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Arkansas is back at Bud Walton Arena tonight, riding a seven-game winning streak. Here's everything you need to know ahead of the matchup...
Arkansas (17-5, 6-3) vs. Mississippi State (14-7, 5-3)
The Basics
Location: Bud Walton Arena (Fayetteville, Ark.)
Tip off: 7:30 p.m. CT
How to Watch/Listen
TV: SEC Network (link to watch online)
On the call: Kevin Fitzgerald and Dane Bradshaw
Radio: Razorback Sports Network (TuneIn / Razorback Gameday App)
XM/internet: 383/973
Projections
-- Vegas spread: Arkansas, -5.5
-- O/U: 145.5
-- ESPN BPI: Arkansas has 64.1% chance to win, favored by 3.8
-- Bart Torvik: Arkansas has 68% chance to win, favored by 4.8 (proj. score: 75-71)
Scouting Report
~This game is a rematch of Arkansas' SEC opener, which it lost to Mississippi State 81-68 in Starkville, Miss. However, it's worth noting that the Razorbacks were without leading scorer JD Notae because of COVID-19 and Kamani Johnson because of a suspension.
~The Bulldogs are led by guard Iverson Molinar, who is third in the league in scoring at 18.1 points per game. He had 16 points in the first matchup against Arkansas.
~Injuries have limited forward Tolu Smith to just eight games this season and he is once again "questionable" for Saturday's game, per head coach Ben Howland. One of those games was against the Razorbacks and he dropped a team-high 18 points, plus had 6 rebounds and 5 steals.
~North Carolina transfer Garrison Brooks notched 10 rebounds in the first game against Arkansas, but had only 2 points and was 0 of 6 from the floor. Eric Musselman mentioned that he's become more offensive-minded since that game, as evidenced by him averaging 12.0 points on 50 percent shooting over the last eight games.
~The Bulldogs' strength is on the glass, where they have a plus-7.9 rebounding margin for the season. That ranks 13th nationally and second in the SEC. They are plus-5.0 margin in conference play.
~They have also been very good offensively since the start of SEC play. They're first in the league with a field goal percentage of 48.3 percent in conference-only games and fourth in scoring at 77.6 points per game.
MORE FROM HAWGBEAT
Updated ESPN BPI projections: How will Hogs finish in 2nd half of SEC play?
Making the case for JD Notae: From Sixth Man to SEC POTY?
Anatomy of a Winning Streak: Graphs that illustrate Arkansas' turnaround