The Razorbacks have one more chance to impress the fans at home in 2019 as they welcome the Tulsa Golden Hurricane Saturday afternoon. The Hogs sit at 8-1 and are coming off a hard-fought loss to Western Kentucky on the road.
Despite their first loss of the season, Arkansas still ranks second in 3-point defense, 10th in scoring defense (56.3 ppg) and they're also top 25 in steals per game, turnover margin, free-throw percentage and turnovers forced.
Tulsa is one of Arkansas's most frequent opponents and the Hogs have the edge in the series 36-24 and 24-8 in Fayetteville. The two teams haven't faced off since Arkansas won 68-59 in 2007.
Tulsa head coach Frank Haith is in his sixth season at Tulsa and he holds a 103-68 record. The Golden Hurricane have already beaten one SEC team on the road this season, they went to Vanderbilt and won by nine points. Their two losses this season came against UT Arlington and Arkansas State. Tulsa doesn't score a ton, just 70.7 points per game, but their defense ranks in the top 50 through 10 games.
Here's everything you need to know about the matchup with the 8-2 Tulsa Golden Hurricane:
Important Times:
Doors Open: 10:30 a.m. (Bud Walton Arena)
Tip-off: 12:30 p.m.
TV/Radio:
TV: ESPNU (Streaming on WatchESPN) (Kevin Fitzgerald, Dane Bradshaw)
Radio: RSN/Online 972 (Chuck Barrett, Mike Zimmerman)
From the Head Hog Eric Musselman:
“Tulsa plays hard, aggressive. Defensively they look to try to create steals. They’ll play probably 65 percent zone. Usually start games off in some man and then go zone. They are deep. They play a lot of different guys, play a lot of contributors. Tough, hard-nosed team.
"Horne last year and this year we feel like he’s a guy when they need a basket they’ll get it to, No. 41, he plays the 3 and the 4 for them. Obviously, the transfer from LSU, No. 0 Rachal, he didn’t play last year. But he’s a really good player that’s kind of a guy who creates offense and defense for them. Joiner played against us at the point last year."
"They have a lot of pieces back. (Darien) Jackson’s a guy that can really dribble drive and find seams in the defense. Their off guard, 22 (Reggie Jones) can really shoot it. We can’t give him any airspace. (Little Rock native Lawson) Korita, off the bench has been out for three games, No. 5. He can shoot the ball well. He’s a good basket-cutter."
Tulsa Players Players to Know:
0 Brandon Rachal: A transfer standing at 6-foot-6, Rachal has been a do-it-all type of player for Frank Haith. He puts up 15.3 points per game while leading the team with 7 boards per game and he shoots 56.8% from the field. Rachal also has eight blocks this season. Despite spreading out playing time heavily, Rachal still leads the team with 28 minutes a game.
41 Jeriah Horne: "Shooter!" A 6-foot-7 veteran, Horne has taken the most deep shots on the squad, hitting 34% of them.
11 Darien Jackson: The Golden Hurricane's assist leader, Jackson exclusively works inside the 3-point line, shooting 58.9% from the field. He's also second on the team in boards per game with 4.6
Keys to the Game:
- Contain Rachal: Rachal leads the Golden Hurricane in almost every offensive category
- Play fast: Tulsa will try to control the pace of the game
- Work the zone: Arkansas will need to play great zone offense, get offensive boards and win 50/50 plays
Vegas Line:
Arkansas -11.5 O/U 126
Key Rankings: Arkansas (previous ranking) | Tulsa
AP Top 25: 0 votes (17 votes) | 0 votes
KenPom: 33 (27) | 112
Sagarin: 42 (24) | 108
ESPN BPI: 37 (37) | 104
Razorback Cumulative Season Stats
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