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Published Jan 5, 2020
Joe, Jones proving to be great 1-2 punch for Arkansas
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Andrew Hutchinson  •  HawgBeat
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FAYETTEVILLE — Isaiah Joe and Mason Jones are quickly establishing themselves as one of the best scoring duos in the SEC.

Both players scored 17 points Saturday night, helping Arkansas put away Texas A&M in its SEC opener. Although they accounted for almost exactly half of the Razorbacks’ scoring in the 69-59 victory, the pair was three points apiece shy of extending their streak of 20-point games.

They had both eclipsed that mark in each of the last three games, something that hadn’t been done at Arkansas since Corliss Williamson and Scotty Thurman did it in 1995.

Unlike that legendary tandem, Joe and Jones are both guards. However, as Texas A&M head coach Buzz Williams pointed out after Saturday’s game, their games are still just different enough to compliment each other.

“So hard to guard because (Jones) can beat you on the bounce and force help and (Joe) is shooting 37 percent behind 25 feet,” Williams said. “If you don’t help on (Jones), he’s going to destroy you, and when you do help, (Joe’s) going to shoot and (Joe) can shoot it past half court.”

In practice leading up to the game, Williams said he tried to work with his team on having a quick rotation out on Joe when his defender has to provide help against Jones’ driving ability. That sounds good in theory, but Joe has such a quick trigger that it’s much more difficult in reality.

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