Here is everything you need to know about Arkansas' first game in the NIT Tournament...

Opponent: Providence (18-15 overall, 7-11 Big East)
Location: Providence, Rhode Island (Dunkin' Donuts Center)
Tipoff time: 8 CT
TV: ESPN2
Online stream: WatchESPN/ESPN.com (Will Fleming and Mark Plansky)
Radio: Razorback/IMG Sports Network (Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman)

Advanced Ratings - Providence | Arkansas

~NCAA NET: No. 70 | No. 65
~KenPom: No. 67 | No. 57
~Sagarin: No. 58 | No. 53
~ESPN BPI: No. 68 | No. 65

Projections

~Vegas: +6 (O/U 144) ... That equates to about Arkansas 69, Providence 75
~ESPN BPI: Providence has a 68.4 percent chance to win

The Arkansas Razorbacks have accepted a bid into the National Invitational Tournament as a five-seed and are traveling to New England to take on a formidable four-seed in the Providence Friars in the first round.

Arkansas will be doing so without All-SEC forward and potential first round draft pick Daniel Gafford, who has declared for the draft and elected not to play in the NIT, per Mike Anderson.

Gafford’s absence presents the Hogs with a number of challenges on both sides of the ball. Defensively, Arkansas will be tested by an athletic forward in Alpha Diallo. The 6-foot-7 junior is leading Providence in scoring, rebounding and assists with a 16.1/8.0/3.1 slash.

Center Nate Watson, Diallo’s partner-in-crime, is averaging 11.6 points per game and shooting 59.1 percent from the floor. Diallo and Watson have the highest usage rates on the team, meaning Arkansas’ forwards will be put to work often.

As a whole, Providence has had to rely on its frontcourt for a chunk of its offensive production. The Friars also lean heavily on slashing to the basket and creating contact. Over 21 percent of Providence’s points come from the stripe.

Only 34.9 percent of the Friars’ shot attempts come from behind the arc. Providence’s leading three point shooter has attempted 114 three point shots. Arkansas’ Isaiah Joe has made 108 threes.

To help make up for a lost big and take advantage of the Friars’ tendencies, the Hogs may try and squeeze the lane a little to not only limit the frontcourt’s effectiveness, but also limit foul shot opportunities.

Ball control isn’t a strong point for Providence, either, as the Friars are susceptible to live-ball turnovers. Providence is 232nd in turnovers with 436 and 228 of them have come by way of a steal (307th). This bodes well for an Arkansas team that is top-30 nationally in steals with 261.

Perhaps the biggest concern on this side of the ball and likely for the whole game is defensive rebounding and limiting second chance opportunities. By the numbers, Arkansas is the worst defensive rebounding team in the entire country. Opponents are grabbing an offensive rebound on 35.2 percent of its missed shots, nearly seven full percentage points above the Division I average.

Not having Gafford only amplifies the problem. Plus, as it just so happens, Providence is 50th nationally in offensive rebounds with 386.

Arkansas will have to find ways to replace Gafford’s 16.9 points on the other side against a defense that defends well both inside and out. The Friars do a good job of closing out and rotating across the floor while four players are getting at least 0.5 blocks per game.

Providence blocks 11 percent of opponent shots (94th) and get a steal on 10.5 percent of possessions (51st). In total, opponents are turning the ball over about once every five possessions (75th).

In conference play, the Friars’ 8.0 steals per game was second in the Big East. Arkansas is a team that protects the ball well, in large part, and gets the majority of its made baskets directly off assists.

Jalen Harris and Desi Sills will get a glimpse of life ahead, though, playing without their top player. Arkansas could play more high-low game with Adrio Bailey and Reggie Chaney or use Mason Jones and Joe as more than just deep threats. The Razorbacks can’t get stuck in one-on-one situations often with Diallo and Watson playing with help defense lenience than expected.

This is Arkansas’ fourth NIT appearance and second under Anderson. The farthest the Hogs have gone in the tournament was the semifinals in 1997.

The Friars are in the NIT after five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Providence finished eighth in the Big East this season but have nine games against KenPom top-100 teams. In comparison, Arkansas has won six such games.

The winner will move on to play the winner of the game between top-seeded Indiana and eight-seed Saint Francis.

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