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The No. 20 Arkansas Razorbacks (4-1, 0-0 SEC) took care of business against the Little Rock Trojans (3-3, 0-0 OVC) 79-67 on Friday night at Bud Walton Arena.
Arkansas used tenacious defense that led to offense right out the gate and jumped out to an 11-0 lead behind five forced turnovers, and eventually led by as many as 22, but the Razorbacks once again let a lesser team back into the game as the Trojans cut that lead to just seven midway through the second half.
The Razorbacks pulled away down the stretch, bolstered by three three pointers, one by freshman guard Boogie Fland and two by second-year guard D.J. Wagner.
There were a lot of good things about Friday’s game, but there are also some areas of concern, as a lack of depth (Jonas Aidoo and Trevon Brazile were inactive again) led to fatigue and sloppy play, evidenced by 19 turnovers in the game.
HawgBeat hands out the grades for those who did play on Monday night...
Johnell Davis: C-
Davis was once again a non-factor for the Razorbacks. He scored just two points and went just 1-for-5 in 31 minutes of action.
It appears Davis is still shaking the rust off, as he was injured over the offseason, but as a guy whose offensive prowess was fawned over by fans and media in the offseason, the Hogs desperately need him to figure it out soon.
D.J. Wagner: B+
It was another efficient night for Wagner, who finished with 11 points on 40% shooting with five rebounds. He only saw two minutes of rest in the game as he played for 38 minutes.
That’s now two games in a row where Wagner has played well at the guard spot, and with Davis struggling like he has, it’s important that he continues to play at this level.
Boogie Fland: B+
It was only his fifth collegiate game, but Fland looked comfortable running the offense and was a bright spot for the Razorbacks.
The New York native finished with 21 points and didn’t miss a single shot in the first half. He also dished out seven assists, hauled in four rebounds and logged three steals.
Fland would have earned an A grade here, but he had four turnovers that blemished his stat line.
Adou Thiero: A
Thiero also would have earned a higher grade if it weren’t for five turnovers, but he continued to impress in the other aspects of the game.
KenPom gave Thiero the team MVP again, as he led all scorers with 23 points on 7-of-9 shooting, eight rebounds and six steals. Nine of those points came at the free throw line, where he was an efficient 9-of-10.
“I’m just letting the game come to me,” Thiero said postgame. My teammates throwing me passes, putting me in position to score. They’ve been doing a great job of that. The lanes are open. I’m just more confident in myself. Put a lot of hard work in this summer so happy it’s showing.”
Zvonimir Ivisic: C+
Ivisic has been relied upon heavily with the absence of Aidoo; Possibly too much, if we’re being honest.
The Croatia native had 10 points, three rebounds and two blocks on Friday. He was better in the turnover department than he was against Pacific, as he had three compared to the seven he had earlier in the week.
Big Z didn’t do anything too bad, but he needs to be stronger in the paint and when receiving entry passes. He also had four fouls, and with the Hogs’ frontcourt already thin, it exacerbated the lack of depth.
Karter Knox: C
Knox was mostly a non-factor for the Razorbacks in Friday’s game. He played a team-low 19 minutes and scored six points on 2-of-11 shooting. He also brought in four rebounds and dished out one assist.
At this point, Knox is still learning and getting a feel for the college game, and Little Rock was a tougher test than some of Arkansas’ previous games. Getting him comfortable with his role in the offense is the most important thing.
Billy Richmond: C
Like Knox, Richmond wasn’t much of a factor. He appeared in one more minute than Knox with 20, but was more efficient with his shooting as he went 2-for-2 with six points.
Richmond is much like Knox in the early going, still getting a feel for the college game and earning these minutes will pay dividends down the stretch.
