How to watch to Arkansas-Baylor, projected lineups, more
The Arkansas Razorbacks (14-6, 3-5 SEC) will face one of their toughest tests of the season so far in a matchup at the No. 17 Baylor Bears (15-5, 5-3 Big 12) on Saturday in Waco, Texas.
Arkansas will be looking to grab a nice Quadrant 1 win on the road against Baylor, who is 9-2 at home this season. The Hogs have yet to win a true road game this season, but they are looking to build off of back-to-back wins over Ole Miss and LSU during a two-game homestand.
"This is a game that you don’t often get to play," assistant coach Gus Argenal said. "We need to play well on the road. That’s an area that we have to improve. This is no better place to start than doing it at Baylor, which will be a crazy crowd and a great opportunity."
Junior guard Davonte Davis has emerged as a vocal leader for the Razorbacks, and he's also playing at an elite level. Davis has scored at least 16 points in each of his last five outings, and he ranks 19th in offensive rating (104) of SEC players that have been used for at least 20% of their respective team's possessions during conference play.
"His energy throughout the year is continuing to get better and better," Argenal said. "And his work ethic, extra shooting on his own … I’ve walked in here multiple times and the lights are kind of dimmed and he’s in there zoned in, shooting with a graduate assistant or a manager or by himself on the shooting machine. It’s really a credit to him."
While the Bears are one of the best offensive teams in the nation — checking in at No. 2 in adjusted offensive efficiency — Arkansas is not viewing them as a giant.
Forward Makhi Mitchell said the Razorbacks have plenty of confidence entering this one, even after they started 1-5 in conference play.
"The coaches never lost faith," Mitchell said. "They're always sticking with us and finding ways to win. We go back and look at film and clean up all the things we messed up. We're just working at it every day. We never get up. That's one thing about us. We're never going to give up. As a team, as a collective and that's what I like about Arkansas."
Here are details on how to watch/listen, notes, projected lineups, stats, odds and more for Saturday's game between Arkansas and Baylor:
Notes
~ In the 100th year of Razorback basketball, Baylor joins Texas A&M as the only teams on this year’s Razorback schedule that also appeared on Arkansas’ first season of basketball (1923-24) when the trio of schools were members of the Southwest Conference. Baylor was Arkansas’ third conference opponent in Arkansas’ inaugural season of basketball. After splitting with SMU and dropping two games to TCU, Arkansas traveled to Baylor and lost, 33-29, on Feb. 18, 1924, before rallying for a 28-14 win over the Bears the next day in Waco.
~ Arkansas and Baylor have met on 144 previous occasions, making the Bears tied with Rice for fourth among Arkansas’ most common opponents behind Texas A&M (161), Texas (155) and SMU (155).
~ Arkansas owns a 96-48 advantage in the series, including a 37-32 mark in games played in Waco. The last time Arkansas played in Waco (Jan. 26, 1991), then No. 2 Arkansas defeated the Bears, 73-68. The teams have only played three times since that 1991 game after Arkansas left the SWC for the SEC. All three were on neutral courts – Jan. 5, 2008, in Dallas; Dec. 20, 2009, in North Little Rock; and Mar. 29, 2021, in Indianapolis.
~ This year marks the final season of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. Arkansas has played in eight consecutive SEC/Big 12 Challenge games, and it is 4-4 across those games with all four losses coming on the road.
~ Arkansas freshman Anthony Black is connected to Baylor through his parents. His father, Terry, was a standout basketball player for the Bears and he is a member of the Baylor Sports Hall of Fame (Class of 2015). His mother, the former Jennifer Cavelle, played soccer at Baylor.
• Arkansas Director of Athletics Hunter Yurachek and Baylor AD Mack Rhoades worked together at both Akron and Houston. Yurachek succeeded Rhoades as Houston AD prior to coming to Arkansas.
How to Watch/Listen
Who: Arkansas Razorbacks (14-6, 3-5 SEC) vs No. 17 Baylor Bears (15-5, 5-3 BIG 12)
When: Saturday, Jan. 28 at 3:00 p.m. CT
Where: Waco, Texas – Ferrell Center (10,284)
Television: ESPN (Tom Hart, Fran Fraschilla)
Stream/Online: Watch ESPN
Radio: Learfield Razorback Sports Network (Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman)
Gameday Info and How to Listen Online/Mobile: Razorback Gameday App
Projected Lineups
Arkansas
#0 - G Anthony Black - Fr., 6'7", 198 lbs.
2022-23 Stats per game: 32.1 min, 12.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.8 steals, 3.1 turnovers, 0.6 blocks, 44.9 fg%, 33.9 3fg%
#4 - G Davonte Davis - Jr., 6'4", 185 lbs.
2022-23 Stats per game: 30.6 min, 10.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.4 steals, 1.8 turnovers, 0.2 blocks, 39.8 fg%, 28.8 3fg%
#1 - G Ricky Gouncil IV - Jr., 6'6", 205 lbs.
2022-23 Stats per game: 33.8 min, 16.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.6 steals, 2.5 turnovers, 0.2 blocks, 45.7 fg%, 28.0 3fg%
#13 - G/F Jordan Walsh - Fr., 6'7", 205 lbs.
2022-23 Stats per game: 21.9 min, 7.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.1 turnovers, 0.5 blocks, 45.2 fg%, 27.7 3fg%
#15 - F Makhi Mitchell - Sr., 6'9", 230 lbs.
2022-23 Stats per game: 20.5 min, 7.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.1 turnovers, 1.5 blocks, 63.9 fg%, 100.0 3fg%
Baylor
#10 - G Adam Flagler - R-Sr., 6'3", 185 lbs.
2022 Stats per game: 32.1 min, 16.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.6 steals, 1.7 turnovers, 0.1 blocks, 43.2 fg%, 43.6 3fg%
#4 - G LJ Cryer - Jr., 6'1", 190 lbs.
2022 Stats per game: 31.2 min, 14.2 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.6 steals, 1.8 turnovers, 0.2 blocks, 45.5 fg%, 39.8 3fg%
#1 - G Keyonte George - Fr., 6'4", 185 lbs.
2022 Stats per game: 29.4 min, 16.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.0 steals, 2.9 turnovers, 0.2 blocks, 38.4 fg%, 34.4 3fg%
#11 - F Jalen Bridges - Jr., 6'7", 225 lbs.
2022 Stats per game: 24.8 min, 9.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.9 turnovers, 1.2 blocks, 50.7 fg%, 26.2 3fg%
#0 - F Flo Thamba - 5th-Sr., 6'10”, 250 lbs.
2022 Stats per game: 23.0 min, 5.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.6 steals, 1.5 turnovers, 0.5 blocks, 59.6 fg%
Vegas odds:
Vegas: Baylor is a -3.5-point favorite (BetSaracen)
ESPN: Baylor has 70.8% chance to win
Headlines
WATCH: Gus Argenal, Makhi Mitchell preview Baylor game
Hardwood Hawgs Podcast: Hogs are hot going into Baylor game
Arkansas remains confident going into big game at Baylor
HawgBeat Hoops Mailbag w/ JCHoops: 1/27
(some information courtesy of Arkansas and Baylor Communications)