FAYETTEVILLE — Two wins over cupcakes haven’t moved the needle much for the Razorbacks and that’s unlikely to change with Monday night’s Arkansas vs Old Dominion matchup.
Ahead of the 7 p.m. CT tip against the Monarchs at Bud Walton Arena, Arkansas still has the 12th-best odds to win the 2024 national championship, according to BetOnline.
The Razorbacks were tied for 12th on that sportsbook before squaring off with Purdue in a charity exhibition before the season, but their overall odds have slightly improved from 33-to-1 to 25-to-1.
It’s still very early, with a trip to the Bahamas for the Battle 4 Atlantis and a massive home game against Duke looming later this month, but it’s shaping up to potentially be a special season for Arkansas basketball.
Even if they come up short of winning their second national title in program history, something that has actually been predicted by at least one national pundit, the Razorbacks are a popular pick to at least reach the Final Four — something they haven’t done since finishing 1995.
DraftKings lists Kansas, Duke, Purdue and Kentucky as the four favorites to be the last teams standing, but Arkansas is one of three teams — along with defending national champion UConn and Michigan State — right behind that group with 5-to-1 odds to make it that far.
Before the Razorbacks can worry about what happens in March, though, they must first get through another so-called cupcake game in Monday’s Arkansas vs Old Dominion showdown.
Best of Arkansas Sports is in the building and will provide live updates, stats and highlights below…
(READ NEXT: Check out our in-depth preview of the Arkansas vs Old Dominion game)
LIVE UPDATES — Arkansas vs Old Dominion
15:14, 1H – Arkansas 7, Old Dominion 5
Old Dominion didn’t even go for the opening tip, leading to Brazile easily winning it. However, Mark missed a jumper.
On the other end, Brazile blocked not one, but two shots before the Monarchs had to chunk up a 3 late in the shot clock. It didn’t fall, but Dani Pounds followed it and threw down an impressive tip slam.
It took more than 2.5 minutes, but Arkansas finally got on the board with a driving layup by Ellis.
Davis gives Arkansas basketball its first lead of the game with a nice catch-and-shoot 3. However, Old Dominion answered thanks to another offensive rebound and put back.
Mark picks up his second foul of the game at the 15:14 mark.
10:27, 1H – Arkansas 15, Old Dominion 9
Makhi Mitchell and Khalif Battle check in out of the media timeout. About a minute later, Jeremiah Davenport checked in.
Battle just drilled a 3 on a catch-and-shoot play on the in bounds play. However, he immediately picked up his second foul at the 13:34 mark.
Layden Blocker is getting some run now. He got an open look from the corner, but missed badly. Luckily for him, Mitchell was there to clean it up and put it back up for an and-1. He completed the three-point play by making the free throw.
Six of Old Dominion’s first nine points have been of the second-chance variety thanks to five offensive rebounds.
It looked like Graham had a stick back himself, but he was whistled for the offensive foul. That sends us to the U12 media timeout.
8:15, 1H – Arkansas 21, Old Dominion 11
A nifty behind-the-back pass by Davis leads to a bucket for Graham. The next time down the floor, Davis took it himself and knocked down a floater through contact, but he missed the and-1 opportunity.
Graham missed a shot, but Mitchell followed it and tipped it back in, prompting a timeout by Old Dominion. He’s up to 7 points and 6 rebounds.
It’s been a 6-0 spurt to push Arkansas’ lead to double digits for the first time.
2:44, 1H – Arkansas 31, Old Dominion 24
Old Dominion couldn’t do anything with back-to-back offensive rebounds and it turned into a Davenport 3 on the other end.
The run reached 10-0 before Old Dominion finally scored again. It went more than 3 minutes without scoring.
The more chaotic Devo appears, the better he is. He somehow got a fast break layup to fall despite being seemingly out of control.
A pair of free throws gives Davis nine points. That’s as many points as he scored in the first two games combined.
Brazile is up to four blocks already after blocking five against Gardner-Webb.
HALF – Arkansas 37, Old Dominion 31
Davis did a great job of following a free throw he knew he was short on and got the offensive rebound. The ball ended up in Ellis’ hands and he threw a perfect lob to Mitchell, who laid it in. He’s got 10 points, as does Davis.
Ellis had a nice drive to the basket in the closing seconds of the half, but he went up and under instead of finishing a left-handed layup and missed. Brazile got the offensive rebound, though, and was fouled. He made only 1 of 2 free throws.
That left a couple seconds on the clock and RJ Blakney made a 3 at the buzzer for ODU.
Old Dominion has 15 fast-break points and 8 second-chance points. Assuming there’s no overlap, that’s 23 of their 31 total points.
15:01, 2H – Arkansas 49, Old Dominion 43
Arkansas forced a turnover on the first possession of the second half and it led to a 3 by Brazile.
On the other end, it looked like the Razorbacks had a rebound, but Lawson was whistled for a foul. On the ensuing in bounds, ODU got a wide open dunk.
Lawson has struggled so far this season. He checks out about 1.5 minutes into the half after committing a turnover.
It’s a four-point game after a 3 by Jenkins. The Razorbacks answered with a driving layup by Ellis.
Jenkins is starting to feel it. He missed his first six shots, but has made 4 of 5 since then, including a really tough jumper. He’s got 11 points for ODU.
ODU got within three, but a Makhi Mitchell offensive rebound led to a wide open 3 by Ellis.
Davis is having himself a game. He missed a tough layup, got his own rebound and then put it back up for an and-1. He’ll be shooting a free throw when play resumes.
12:14, 2H – Arkansas 58, Old Dominion 52
Another offensive rebound led to a 3 for ODU, cutting the lead to three. Brazile answered with a 3 of his own — his second of the game.
Old Dominion is lighting it up from beyond the arc. In the last two minutes, it is 3 of 4 from deep. Since missing their first seven 3s, the Monarchs have made 8 of 10. ODU called a timeout following the most recent one.
9:59, 2H – Arkansas 65, Old Dominion 59
Make that 9 of their last 11 from beyond the arc for the Monarchs.
Ellis has done a great job of attacking the basket lately. He’s made some tough layups and on the latest he kicked it out for a 3 by Mark.
Arkansas stretched its lead back out to 10, but back-to-back layups for ODU has cut it back to 6 — with a free throw pending.
7:01, 2H – Arkansas 72, Old Dominion 63
Brazile couldn’t quite throw down a monster poster dunk, but he was fouled. He made just 1 of 2 free throws. The Hogs are just 11 of 19 (57.9%) at the charity stripe.
After an air ball by ODU, Arkansas pushed the ball down the floor and Davis tipped it to Brazile who got a clean path to the rim for a thunderous dunk. That prompted another Monarchs timeout at the 9:19 mark.
Just when it looks like Arkansas might be pulling away, ODU converts a three-point play to pull back within five and stop the momentum.
El Ellis is having himself a game. He’s up to 15 points after back-to-back layups.
3:19, 2H – Arkansas 79, Old Dominion 73
Arkansas basketball is finally starting to pull away from the Monarchs after getting a couple of defensive stops. Those stops led to a Mitchell bucket and Battle free throws, pushing the lead to 14.
Well, just as we type that, ODU hits a pair of 3s sandwiched around a layup and it’s suddenly a six-point game again. The Monarchs have made 11 of their last 15 attempts from deep.
FINAL – Arkansas 86, Old Dominion 77
With about 1:43 remaining, Mitchell grabbed his 10th rebound to give him a double-double – the third of his Arkansas career.
Dani Pounds fouls out with 1:22 remaining.
ODU had a chance to cut into a six-point deficit with about 40 seconds left, but it missed and Brazile grabbed a tough rebound. He made 1 of 2 free throws, making it a three-possession game.
FINAL STATS
HALFTIME STATS
Starting Lineups
NOTE: After missing the Gardner-Webb game because of an undisclosed illness, freshman guard Layden Blocker is back with the team and went through pregame warmups Monday night.
| Old Dominion Basketball | Arkansas Basketball |
|---|---|
| #0 – Vasean Allette – G | #3 – El Ellis – G |
| #1 – Jason Wade – G | #4 – Davonte Davis – G |
| #2 – Chaunce Jenkins – G | #12 – Tramon Mark – G |
| #10 – Tyrone Williams – G | #2 – Trevon Brazile – F |
| #11 – Dani Pounds – F | #8 – Chandler Lawson – F |
How to Watch Arkansas vs Old Dominion
Date: Monday, Nov. 13
Location: Bud Walton Arena (Fayetteville, Ark.)
Tipoff Time/TV Schedule: 7 p.m. CT (SEC Network+ / ESPN+)
ESPN BPI: Arkansas has a 91% chance to win, favored by 16.4 points
Odds/Betting Line: Arkansas, -20.5 | O/U 143.5 (BetSaracen)
This Week’s SEC Basketball Schedule
Monday, Nov. 13
- VMI at South Carolina — 6 p.m. CT (SECN+ / ESPN+)
- Old Dominion at Arkansas — 7 p.m. CT (SECN+ / ESPN+)
- SIUE at Missouri — 7 p.m. CT (SECN+ / ESPN+)
Tuesday, Nov. 14
- Wofford at Tennessee — 5:30 p.m. CT (SECN+ / ESPN+)
- Florida A&M at Florida — 6 p.m. CT (SECN+ / ESPN+)
- North Alabama at Mississippi State — 6:30 p.m. CT (SECN+ / ESPN+)
- Texas A&M at SMU — 7 p.m. CT (ESPN+)
- South Alabama at Alabama — 7 p.m. CT (SECN+ / ESPN+)
- UNC-Greensboro at Vanderbilt — 7 p.m. CT (SECN+ / ESPN+)
- Detroit Mercy at Ole Miss — 7 p.m. CT (SECN+ / ESPN+)
- Kansas vs. Kentucky — 8:30 p.m. CT (ESPN)
Thursday, Nov. 16
- Dayton vs. LSU — 3 p.m. CT (ESPN2)
- Missouri at Minnesota — 8 p.m. CT (BTN)
- Auburn vs. Notre Dame — 8 p.m. CT (ESPN2)
Friday, Nov. 17
- Georgia vs. Miami (Fla.) — 2:30 p.m. CT (CBSSN)
- Stonehill at Kentucky — 6 p.m. CT (SECN+ / ESPN+)
- Florida State at Florida — 6 p.m. CT (SEC Network)
- Central Arkansas at Vanderbilt — 6 p.m. CT (SECN+ / ESPN+)
- Oral Roberts at Texas A&M — 7 p.m. CT (SECN+ / ESPN+)
- UNC-Greensboro at Arkansas — 7 p.m. CT (SECN+ / ESPN+)
- Mercer at Alabama — 7 p.m. CT (SECN+ / ESPN+)
- Sam Houston at Ole Miss — 8 p.m. CT (none)
- DePaul vs. South Carolina — 10:30 p.m. CT (CBSSN)
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