FAYETTEVILLE -- The math doesn't match the history.
Arkansas' basketball team is 5-2 on the road in SEC games and 3-3 at home in Walton Arena.
"I've got to scratch my head on that," Razorbacks Coach Mike Anderson said. "We've always been really good at home."
Arkansas is 92-15 in Walton Arena in Anderson's six seasons, including 34-10 in SEC play prior to this season.
"We haven't been really taking care of the home court like we should," said senior guard Dusty Hannahs, who combined for 37 points to help the Razorbacks win their last two games at LSU and at No. 21 South Carolina. "We're trying not to look ahead even to the next game after this one.
"We're looking for getting a win Saturday and we're focused on game planning and working hard up until then. Taking it one game at a time."
The Razorbacks (19-7, 8-5 SEC) play Ole Miss (16-10, 7-6) at 5 p.m. today in Walton Arena, where Rebels Coach Andy Kennedy is used to winning.
Kennedy's Ole Miss teams are 5-3 in Walton Arena, including 5-1 in their last six visits.
"We've been fortunate to have some success there in the past," Kennedy said. "I wish that had a correlation to this game, but as we know, it doesn't."
Ole Miss last played in Walton Arena two years ago when the Rebels beat the Razorbacks 96-82. Senior forward Sebastian Saiz, who scored 12 points, is the only current Rebel who played in the game. The only current Razorbacks who played are senior guard Manny Watkins and junior guard Anton Beard and neither scored.
"Every team, every season, is different," Kennedy said. "These are two totally different sets of circumstances.
"Arkansas is like us. We're all just trying to scratch our some more wins as we close down the season."
The Razorbacks made a major statement for their NCAA Tournament resume by winning at South Carolina 83-76 Wednesday night. The Rebels have won four of their last five games to put themselves in position to be considered for the NCAA Tournament if they finish strong.
"It's a big game for them and it's a big game for us," Anderson said. "There's a lot at stake. So I just think you've got to leave everything out on the floor."
The Rebels, 3-3 in SEC road games, are led by Saiz (averaging 15.2 points and 11.2 rebounds) and guards Deandre Burnett (16.5 points) and Terence Davis (14.3).
Burnett, a fourth-year junior transfer from Miami, is playing his second college season. He redshirted his true freshman season at Miami because of a wrist injury and sat last season because of NCAA transfer rules.
"He's been solid for us," Kennedy said. "He hasn't been as efficient as I would have hoped, but when you look at it objectively, he sat out two of the last three years. It's taken him a little while to get consistent."
Davis scored a career-high 33 points in the Rebels' 96-76 victory over LSU on Tuesday night, which they finished with a 17-0 run. He scored 26 the previous game against Auburn. He's averaged 1.8 points in 20 games last season as a freshman.
"He's got to be the most improved guy in the SEC, and a lot of it was he came in as a freshman after being a two-sport guy in high school," Kennedy said. "He was a football guy and a basketball guy. He was a little behind from a skill standpoint when he first got here and he was playing behind seniors last year, too, so he didn't get a lot of opportunities.
"He had a great offseason and we knew he was going to be playing in every game, and now he's evolved into being our go-to guy. He's really explosive and he's playing at a high level."
Kennedy said it shouldn't be surprising Arkansas and Ole Miss have had their up-and-down stretches this season.
"I think that's just the state of college basketball," he said. "If you look around the country, save for maybe a handful of teams, everything else is in play.
"There's a thin margin of error. Talent is spread out all over. It's hard to win."
Arkansas' home losses have been to Florida, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt. The Razorbacks never have lost more than three SEC games in Walton Arena in a season under Anderson.
"You don't want home losses," Watkins said. "We've just got to be ready for the next game and make sure that total doesn't go up."
Anderson said the Razorbacks have learned some tough lessons with the home losses, especially that there is no room for letting up in an SEC game.
"You can't take plays off and you can't look at anybody's record and assume that you're going to win a game just because you're playing at home," he said. "Hopefully that will be our mindset.
"On the road you're always going to have some adversity. You're all you've got and I think our guys have learned how to win on the road. They have learned how to trust each other and depend on each other on the road.
"But we've got to have that sense of urgency when we play here and get our crowd into it and keep them into it."
Kennedy said the Rebels have to be ready for a raucous atmosphere.
"We know this is going to be a monumental task to go into Bud Walton," he said. "I'm sure the Razorback fans will be loud and proud."
Arkansas men vs. Ole Miss
WHEN 5 p.m. WHERE Walton Arena, Fayetteville RECORDS Arkansas 19-7, 8-5 SEC; Ole Miss 16-10, 7-6 SERIES Arkansas leads 43-32 RADIO Razorback Sports Network TELEVISION SEC Network
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS
OLE MISS POS. NAME, HT, YR PPG RPG G Deandre Burnett, 6-2, Jr. 16.5 2.2 G Terence Davis, 6-4, So. 14.3 5.5 G Breein Tyree, 6-2, Fr. 5.5 1.6 F Sebastian Saiz, 6-9, So. 15.2 11.2 F Marcanvis Hymon, 6-7, Jr. 3.8 4.5 COACH Andy Kennedy (228-136 in 11th season at Ole Miss, 249-146 in 12th season overall) ARKANSAS POS. NAME, HT, YR PPG RPG G Dusty Hannahs, 6-3, Sr. 14.9 1.8 G Jaylen Barford, 6-3, Jr. 11.6 3.7 G Manny Watkins, 6-4, Sr. 5.8 3.7 F Adrio Bailey, 6-6, Fr. 2.0 1.6 C Moses Kingsley, 6-10, Sr. 11.9 7.5 COACH Mike Anderson (121-71 in sixth season at Arkansas, 321-169 in 15th season overall)
TEAM COMPARISON
MISS ARK 78.1 Points for 80.2 75.6 Points against 74.2 +2.6 Rebound margin +0.7 -0.2 Turnover margin +1.2 42.8 FG pct. 46.3 34.7 3-pt pct. 37.9 75.7 FT pct. 74.9 CHALK TALK Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson said whether junior guard Anton Beard plays today is likely a game-time decision. Beard, who is averaging 8.5 points and 22.1 minutes, was ill for Wednesday night’s game at South Carolina and played 5 minutes. … Ole Miss is 11-3 in its past 14 games against Arkansas and has won 5 of its last 6 in Walton Arena … Jaylen Barford matched his season-high for the Razorbacks with 23 points in their 83-76 victory at No. 21 South Carolina. He also scored 23 points in an 83-78 loss at Missouri. … Arkansas junior guard Daryl Macon, who has played the past three games off the bench, is averaging 13.1 points. … Ole Miss has won four of its past fi ve games. … Rebels sophomore guard Andre Davis scored 26 points against Auburn and a career-high 33 against LSU in his past 2 games, hitting 24 of 34 shots, 3 of 9 three-pointers and 8 of 9 free throws. … Arkansas center Moses Kingsley is averaging an SEC-best 2.7 blocked shots per game.
Sports on 02/18/2017