FAYETTEVILLE -- As Murray State's head coach, Matt McMahon had teams led by Ja Morant for two seasons in 2017-18 and 2018-19.
When McMahon was an assistant coach at Appalachian State during the 2007-08 season, the Mountaineers' Southern Conference competition included Davidson's Stephen Curry.
McMahon, in his second season as LSU's coach, referenced Morant and Curry -- both NBA All-Stars -- when talking about University of Arkansas guard Khalif Battle and the offensive roll he's on going into the Tigers' game against the Razorbacks tonight at Walton Arena.
Battle, a 6-5 senior transfer from Temple, has combined to score 112 points the previous three games against Missouri, Vanderbilt and Kentucky.
First Battle scored a career-high 42 points in the Razorbacks' 88-73 victory over Missouri, then he had 36 in their 85-82 loss to Vanderbilt and 34 in their 111-102 loss at No. 15 Kentucky.
It's the most points scored in three consecutive games by an Arkansas player, surpassing the 104 Mason Jones had in 2020 against South Carolina (34), Alabama (30) and Auburn (40).
"I really haven't seen an offensive explosion like that since I coached Ja Morant and back when I was in the same league as Stephen Curry," McMahon said of Battle when he met with reporters Monday in Baton Rouge. "He's just been phenomenal."
Battle has scored 40.2% of his points the last three games from the free-throw line, where he's made 45 of 49 attempts. He was 14 of 14 against Missouri, 14 of 17 against Vanderbilt and 17 of 18 at Kentucky.
"To take 49 free throws in three games, I don't know if I've ever seen that before," McMahon said.
The previous five games, including an Arkansas loss at Mississippi State and victory at Texas A&M, Battle has averaged 29 points and hit 58 of 65 free throws.
"When you have a guy that can shoot free throws so well and can draw fouls, as soon as you get in the bonus -- whatever half it is -- then you've got to really try to maximize it to get the ball in his hands," Arkansas Coach Eric Musselman said Monday night on his final radio show of the season. "[Battle's] teammates have done an excellent job of recognizing when we're in the bonus and trying to get him the ball and try to space out and let him go one-on-one."
During the last three games Battle has hit 20 of 28 field goal attempts, including 11 of 20 three-pointers.
"I've been super impressed that he's not going into games hunting shots," Musselman said. "He's letting the game come to him."
Battle attempted one shot in the first 9:20 at Kentucky and missed. He got his first points of the game on a fast-break layup with 10:40 left in the first half on his second shot. By halftime Battle had 13 points and had hit 4 of 6 shots and 5 of 6 free throws. He finished 8 of 16 from the field.
"Sometimes a player will get on a scoring roll, and the next time they'll get a little overanxious to start a game and maybe take some questionable shots or some heat-check shots," Musselman said. "Then all of a sudden the confidence can leave you very quickly as well.
"K.B.'s done a great job of having patience."
It's been a disappointing season for the Razorbacks (14-15, 5-11 SEC) but their improved play in recent games coincided with Battle getting more playing time.
Battle has averaged 37 minutes the previous five games. Over a nine-game stretch prior to Battle scoring 18 points in 34 minutes at Mississippi State, he played 15 or fewer minutes in six games, including not playing at all in a home game against Texas A&M.
When LSU beat Arkansas 95-74 in Baton Rouge on Feb. 3, Battle was scoreless in 9 minutes and shot 0 of 3 from the field without attempting a free throw.
As well as Battle has played offensively of late, improved defense helped him get back to playing significant minutes after he averaged 16.4 points the first 10 games.
Eight of Battle's 21 steals on the season have come in the last four games and he has 24 rebounds in that span with 20 on the defensive end. His eight rebounds at Kentucky were a season high.
"He's been much better defensively than he was earlier," Musselman said. "I think some of the concepts that we've talked about, he's really picked those up."
McMahon said it will be "an incredible test" playing at Arkansas.
"When you watch that Arkansas-Kentucky game, Arkansas looks like a team that will win games in the NCAA Tournament," McMahon said. "It was an unbelievable performance on their part."
Along with Battle not being a factor in their game at LSU earlier this season, the Razorbacks were without sophomore forward Trevon Brazile and senior guard Davonte "Devo" Davis.
Brazile didn't play because of knee soreness that resulted in him missing seven games before returning for the last three. Davis had stepped away from the team for what became a three-game absence.
Brazile has combined for 15 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocked shots in the last two games despite being limited to 32 minutes before fouling out of both.
Davis leads the Razorbacks with 56 assists despite missing three games.
"That game seems like about two years ago," McMahon said of LSU's victory over the Razorbacks last month. "So we'll focus on the current roster that they have."
LSU is without senior guard Jalen Cook, who had 20 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists against Arkansas in the teams' first meeting. McMahon said Monday that Cook is suspended indefinitely for conduct detrimental to the team, but he missed the previous five games with a foot injury.
In Cook's absence, the Tigers (16-13, 8-8 SEC) are 4-1, including a road victory at No. 17 South Carolina and home victory over Kentucky.
"They're playing as good as they have all year," Musselman said.
Arkansas closes the regular season at No. 16 Alabama on Saturday, then will prepare for the SEC Tournament that starts a week from today in Nashville, Tenn.
"We still have games left, and you just never know what can happen," Davis said Monday night when he was a guest on Musselman's radio show. "We played very well versus Kentucky in Rupp Arena. A tough environment to play in.
"We're going to try to win this LSU game, then go to Alabama and pull that game off, and then go to Nashville and put a whupping on some teams. I think we can do it."
Continued strong play from Battle figures to be a key to any success the Razorbacks have the rest of the season.
"Certainly right now with K.B., we want to try and get the ball in his hands and find mismatches for him to be able to put the ball in the hole or draw free throws," Musselman said. "As in any sport, when your confidence goes to a whole other level, that's what's going on right now with him.
"He's in the zone as they say."