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Hogs looking for 1st SEC win vs. Missouri

Arkansas is 0-3 in SEC play.
Arkansas is 0-3 in SEC play. (Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports)

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Arkansas is in the midst of a treacherous stretch in conference play for the third straight season under head coach Eric Musselman.

Having lost five of their last six games and off to an 0-3 start in SEC play for the first time since 2008-09, the Razorbacks are desperately searching for a conference victory - but this isn't new territory for them.

During Musselman’s first season in 2019-20, the Razorbacks had a stretch where they dropped five straight conference games.

Last year’s Elite Eight squad got off to a rocky start in conference play, as well. After a win over Auburn in the SEC opener, the Razorbacks lost four of their next five games.

Now, Musselman has this year’s squad looking at another rough stretch. Historically, Musselman has been able to turn it around - winning 4 of 6 to end his first season and 12 of 13 last year - but he said it’s not a simple task to flip the switch.

“With this team, we’ve just got to continue to get better,” Musselman said. “Last year we went through a stretch where we didn’t play as well as we would like, and then we kind of turned it around. One season doesn’t mirror another. Doesn’t mean it’s just going to turn around. You’ve got to try to figure it out and you’ve got to try to get better.”

Arkansas has struggled to find consistent play from a core group of players. It seems like there is a new starting five every game and a different player leads the team in scoring each night.

Musselman has harped on the inconsistency of individual players and the lack of effort for a full 40 minutes. Over the past two games, the Hogs have shown signs of life against Vanderbilt and Texas A&M, but they haven’t put it together for two halves.

“It’s just been very, very short stretches,” Musselman said. “So what are we going to do? We’ve got to get back to practice and get better and point things out and hope that the players are getting and receiving their individual film, then collectively when we show it as a group as well.”

The Razorbacks average 12.7 turnovers per game, which ranks 145th in the nation. On top of that, the team’s 3-point defense has been abysmal, ranking 314th. Opponents are making 36.6% of their shots from downtown this season.

Offensively, the only consistent piece for the Hogs has been senior guard JD Notae. He leads the SEC in scoring (18.8 ppg) and is the only Razorback to score double digits in every game this season.

Musselman attributed the turnovers as being the team’s biggest flaw. The team is averaging just over 16 turnovers through three SEC games.

“It looks like we’re wrong right now the way that we’re playing, but whether it’s football turnovers, whether it’s basketball turnovers, whether it’s errors in baseball, those are hard plays to overcome that we’ve got to continue to get better at,” Musselman said after Saturday’s loss at Texas A&M.

It’s been said over and over, but Arkansas’ schedule does not get easier moving forward. Georgia and Missouri are the two easiest matchups remaining and the Hogs will get a crack at the Tigers on Wednesday.

Arkansas currently sits at No. 93 in the NET rankings — meaning it is well outside of the NCAA Tournament picture. If it wants to get back in the hunt, a win over Missouri is a must.

“We’re trying, we’re searching, we’re trying to do everything we can,” Musselman said. “As a competitor, whether you’re a player or a coach or a graduate assistant or a support staff member, losses need to hurt and then you need to try to figure out how you can dig a little bit deeper and be a little bit more competitive.”

The Hogs and Tigers will tip off at 8 p.m. CT Wednesday inside Bud Walton Arena. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.

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