How Hogs have bounced back after double-digit losses under Musselman

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Arkansas suffered arguably its ugliest loss of the Eric Musselman era on Wednesday.

The 92-76 final score is nowhere close to being indicative of just how poorly the Razorbacks played, as they trailed by as many as 31 in the first half and needed a late rally to avoid their worst blowout in a couple of years.

Meeting with the media via Zoom afterward, the second-year coach was visibly upset and struggled to verbally express his feelings during the interview. One thing he did say, though, is that it was just the second time in his six years as a college head coach that his team failed to play with great intensity.

The first time came during his final season at Nevada, when the Wolf Pack traveled to New Mexico on Jan. 5, 2019, and lost 85-58 despite being 14-0 and ranked No. 6 in the AP Poll.

In that game, Musselman’s squad shot 33.3 percent from the floor, including 4 of 22 (18.2 percent) from deep, was out-rebounded 43-32 and gave up a double-double to one of the Lobos’ players off the bench - a guy named Vance Jackson Jr., who had 18 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

The Wolf Pack took out their frustrations in the very next game, using a 60-point second half to crush San Jose State 92-53. However, that game was at home and against a terrible Spartans team that finished the year 4-27 and ranked No. 343 out of 353 DI teams, according to KenPom.

Arkansas’ bounce-back opportunity after Wednesday’s poor showing won’t be nearly as easy. It is set to travel to Tuscaloosa, Ala., and face Alabama, which is 5-0 in SEC play, No. 21 in the latest KenPom rankings and No. 23 in the current NET rankings.

As a college coach, Musselman’s teams have typically followed up double-digit losses with much better performances. At Nevada, he was 9-2 in games immediately following such a defeat, including a perfect 5-0 over his final three seasons in Reno.

So far with the Razorbacks, he is 2-2 following double-digit losses, with both of the losses coming in heart-breaking fashion. Here’s a look back at those four instances…

Loss: Feb. 11, 2020 — L, 82-61 at Tennessee

After its first seven losses of the season were by seven points or less, Arkansas fell apart in its road trip to Tennessee last season. Coming off back-to-back overtime losses and playing their third straight game without Isaiah Joe, the Razorbacks dug themselves an early hole by shooting just 28 percent in the first half and then trailed by as many as 27 in the second half. The Volunteers exploited Arkansas’ lack of size by dominating inside, outscoring the Razorbacks 40-16 in the paint.

Next game: Feb. 15, 2020 — L, 78-77 vs. Mississippi State

Returning to Bud Walton Arena four days later, but still without Joe, Arkansas played better initially against Mississippi State, but gave up eight points in the final minute of the first half to take an eight-point deficit into halftime. The deficit reached 17 with 14:37 left before the Razorbacks rallied. Led by Mason Jones’ 38 points, they actually regained the lead in the final two minutes and looked like they’d complete a massive comeback, but Abdul Ado tipped in a missed shot with 0.6 seconds left to give the Bulldogs a one-point victory.

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Loss: Feb. 18, 2020 — L, 73-59 at Florida

In their very next game after that heartbreaker, the Razorbacks hit the road again to play their fifth straight - and last - game without Joe. They led for all of 27 seconds as Florida built a 19-point lead in the first half. Arkansas managed to cut the deficit to two a couple of times midway through the second half, but it ran out of gas and the Gators stretched it back out to double digits for the final five minutes of the game.

Next game: Feb. 22, 2020 — W, 78-68 vs. Missouri

Joe finally returned to the lineup four days later for the Missouri game and provided a much needed spark. He knocked down 5 of 10 three-pointers and scored 21 points in a game Arkansas trailed until the closing minutes of the first half and then never relinquished the lead after halftime. It was also the first of six straight games in which Desi Sills came off the bench. He scored 17 points against the Tigers and averaged 14.7 points during that stretch.

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Loss: Feb. 29, 2020 — L, 99-89 at Georgia

In a high-scoring affair between the eventual SEC Co-Player of the Year (Jones) and No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft (Anthony Edwards), Georgia scored the first 14 points of the game and Arkansas could never completely dig out of that hole. The Razorbacks pulled within one several times in the second half, including inside the final three minutes, but Edwards - who finished with 26 points - iced it with seven points, including five free throws, in the last 1:07 to push it back to a double-digit margin. Jones and Joe also scored 26 for Arkansas.

Next game: March 4, 2020 — W, 99-90 vs. LSU

Led by a 36-point effort by Jones and a 26-point, 15-rebound double-double by Jimmy Whitt Jr., Arkansas built a 19-point halftime lead over LSU and then survived a late push by the Tigers down the stretch. After being out-rebounded by 29 in their matchup earlier in the year, the Razorbacks were only minus-5 on the boards in this game.

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Loss: Jan. 2, 2021 — L, 81-68 vs. No. 12 Missouri

Arkansas could not buy a bucket in its first game of 2021. After scoring 97 points in an impressive road win at Auburn, it shot just 26.8 percent from the floor against Missouri. Perhaps the most damning statistic in the loss was that Arkansas made only 3 of 23 layups. As poorly as they played, though, the Razorbacks were still within striking distance against a top-15 team until midway through the second half.

Next game: Jan. 6, 2021 — L, 79-74 at No. 9 Tennessee

Facing a more physical, shot-blocking team in Tennessee - a top-10 team - on the road, there were legitimate concerns it could be an even worse night for Arkansas in Knoxville. Instead, the Razorbacks controlled most of the first 25 minutes of the game, including having a seven-point lead at halftime, but 20 turnovers and a large free throw discrepancy proved to be costly. They had a couple of decent looks to take the lead or tie it up in the final minute, but they were off the mark and the Volunteers iced it at the free throw line. However, Arkansas still nearly doubled its shooting percentage from four days earlier, making 52.7 percent of its attempts.

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Loss: Jan. 13, 2021 — L, 92-76 at LSU

The Tigers went on a 40-6 run during an 11-minute stretch in the first half to build a 31-point lead and never looked back. The closest Arkansas got the rest of the way was 13 and it was far too little and far too late.

Next game: Jan. 16, 2021 — ???? at Alabama

It doesn’t get any easier for Arkansas, as the Crimson Tide are 10-3 overall and 5-0 in SEC play after beating Kentucky by 20 at Rupp Arena on Tuesday. They have also beaten Tennessee on the road.