Only 'Super Bowl' games moving forward for Hoop Hogs
Following a 1-5 start to conference play, No. 25 Arkansas desperately needed a win at home Saturday against Ole Miss, and it got just that with a 69-57 victory over the Rebels.
After the game, freshman Jordan Walsh said Head Hog Eric Musselman told the team prior to the contest that every game moving forward would be a Super Bowl.
"Like Coach Muss told us, every game from now on is our Super Bowl so we went in treating it like that," Walsh said. "You know how fun it is to win a Super Bowl and watch people celebrate after the game. So yeah, we’re all happy for sure."
In a game where the Razorbacks were easily the better team on paper going into it, they came through and beat the Rebels in just about every category that matters. Highlighting the stat sheet for the Hogs was 12 steals, the most they've had in an SEC matchup since Jan. 22, 2022, against Texas A&M.
Though the Razorbacks haven't had double digit steals in any game since Dec. 21 against UNC Asheville, Musselman said the defensive game plan hasn't changed for his team, it just worked well on Saturday, as his team's 83.7 adjusted defensive efficiency rating was its best of SEC play so far.
"We played the same defense we have for four years," Musselman said. "We didn’t change. I’d love to tell you guys that...philosophically I’d love to come in and say, ‘Yeah, we as coaches got together and changed.’ I don’t know what happened the last couple of games. It’s the same defense."
Another key factor in the game for the Hogs came from behind the arc, as they drained eight deep shots, which is tied for the most in a game for them this season.
Both Davonte Davis and Joseph Pinion hit three treys each and Walsh added a pair to his name. Musselman said his group has put in the work outside of the normal practice/game time to get better.
"These guys have really worked, I’d say, the last 8-9 days," Musselman said. "Individual player development has ramped up or increased.
"We talked about now that we’re back in school with some guys with five classes that you’ve got to have incredible time management, and you’ve got to figure out when is your time to get in some shooting slot time, whether it’s in the morning, whether it’s at night, whatever you’re comfortable (with) and how that falls in line with your class schedule and our practice schedule."
Following the Jan. 7 loss at Auburn, Musselman's opening statement in the postgame press conference included the fact that his team needed to get in the gym on their own, as that's been a part of the culture he's built during his time in Fayetteville.
With his players developing more on their own, it showed during Saturday's win over Ole Miss. Davis, who is a junior and a leader on the team, performed exceptionally against the Rebels on both sides of the ball, and he seems to be leading by example on his own.
"I think I got here at 7:06 and he was either finishing or close to finishing shooting," Musselman said after the game. "His work ethic has been extremely consistent on a daily basis on his own. And I think he’s really focused. He’s a guy that just the steady approach of getting his work in on his own has been really impressive. And we need him to continue to play really well on both ends."
Arkansas stepped up in its first "Super Bowl" with the win over Ole Miss, and Musselman is already looking ahead to Tuesday's game against LSU.
"Yeah, there were a lot of Super Bowl signs up in the locker room," Musselman said. "Unless one of those guys wrote it, it was from us. We have to have the mentality (of) one game at a time, we have to have the mentality … there’s another Super Bowl on Tuesday, just so you know."
The Hogs and the Tigers will face off at 6 p.m. CT Tuesday inside Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville. The game will be televised on ESPN2.