Arkansas will look for its fifth-straight victory when it hosts Cal State Bakersfield on Wednesday at Bud Walton Arena.
The Razorbacks are off to a hot start this season, and they would certainly like to keep the momentum going before heading into conference play on Saturday.
Arkansas will open up its SEC slate at home against Tennessee, with the Volunteers also looking like one of the top teams in the league after a strong non-conference showing.
As for the Razorbacks’ opponent in this one, Cal State Bakersfield is off to a 7-7 start, although three of those wins have come against non-Division I competition.
Game Details
Date: December 27, 2017
Location: Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, AR
Time: 8 p.m. EST
TV: SEC Network
What to Watch For
The Razorbacks continue to be one of the most explosive offensive teams in the country, which will make this a challenge for the Roadrunners.
Mike Anderson’s squad has excelled in several important offensive categories:
- 89.5 points per game (ninth nationally)
- 10.5 turnovers per game (11th nationally)
- 41.5 percent from 3-point range (13th nationally)
- 50.6 percent field-goal percentage (18th nationally)
Those numbers aren’t particularly good news for a Bakersfield team that ranks 282nd in the country in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency category and 321st in effective field-goal percentage (45.4 percent).
And as is always the case against Arkansas, taking care of the ball will be crucial to having success.
The Roadrunners are pretty much average in that regard in ranking 167th in the nation at 13.5 turnovers per game.
Of course, this game will also offer a clash in styles. The “Fastest 40” style continues to be a staple for an Anderson-coached team, and Arkansas will get up and down the floor in a hurry.
And then there’s Bakersfield, who plays at a much slower tempo and has an average possession length of 19.2 seconds (336th nationally).
As they’ve done all season, the Razorbacks should be able to make this and up and down game that’ll allow them to force turnovers and turn defense into offense.
Arkansas also has the height advantage in this one, and this should be another game that’ll allow freshman Daniel Gafford to showcase his skills.
The 6-11 forward is averaging 12.2 points and 5.7 rebounds to go along with two blocks per game.