HawgBeat - Comparing No. 14 Arkansas and No. 3 Purdue
HawgBeat takes a look at Arkansas and Purdue ahead of Saturday's exhibition game to see how both teams stack up.
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Ahead of the 2023-24 college basketball season, the No. 14 Arkansas Razorbacks are set to play the No. 3 Purdue Boilermakers in a charity exhibition game inside Bud Walton Arena at 3:00 p.m. CT in Fayetteville on Saturday.
Coming off a 29-6 overall season and Round of 64 exit after losing to Fairleigh Dickinson as a No. 1 seed, the Boilermakers are looking to avenge themselves with returning superstar center Zach Edey.
The winner of all six major National Player of the Year Awards (Wooden, Naismith, Big O Trophy, NABC, AP and Sporting News), Edey averaged 22.3 points, 12.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game for the Boilermakers last season and will be a major threat against the Razorbacks.
Last season, Arkansas finished 22-14 overall and defeated No. 1 seed Kansas to advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the third season in a row. The Hogs exited the NCAA Tournament with a loss to UConn in the Sweet Sixteen.
Arkansas' most important returning player is forward Trevon Brazile, who averaged 11.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists for the Razorbacks last season in nine games before suffering a season-ending ACL injury. A Preseason All-SEC First Team selection, it'll be important for Brazile to knock off some rust prior to the upcoming season.
Head coach Eric Musselman mentioned Tuesday that Brazile will not have a heavy minutes restriction and he will play 15-25 minutes.
In similar fashion to football season matchups, HawgBeat takes a look at star rankings, season stats and position-by-position matchups to see how both teams stack up against each other.
2022-23 Season Stats - Purdue | Arkansas (FBS ranks out of 352 teams)
Offense
Scoring: 72.7 (149th) | 74.1 (119th)
FG%: 45.7 (103rd) | 46.6 (60th)
FT%: 74.4 (T-68th) | 69.8 (247th)
3PT%: 32.2 (281st) | 31.3 (315th)
A:TO: 1.40 (26th) | 1.01 (208th)
RPG: 12.29 (26th) | 10.36 (149th)
Defense
Scoring: 62.7 (21st) | 67.9 (113th)
FG%: 41.6 (59th) | 42.4 (94th)
3PT%: 31.4 (52nd) | 31.1 (40th)
Turnovers: 9.94 (337th) | 14.42 (56th)
RPG: 26.40 (59th) | 24.97 (162nd)
Star Comparison (using Rivals ratings)
Star Comparison - Arkansas vs Purdue
| Purdue | Stars | Arkansas | Stars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Braden Smith, G | 3 | El Ellis, G | 4 |
| Fletcher Loyer, G | 4 | Davonte Davis, G | 4 |
| Ethan Morton, F | 4 | Tramon Mark, G | 4 |
| Caleb Furst, F | 4 | Trevon Brazile, F | 3 |
| Zach Edey, C | 3 | Makhi Mitchell, C | 4 |
| Lance Jones, G | Khalif Battle, G | 4 | |
| Myles Colvin, G | 4 | Joseph Pinion, G | 3 |
| Brian Waddell, F | 3 | Jeremiah Davenport, G | |
| Mason Gillis, F | 4 | Jalen Graham, F | 3 |
| Trey Kaufman-Renn, F | 4 | Baye Fall, C | 4 |
| Chase Martin, G | Layden Blocker, G | 4 | |
| Carson Barrett, G | Keyon Menifield Jr., G | 3 | |
| Camden Heide, F | Denijay Harris, F | ||
| Will Berg, C | Chandler Lawson, F | 4 | |
| John Furst, F | Cade Arbogast, G | ||
| Jace Rayl, G | Lawson Blake, F | ||
| Sam Furst, F | N/A |
Position-by-Position Comparison
Note: For the purposes of this exercise, I will be projecting the depth chart and rotations of both teams. Also, Arkansas G Keyon Menifield Jr. will not be included as he is redshirting this season.
Point Guard
Arkansas (2022-23 Stats):
El Ellis (Louisville): 17.7 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 4.4 APG, 41.0% FG, 31.9% 3PT, 81.0% FT.
Layden Blocker: N/A (freshman)
Average Height/Weight: 6'2.5", 177.5 lbs.
Purdue (2022-23 Stats):
Braden Smith: 9.7 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 4.4 APG, 43.8% FG, 37.6% 3PT, 86.8% FT.
Lance Jones (SIU): 13.8 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 2.4 APG, 36.8% FG, 28.0% 3PT, 76.4% FT.
Average Height/Weight: 6'0.5", 187.5 lbs.
If you look at this on paper, it's pretty easy to see who has the advantage. But games aren't won on paper. It's important to keep in mind that Ellis played for a BAD Lousiville team last year and was the main (only) focal point on offense, hence his high offensive output.
That's not to say that he can't replicate that with the Hogs, but likely it won't be to the same level. Behind him is Blocker, a talented freshman who should see some minutes, but won't be heavily relied upon barring injuries or unforeseen progression in development.
As for Purdue, there's something to be said about continuity. Smith is experienced and has played within the Boilermakers' system for one year already. Behind him is Southern Illinois transfer Jones, who can score and has the experience to boot.
This one is really tough and could go either way, but I lean towards the group that has a player that's been with the program and doesn't turn the ball over very much.
Pick: Purdue
Shooting Guard
Arkansas (2022-23 Stats):
Davonte Davis: 10.9 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.5 APG, 41.5% FG, 34.6% 3PT, 71.9% FT.
Tramon Mark (Houston): 10.1 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.8 APG, 39.0% FG, 32.8% 3PT, 78.4% FT.
Khalif Battle (Temple): 17.9 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 1.8 APG, 41.0% FG, 35.0% 3PT, 89.8% FT.
Joseph Pinion: 2.4 PPG, 0.6 RPG, 0.1 APG, 44.7% FG, 38.2% 3PT, 100% FT.
Average Height/Weight: 6'5", 187.5. lbs.
Purdue (2022-23 Stats):
Fletcher Loyer: 11.0 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 2.4 APG, 36.7% FG, 32.6% 3PT, 79.4% FT.
Myles Colvin: N/A (freshman)
Average Height/Weight: 6'4.5", 190 lbs.
Look, Loyer is a really good player. No doubt about it. And Colvin is a freshman to keep an eye on. But Arkansas is going to outmatch most teams when it comes to this position.
Davis isn't perfect, but when the lights shine brightest he's usually the one making plays to win the game. Mark comes from a Houston program founded on defense and high-effort play. Battle has a proven track record of scoring at all three levels. That trio might be one of the best in the country. When you add in a guy like Pinion that can shoot the ball from the parking lot, it makes this a pretty easy choice.
Pick: Arkansas
Wing
Arkansas (2022-23 Stats):
Jeremiah Davenport (Cincinnati): 9.1 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.5 APG, 35.1% FG, 33.0% 3PT, 83% FT.
Chandler Lawson (Memphis): 5.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 0.8 APG, 56.7% FG, 50.0% 3PT, 61.5% FT.
Denijay Harris (Southern Miss): 8.9 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 0.6 APG, 56.5% FG, 0% 3PT, 67.8% FT.
Average Height/Weight: 6'7", 208 lbs.
Purdue (2022-23 Stats):
Ethan Morton: 3.8 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 2.4 APG, 32.0% FG, 27.7% 3PT, 64.9% FT.
Mason Gillis: 6.8 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 1.3 APG, 45.8% FG, 35.6% 3PT, 79.6% FT.
Average Height/Weight: 6'6.5", 220 lbs.
Morton, Gillis and Davenport are all tall guards that'll operate from the perimeter. Davenport is a lights-out three point shooter, but can he play defense?
Harris is a solid player and potentially a "glue-guy" for the Razorbacks similar to Kamani Johnson last season, but isn't a player to put a position group over the top.
Who I think might give Arkansas the edge here is Lawson. A rangy, athletic forward that can run the floor and defend, Lawson has the potential to start some games depending on the matchup.
The thing is, continuity still matters. Both Morton and Gillis have been with the Boilermakers for three seasons, so they know their role and how to play within head coach Matt Painter's system. This one is too close to call.
Pick: Push
