arkansas came out cold, going just 2 of 6 from the floor. An alley oop by the Gators led to another Musselman timeout, as the lead has been stretched to 20.
11:40, 2H – Florida 66, Arkansas 47
Joseph Pinion is up to 12 points for the Hogs, but they can’t see to cut into their deficit. The Gators are shooting 53.3% (8 of 15) after halftime, compared to 33.3% (4 of 12) by Arkansas.
6:08, 2H – Florida 78, Arkansas 57
Florida has led by as many as 23 points and has all but put this game away. Five different Gators have scored in double figures, led by Riley Kugel’s 17 off the bench.
3:43, 2H – Florida 81, Arkansas 59
The Gators have scored 32 points in the paint, aided by five dunks. They’re also out-scoring Arkansas 15-4 in second-chance points.
FINAL – Florida 90, Arkansas 68
FINAL STATS
HALFTIME STATS
Starting Lineups
NOTE: This is the second time Arkansas has used this starting five, with the other time being the double overtime win over Stanford in the Bahamas.
| Florida Basketball | Arkansas Basketball |
|---|---|
| #0 – Zyon Pullin – G | #4 – Davonte Davis – G |
| #1 – Walter Clayton Jr. – G | #12 – Tramon Mark – G |
| #5 – Will Richard – G | #24 – Jeremiah Davenport – G |
| #4 – Tyrese Samuel – F | #2 – Trevon Brazile – F |
| #3 – Micah Handlogten – C | #15 – Makhi Mitchell – F |
How to Watch Arkansas vs Florida
Date: Saturday, Jan. 13
Location: Exactech Arena (Gainesville, Fla.)
Tipoff Time/TV: 3 p.m. CT (ESPN)
ESPN BPI: Florida has an 83.7% chance to win, favored by 11.6 points.
Odds/Betting Line: Florida, -7.5 | O/U 164.5 (BetSaracen)
SEC Basketball Standings
Here are the SEC basketball standings entering Saturday. Each team has played two conference games, with Arkansas basketball being one of five winless squads…
| Team | SEC Record |
|---|---|
| 1. Alabama | 2-0 |
| 1. Auburn | 2-0 |
| 1. Georgia | 2-0 |
| 1. Kentucky | 2-0 |
| 1. LSU | 2-0 |
| 6. Mississippi State | 1-1 |
| 6. Ole Miss | 1-1 |
| 6. South Carolina | 1-1 |
| 6. Tennessee | 1-1 |
| 10. Arkansas | 0-2 |
| 10. Florida | 0-2 |
| 10. Missouri | 0-2 |
| 10. Texas A&M | 0-2 |
| 10. Vanderbilt | 0-2 |
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