We continue our SEC basketball non-conference schedule series with a look at the road ahead for Arkansas.
The Razorbacks enter the season with little experience after losing six seniors, but the return of potential NBA lottery pick Daniel Gafford should offer Mike Anderson and company a huge boost.
Let’s roll through Arkansas’s schedule to see how the opponents are shaping up entering the season.
For Arkansas’s full schedule, visit the team’s official website.
vs. Texas (Nov. 9, Armed Forces Classic)
2017-18 Record: 19-15
Season Outlook:
Texas has gotten more efficient defensively in each of Shaka Smart’s first three seasons in Austin, and with four starters back, the win total is also expected to improve.
The Longhorns are much more experienced than a year ago (335th in experience in ’17-18), and senior Kerwin Roach (12.3 ppg, 3.6 apg) will lead the way in the backcourt.
Roach was recently suspended for the team’s season opener against Eastern Illinois on Nov. 6, but he’s expected to be back for this game.
vs. UC Davis (Nov. 12)
2017-18 Record: 22-11
Season Outlook:
Jim Les brings back the Big West player of the year in 5-9 guard TJ Shorts II (14.8 ppg, 52.1 percent FG) and three other starters to go along with him.
That should put the Aggies back in the conference title race, as should their ability to force turnovers on a consistent basis (21st nationally with 15.4 turnovers forced per game).
vs. Indiana (Nov. 18)
2017-18 Record: 16-15
Season Outlook:
Not only does Second Team All-Big Ten selection Juwan Morgan (16.5 ppg, 7.4 rpg) return, but Archie Miller adds the nation’s No. 10 recruiting class to the mix.
Romeo Langford, the No. 7 recruit in the country, will add instant offense for the Hoosiers and be one of the better playmakers in college basketball.
That combination should allow Indiana to be better from 3-point range (32.2 percent, 315th nationally) and the free-throw line (65.7 percent, 331st nationally).
vs. Montana State (Nov. 21)
2017-18 Record: 13-19
Season Outlook:
The Bobcats lost 13 of their final 15 games, and defensively, had major issues in allowing opponents to average 47.6 percent shooting from the floor (320th nationally).
The good news is that Tyler Hall is a phenomenal scorer and enters his senior season having averaged at least 17.5 points per game every year. Montana State brings back four starters in total, so there should be a vast improvement from last season.
vs. UT Arlington (Nov. 23)
2017-18 Record: 21-13
Season Outlook:
It’s a new era for the Mavericks after the school parted ways with long-time head coach Scott Cross, which was surprising considering that the program has won at least 21 games the past three seasons.
In comes new coach Chris Odgen, who spent many years working for Rick Barnes before being at Texas Tech the past two seasons.
Unfortunately, UT Arlington lost all five starters and has very little experience on the roster entering Odgen’s first season.
vs. FIU (Dec. 1)
2017-18 Record: 14-18
Season Outlook:
Speaking of teams with a new head coach, former Pitt and VCU assistant Jeremy Ballard is now in charge of the Panthers.
The program hasn’t experienced a winning record since the 2012-13 season, and while a quick may be unlikely in the increasing challenging CUSA, Ballard should be able to use the trademark VCU style of play to create problems for opponents.
at Colorado State (Dec. 5)
2017-18 Record: 11-21
Season Outlook:
Make a third-straight opponent with a new coach, as the Rams move from Larry Eustachy to Niko Medved. Luckily, the latter is quite familiar with the program after serving as an assistant from 2007 to 2013.
What should help Medved immediately is the return of 6-11 center Niko Carvacho, who nearly averaged a double-double with 9.2 points and 10.3 rebounds last year.
vs. Western Kentucky (Dec. 8)
2017-18 Record: 27-11
Season Outlook:
This will undoubtedly be Rick Stanbury’s most talented team since he’s been in Bowling Green, and it’s one that’s feature an incredible freshman playmaker in 6-10 center Charles Bassey.
The class itself is ranked in the top 30 in the country, and Stansbury will be able to combine that with two impact transfers in redshirt junior Jared Savage and Auburn grad transfer Desean Murray.
The Hilltoppers seem to be the clear favorite in CUSA, and a top-25 ranking is certainly possible given the talent on the roster.
vs. UTSA (Dec. 15 in North Little Rock, AR)
2017-18 Record: 20-15
Season Outlook:
The Roadrunners most definitely played to their name last season, finishing 20th in average possession length (15.7 seconds) and 29th in adjusted tempo.
Jhivvan Jackson (18.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg) is the reigning Conference USA freshman of the year, and fellow guard Keaton Wallace (11.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg) also joined him on the league’s all-conference squad.
With one of the better backcourts in the CUSA, this team has the intangibles to surprise some people this season.
vs. Georgia Tech (Dec. 19)
2017-18 Record: 13-19
Season Outlook:
It may be another season of struggles for the Yellow Jackets after Josh Okogie bolted for the NBA.
Josh Pastner’s group had major issues from beyond the arc last season in shooting 31.8 percent (325th nationally), and unless that improves, it’s hard to see Georgia Tech moving up the ladder in the ACC.
vs. Texas State (Dec. 22)
2017-18 Record: 15-18
Season Outlook: The Bobcats lost 11 of their final 13 games last season, and three starters return to try to get things back on track. This should be a clash in styles, as Texas State has finished 346th nationally in ’17-18 in averaging 20.0 seconds per offensive possession.
vs. Austin Peay (Dec. 28)
2017-18 Record: 19-15
Season Outlook:
The Govs exceeded expectations in Matt Figger’s first season on the job, finishing third in the OVC after spending years in the lower half of the standings.
Terry Taylor, who captured freshman of the year honors in the conference, returns to expand upon his 15.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per game last year, and several other key contributors are back as well.
Figger spent many seasons as an assistant under South Carolina head coach Frank Martin, so the same defensive intensity that Austin Peay showed last season (12th in forced turnovers per game) should be on display once again.
at Texas Tech (Jan. 26, SEC/Big 12 Challenge)
2017-18 Record: 27-10
Season Outlook:
Losing Keenan Evans and Zhaire Smith isn’t ideal, but after the program’s first-ever Elite Eight appearance, head coach Chris Beard should still be able to keep the momentum going.
Jarrett Culver (11.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg) is back after having a solid freshman season, and grad transfers Matt Mooney and Tariq Owens figure to make contributions right away.
Of course, what’ll make Texas Tech a tough matchup for anyone will be its defense, as the Red Raiders finished fourth nationally in defensive efficiency and 16th in scoring defense (64.8 ppg).
Overall Schedule Analysis
On the surface, there may not be much that stands about the Razorbacks’ schedule as a whole.
However, when you go through the opponents, there are several potential tricky matchups for an Arkansas team that’ll be learning on the job with so many new faces.
There are several CUSA opponents to deal with, and teams like Texas, Indiana, and Texas Tech will undoubtedly offer some challenges.
If the young Razorbacks can develop in a hurry, they may be able to exceed expectations in what should be the strongest SEC in years.