The No. 20 Arkansas Razorbacks (3-1, 0-0 SEC) took care of business down the stretch in a 91-72 win over the Pacific Tigers (3-3, 0-0 WCC) on Monday night.
The final score doesn't necessarily indicate how close the game was. With just under 13 minutes to go in the game, the Razorbacks were in the middle of a dogfight and only up 59-57 after Pacific had scored five straight points.
Arkansas' defense was able to suffocate the Tigers down the stretch though, as Pacific only made two of its last 16 field goals in the game and the Hogs were able to pull away with the win.
Here's some of HawgBeat's takeaways from what ended up being a much tighter contest than expected on Monday night...
Depth concerns
Arkansas head coach John Calipari is already running a lighter-than-normal roster with nine primary players, but injuries exacerbated that problem even more on Monday.The Hogs' front court was hit particularly hard as center Jonas Aidoo and forward Trevon Brazile missed the game. That meant only seven Razorbacks saw the floor in the game. It almost got worse as forward Karter Knox had to exit the game with what looked like an injury to his hand, but he re-entered the game a short time later.
That lack of true depth is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it gave Billy Richmond — who logged nine points on 4-of-7 shooting in 23 minutes — the chance to get some extended run and show what he can do.
On the other hand, most of the players looked gassed down the stretch, which can lend itself to more turnovers (of which Arkansas had 15), poor rebounding and lackadaisical play.
It didn't affect the outcome of the game on Monday, but if playing with just seven players becomes more of the norm and less of an abnormality, it could cause issues later in the season as legs get more tired and the grind of the SEC wears on players more.
D.J. Wagner
After posting a goose egg in the scoring column against Troy, Arkansas guard D.J. Wagner put in an efficient day at the office against Pacific with 14 points (a season-high), four rebounds and five assists to just one turnover. He also logged two steals and didn't commit a single foul in the game as well.
Wagner hit two threes in the game, but what made his offensive game special Monday night was his ability to blow by defenders, get to the rim and finish when he got there.
Fellow guard Boogie Fland has been playing at a high level to start the season, and Johnell Davis was able to see a few shots fall Monday night, but for the Hogs to maintain success this season, it's going to be important for Wagner to keep this trajectory and give the team another scoring threat out of the Arkansas backcourt.
Concerted effort to get to charity stripe in second half
After only shooting two free throws in the first half, the Razorbacks made it a point of emphasis to get to the line in the second half.
All told, Arkansas got to the line 23 times in the second half alone and hit 18 of those for a respectable 78.3% rate. The Hogs hit the double bonus with over 12 minutes to go in the game, which made getting to the free throw line even easier.
Fland said after the game free throw opportunities was a point of emphasis coming out of halftime.
"As the game progresses, you got to adjust," Fland said. "I feel like we saw the reads we needed to make and the adjustments that we needed to make and I feel like we made them in the second half, just being aggressive and asserting ourselves in the offense."
Fland was the most efficient when he got to the line, as he went a perfect 6-for-6. Forward Adou Thiero went 6-for-7 as well, and as a team the Hogs shot 80% on free throws on the night, which Calipari said after the game he was pleased with.
"Especially if we’re making them, which we shot them pretty good," Calipari said. "If it’s 80% as a team, I’m happy. Keep getting fouled.."
Adou Thiero logs big minutes
After the Hogs' win over Troy last week, Calipari heaped praise on Thiero, who followed up a strong performance with another stat-stuffer on Monday.Thiero led the Hogs in scoring with 23 points on 8-of-10 shooting and added six rebounds and two assists to his credit as well. His teammate, point guard Boogie Fland, had good things to say about how well Thiero has played in the early season so far.
"I mean, he’s getting better," Fland said. "Future lottery pick I want to say. But we trust him, we love him and I’m glad he’s doing what he’s doing. It helps us better. I mean, the mindset you know coming into these games. Not worrying so much about the outside noise and just what we do as a team. I feel like that’s big for him and just taking what the defense gives him, not forcing it."
Whether it was high-flying dunks on the offensive end or being a defensive stalwart, Thiero was a key piece in the Hogs' win. He used his athleticism to create some highlight reel-worthy moments and his length was a problem for Pacific as he logged four steals on the night.
