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Arkansas flips script in 2 key areas against Georgia

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As the final seconds ticked away on Wednesday night at Bud Walton Arena, the Razorbacks (12-7, 1-5 SEC) and fans alike were loud and excited to see a 5-game losing streak snapped with a 68-65 win over the Georgia Bulldogs (14-5, 2-4 SEC).

It wasn't easy, and it didn't always look pretty. Arkansas shot a dismal 31% from the field and 13% from deep. Georgia held a 15-point advantage in the second half and it appeared the Hogs were headed for their 6th-straight loss, but that didn't happen.

VIDEO: Calipari, players postgame - Arkansas 68, Georgia 65

The Razorbacks used an exceptional level of effort and hustle, especially in the second half, to claw back and leave the stadium as victors.

"Told them at halftime, ‘Guys, you missed every three, and we're still in the game," Arkansas head coach John Calipari said postgame. "We're down five baskets. Don't go nuts. We're fine. We'll make shots.’ Our 7-foot-2 guy (Zvonimir Ivisic) is the only guy to make a three, and it was right at the buzzer at the end of the half. Come on. We're fine."

The effort and hustle displayed by the Hogs was prevalent in both the rebounding and free throw categories, two areas they have struggled in since SEC play started.

For the first time since league play started, Arkansas out-rebounded its opponent and finished +10 over the Bulldogs. The 18 offensive rebounds they hauled in were a season-high, and they capitalized on them with 33 second-chance points.

Forward Adou Thiero finished the game with a team-high five offensive boards (11 total), with the last being most critical. With 1.4 seconds left and the game tied at 65, he went to the line to shoot two free throws.

RELATED: Thiero's double-double effort leads Arkansas past Georgia

Thiero made the first, but the second hit the front of the rim and he instantly went into attack mode, grabbed the rebound and put the ball in the hoop to put the Razorbacks up three at the buzzer.

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From an analytical perspective, it's possible intentionally missing the second free throw was the better option, because Georgia was out of timeouts and there would have only been a chance at a Hail Mary full-court shot, but Thiero said that wasn't the case.

"It just came off short," Thiero said of the final free throw of the game. "I knew it was short, but my mindset was just finish this game. Get us one (win) under our belt, and I was able to do that."

BOX SCORE: Arkansas 68, Georgia 65

The whole band of Razorbacks made rebounding the basketball an emphasis, and Thiero said it was an issue of pride that gave them that energy.

"Word around the SEC, you know, we’re soft," Thiero said. "They’re going to try to come here and punk us. Nah. We had to fix that and show we have fight in us. You’re not going to come in here and punk us around, no matter what."

Arkansas was a frequent visitor of the free throw line in Wednesday's game, as it attempted 34 shots from the charity stripe in what some might call a "ref show" that featured a total of 49 foul calls between both teams.

RELATED: Social media reacts to Arkansas' 68-65 win over Georgia

But the Hogs, who were a 70.8% free throw shooting team heading into the game, made the most of those opportunities and went 29-of-34 (85.3%). Georgia finished 20-of-29.

"We started driving the ball, being aggressive, attacking the glass," Arkansas forward Karter Knox said. "We were too strong, so they can’t handle us. We just went in, fought for the ball, drove, got fouled and capitalized on the free throws."

Speaking of Knox, he played a strong game that featured 13 points, 11 of which came from the free throw line. He finished with six rebounds, and even though it doesn't necessarily show in the box score, his effort and tenacity were on full display to those who were watching.

"Coaches told me at halftime to drive the ball and stop settling," Knox said. "I adapted to it really well, started driving it, got fouled. Started going for rebounds, got fouled. I’m too strong, they couldn’t hold me down there. Just going in, being aggressive."

ALSO READ: Takeaways from Arkansas' 68-65 win over Georgia

There's still a lot of work to do if Arkansas wants to get back in the NCAA Tournament picture, but every marathon starts with the first step, and that's what the Hogs did on Wednesday.

"It feels good to finally get a win in SEC play," Thiero said. "We struggled the first couple weeks on the court and off the court. We’d get on the court and then we’d start feeling the pressure. Guys had to feel pressure off the court, too."

Arkansas' next game will come at home, where the Razorbacks will host the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday night. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT and the game will air on ESPN2.

Takeaways from Arkansas' 68-65 win over Georgia

From @DanielFair

FAYETTEVILLE — The Arkansas Razorbacks (12-7, 1-5 SEC) snapped a five-game losing streak with a gritty, come-from-behind 68-65 win over the Georgia Bulldogs (14-5, 2-4 SEC) on Wednesday night at Bud Walton Arena.

It wasn't all sunshine and roses for the Hogs, who trailed by as many as 15 points in the second half. Arkansas shot an abysmal 31% from the field and 13% from deep, but it used a strong effort at the free throw line to claw back into the game and secure the win. The Hogs shot 34 total free throws and made 29 of them.

Wednesday's game was also the first since conference play started that Arkansas won the rebounding battle. The Hogs out-rebounded Georgia, 40-30, and it was an offensive rebound by Adou Thiero off of his own missed free throw with 1.4 seconds left that solidified the win.

The Hogs were without their point guard, as freshman Boogie Fland had successful surgery on his thumb Wednesday and will be out for an indefinite amount of time, according to a release from the school. Thiero said Fland was still a part of the postgame celebration, though.

"As soon as we walked into the locker room, I was, ‘call Boogie!’" Thiero said. "Got him on FaceTime, you know, he was there for the celebration and coach’s speech after."

Thiero led the Hogs in scoring with 17 points and notched a double-double with 11 rebounds, five of which were offensive boards. Karter Knox added 13 of his own, 11 of which came at the free throw line, and had six rebounds in 34 minutes of play.

Here are some of HawgBeat's takeaways from Wednesday's win...

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UA to honor 1990 Final Four team at halftime of Missouri game

Have talked to a few members of the 1990 Final Four team who have indicated they are being honored at halftime of the game on Saturday, February 22nd.

It is not official yet, but as close as we are to the date and the fact that multiple members of that team are making travel arrangements to be present, I think it's going to happen. I sure hope it does.

In talking to some of these former players and assistants, I learned (and was not previously aware) that the University has never officially honored any of the Nolan teams except for the national championship team. So the 1990 Final Four, 1995 Runners-Up, and 2000 SECT Champions have not been honored in an official capacity by the university.

Those same former players/assistants indicated that this is a great step forward in honoring Coach Richardson's legacy, thanks in large part to John Calipari.

HawgBeat Hoops Mailbag: 1-14-25


Arkansas basketball has limped out to a rough 0-3 start in conference play, with each loss coming to a ranked opponent. While it's not time for Razorback fans to panic yet, there are plenty of reasons to be concerned.

Many of those concerns are around the offensive side of the ball, with missed shots piling up and the half-court offense not opening up a ton of opportunities. When chances do arise, be it an open look from three, a driving lane or any other decent look, the team simply hasn't converted at a clip necessary to win basketball games.

HawgBeat ran our regular hoops mailbag series, where we answer reader questions, and the offense was the primary focus from fans and readers. We take submissions from social media and on The Trough premium message board at HawgBeat.com.

Every question posed on The Trough is answered completely, while only a select few are answered on social media. Be sure to subscribe to have your questions answered.

True or false, if Arkansas doesn’t go 2-0 this week, they will miss the NCAA Tournament. - HawgBeat user @P1Hawg

Most likely true. The Razorbacks are looking for nine conference wins. Eight could be enough given the strength of the conference plus holding a win over Michigan on a neutral floor that keeps aging very well, but it would not be a guarantee.

If Arkansas does not go 2-0 this week against LSU and Missouri, it will be really difficult to see where the Razorbacks find seven-plus more wins. The remaining schedule beyond this week is pretty rough, putting it lightly: No. 23 Georgia, Oklahoma, @ No. 8 Kentucky, @ Texas, No. 4 Alabama, LSU, @ No. 11 Texas A&M, @ No. 1 Auburn, Missouri, Texas, @ South Carolina, @ Vanderbilt and No. 15 Mississippi State.

That gives the Razorbacks six more games against ranked opponents, half of them on the road, after already facing ranked opponents in each of the first three SEC games. Failing to go 2-0 this week really makes winning seven more look extremely daunting on paper. Can it be done? Sure, but going 2-0 is Arkansas' best bet of meeting that mark at this point. Each game this week is entering "must-win" territory for the Razorbacks.

What’s wrong with this team? Lack of coaching? Lack of retention by players? Leadership issues? Is the emphasis on recruiting too much and not enough X’s and O’s? Depth? - HawgBeat user @Werner-Herzhog


I think the biggest issues are that the offensive system is designed for guys to be able to get their own, and those guys are not getting their own in conference play.

Field goal percentages are down, open looks aren’t falling, layups are being missed and bad shots are being taken. Player leadership probably has something to do with it, chemistry probably has something to do with it, but at the end of the day, if guys aren’t creating and finishing in this system, it spells trouble. And that clearly hasn’t been happening.

So far, the shooting numbers for Arkansas in SEC play are abysmal, and that's the biggest issue. The Razorbacks are shooting 34.9% from the field, 20.6% from three and 65.3% from the charity stripe. Before there are any think-pieces or deep dives on what is wrong with this team, that has to be addressed first. If a team doesn't make shots in college basketball, it won't win games. That simple.

How do you address the shooting concerns? Some of it might be a slump or confidence issue. Missing wide open shots can't really be "fixed" from a tweaking or offensive set standpoint. Just have to make them. A coach can create more open looks, though.

The pick-and-roll with center Jonas Aidoo where he actually rolls to the basket and doesn't float back to the perimeter can lead to a couple of easy dunks. More of that could help in a multitude of ways. Aidoo, or whoever else may be rolling, could get an open look, or the roll man attracts a defender so Boogie Fland or DJ Wagner or whoever else is taking the screen isn't driving into a loaded paint.

Outside of that — motion, motion, motion. Watching film of this team, there is far too much standing and not enough movement. Defenses haven't had to work too hard to defend this Arkansas team away from the ball, and it shows in their ability to cut off driving lanes and recover.

All of this team's issues revolve around the offensive side of the ball right now. The Razorbacks have defended well enough to win back-to-back games against ranked opponents, but they can't throw the ball in the ocean.

What's your optimism ranking that we can use these next three games to turn the season around? - X user @Rzrbackretweet​


That's tough. The next three games include two road games against bottom-tier SEC foes, plus a home stand against another ranked opponent. Winning away from home isn't easy, especially this year in this league. The "need to" ranking that Arkansas must possess is a 10 out of 10.

I think my optimism ranking that they will do that is about an 8.5 out of 10. LSU and Missouri have worse defenses than any of the three opponents the Razorbacks have played in conference so far, which should give them opportunities to find some things that work offensively and build some confidence. Hitting shots, scoring and winning all help confidence. If Arkansas can get out in transition, hit some shots, score and win against LSU to start things off, I think my optimism level goes to a 10-of-10.

Arkansas has to win two games this week, and I think the Razorbacks do that. If not, sound the alarms on the season.

What are the realistic expectations for Cal in his time at Arkansas? The national media narrative and hate is strong. - X user @HMCCL_sooey​


I think the biggest adjustment I've had to make in covering the Arkansas basketball program has been the notoriety brought on by Calipari, and with that, the amount of hate it brings, as well. It's a pretty wild time, to say the least.

As far as on-the-court expectations go, it's Year 1. Fans were going to have high expectations this season because of who Calipari is and the talent he brought in. Injuries have been an unfortunate factor, along with some roster construction missteps, which have led to this slow start and deflated fan excitement. Even with the 0-3 start, I don't see this as a bad team — just a bad offense.

I anticipated a 12-6 conference record this year, and it's looking highly likely that isn't happening, but hitting nine wins will be a solid year in a loaded conference and will have the Razorbacks in the NCAA Tournament field. Moving forward, though, I think reasonable expectations are that Arkansas will be a top-five basketball program in the SEC.

One thing about Calipari is that he is always going to land talent. That's what he does. When a team has talent, it can compete against anybody, but that team can still get beat if the coaching or the production isn't there. That's what Arkansas fans are seeing now with players not scoring and the offense not being tailored to create more open looks.

Looking ahead at next year, it is a much more offensive-driven recruiting class with five-stars Meleek Thomas and Darius Acuff. Both are certified bucket-getters who can shoot from the perimeter. I think one major aspect of a Calipari-led team is that because he is so relationship-oriented, there will be more retention than Arkansas fans are accustomed to from the previous coaching staff.

Retention, talent and landing top portal prospects (who are healthy) is the recipe to winning basketball games in this landscape. There was obviously no retention in Year 1 with building an entirely new roster, but this team had talent and top portal prospects (with the two crown jewels of the class who were hurt for significant portions of the offseason).

As long as that model holds true, and Calipari is able to land talent, retain talent and land older portal players, Arkansas could be pushing for a second-weekend appearance in Year 2 and beyond. It seems like the first two boxes are already checked for next season — we will see what the portal class looks like.

Thiero's double-double effort leads Arkansas past Georgia

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With the Razorbacks shorthanded in the absence of freshman guard Boogie Fland, Arkansas forward Adou Thiero put his cape on for late-game heroics in the 68-65 win over Georgia on Wednesday at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville.

Thiero in transition was the only offense going early on for the Razorbacks, who took a 7-6 lead with 14:16 left in the first half and then didn't lead again until there were less than five minutes left in regulation.

VIDEO: Calipari, players postgame - Arkansas 68, Georgia 65

With just 30 seconds remaining on the clock, Theiro drove to the middle of the lane, absorbed contact and put up a jumper that went through the net to give Arkansas a 65-63 lead.

After the Bulldogs tied it with a pair of free throws, Thiero drew a foul with 1.8 seconds remaining on the other end. He hit the first shot to put Arkansas ahead, missed the second, grabbed the rebound and laid in a basket at the buzzer to secure the 3-point win.

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Thiero finished with a team-high 17 points and he added 11 rebounds in the double-double effort. He also had one assist and one steal in the game, which was the Hogs' first win in Southeastern Conference play.

"Having to deal with a lot of outside noise, everybody saying we’re soft, we don’t rebound, so we had to buckle up and really get to it," Thiero said postgame. "I’d say also, having Boogie (Fland) out, we had to realize that we got to step up, each one of us. He’s a big part of our team and we got to do other little things to help us win. Everybody stepped up today and we were able to do that."

RELATED: Social media reacts to Arkansas' 68-65 win over Georgia

Arkansas shot just 31.0% from the field and 13.0% from three in the game, but it was effort on the offensive glass and following through at the charity stripe that made the difference. The Hogs out-rebounded their first SEC opponent this season (40-30) and 18 of those were offensive rebounds that helped produce 33 second chance points.

"The biggest thing in this game is we out-rebounded them by 10," head coach John Calipari said postgame. "Now that’s one of the best rebounding teams, offensively especially, in the country. So for us to go do that just tells you we’re not that far, just go."

Thiero pulled five of his 11 rebounds off the offensive glass and he also made seven of his nine shots at the free throw line. It sounds like he, and the rest of the team, took this game personally.

ALSO READ: Takeaways from Arkansas' 68-65 win over Georgia

"We had to take pride," Thiero said. "Word around the SEC, you know, we’re soft. They’re going to try to come here and punk us. Nah. We had to fix that and show we have fight in us. You’re not going to come in here and punk us around, no matter what."

Arkansas will have another opportunity to defend Nolan Richardson Court at Bud Walton Arena on Saturday when the Oklahoma Sooners (14-4, 1-4 SEC) come to Fayetteville. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT on ESPN.
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