March Madness is formally underway, and Arkansas basketball’s first-round conflict in opposition to 13-seed Hawai’i is lower than 24 hours away.
One of the various distinctive elements of the NCAA Tournament is the wide-open coverage with regards to the media. Throughout the common season, most gamers and coaches hear questions from an identical crop of reporters, principally within the native space. The spectacle of the Big Dance, although, brings in a much wider pool of journalists from everywhere in the nation.
Additionally, media are allowed into the locker room after apply to ask questions in an open scrum, giving followers a extra up-close and private take a look at their favourite gamers.
Select gamers nonetheless head to the rostrum for a standard press convention setting, although, and on Wednesday, DJ Wagner and Darius Acuff Jr. had the glory of previewing the Hogs’ matchup with the Rainbow Warriors.
The Athletic’s Lindsey Schnell got here out swinging with an early query about John Calipari: “Coach is going to come up here next, and he’s known when he gets in front of a microphone to talk for a long time. What is he like in the locker room? Do your team meetings take multiple hours because he’s giving a soliloquy?”
Apparently, Schnell has watched just a few Calipari press conferences in her day and is aware of the person does like to speak – in that setting at the very least. Still, Wagner displayed some of his patented perimeter protection: “No, I wouldn’t say that. Coach is who he is. He’s himself no matter where he’s at, if it’s in the locker room, up here, on the court. … He just likes to motivate us. Our meetings don’t take too long.”
Schnell adopted up with one other outside-the-box query a pair minutes later, asking what the 2 guards thought of the match increasing past 68 groups.
Acuff took a web page out of Wagner’s defensive playbook: “This is my first year, so I don’t really have much to say on that. You have to ask certain coaches. I wouldn’t really have an opinion on it.”
The veteran Wagner smiled at his freshman teammate: “Same for me, really.”
Both ground generals displayed some PR-savvy chops by swatting away these potential “gotcha” questions.
The Razorback gamers aren’t in any respect involved with what number of groups over 68 ought to be allowed. They most care about being one of the 32 left standing when the mud clears late Friday. As such, Arkansas will clearly additionally want Acuff, now a unanimous first-team All-American, working at his finest on the courtroom to spur a deep match run.
Wagner, then again, flashed some main X-factor potential within the SEC Tournament title sport in opposition to Vanderbilt on Sunday.
The junior completed with 11 factors, 4 assists and 4 rebounds whereas hitting all three of his makes an attempt from behind the arc. Wagner additionally scored in double figures in every of the ultimate three regular-season video games whereas Acuff was nursing a nagging ankle harm.
The former five-star recruit is averaging simply 7.6 factors and a pair of.4 assists, however he can do loads of injury for Arkansas down the stretch if he continues his March momentum.
Scouting Hawaii Basketball
Hawai’i will not be an excellent offensive workforce, rating 212th in KenPom effectivity and taking pictures 46% from the sphere and a pedestrian 32% from behind the arc. What it does have, nevertheless, is terrific positional measurement for a mid-major squad. Point guard Hunter Erickson is 6-foot-3 and the opposite 4 starters are 6-foot-6 or taller.
Big man Isaac Johnson (7-foot, 240 kilos) is the centerpiece of the Rainbow Warriors’ assault, main the workforce in scoring (14.1 factors per sport) and rebounds (5.8) whereas taking pictures 50% from the sphere, 32% from three and an elite 89% from the free throw line. The tremendous senior is nice along with his again to the basket, and Hawai’i usually runs its offense by means of his publish touches. Johnson can be an in a position playmaker and defender, averaging 1.1 assists and 1.1 blocks.
Arkansas’ frontcourt should keep disciplined and keep away from biting on pump fakes to remain out of foul hassle.
Dre Bullock (6-foot-6) is averaging 13.5 factors and a team-leading 1.7 steals and is a good positional rebounder, matching Johnson’s 5.8 boards per sport. The veteran wing isn’t essentially the most environment friendly scorer, taking pictures 43% from the sphere and 27% from three, however he’s one of Hawai‘i’s finest choices for creating offense when possessions break down.
Harry Rouhliadeff (6-foot-9) is a key complementary piece as a result of of his floor-spacing means. The Australian ahead averages 10.8 factors and 5.0 rebounds whereas taking pictures 53% from the sphere and 40% from three. Neutralizing Rouhliadeff’s taking pictures whereas offering rim safety within the paint might be a key issue for Trevon Brazile.
Hunter Erickson is the Rainbow Warriors’ main creator, averaging a team-leading 3.8 assists. The senior isn’t an elite scorer at 8.5 factors per sport, however he shoots a succesful 36% from three — and his 3.9 rebounds per sport are spectacular for some extent guard.
Lithuanian ahead Gytis Nemeiksa (6-foot-8) averages 9.3 factors and 4.9 rebounds, whereas Isaac Finlinson (6-foot-6) scores 9.1 factors per sport and shoots 38.1% from three. Hawai’i has a quantity of choices who can come out to attain double figures.
The Rainbow Warriors butter their bread on protection, the place they rank forty third nationally in KenPom effectivity.
Predicting Arkansas vs Hawaii
Hawai’i is a very elite mid-major defensive workforce, permitting opponents to shoot simply 41% from the sphere and 30% from three. Most spectacular, although, is its means to limit ball motion on that finish of the ground. The Rainbow Warriors permit opponents simply 9.3 assists per sport — the most effective mark within the nation. This displays Hawai’i’s unusual defensive philosophy, which prioritizes staying house on shooters and avoiding over-helping, dropping deep in pick-and-roll protection relatively than switching.
Arkansas is the most effective three-point taking pictures workforce (39%) within the SEC and ranks twenty fourth nationally with 17 assists per sport. Hawai’i’s typical technique appears like a recipe for Darius Acuff Jr. to place up online game numbers, and head coach Eran Ganot is aware of that.
Former Arkansas assistant Gus Argenal — head coach of UC-Riverside, one of Hawai’i’s Big West convention foes — told Best of Arkansas Sports that he expects the Rainbow Warriors to deploy a 2-3 zone protection for many of the competition.
That will put additional strain on Arkansas to maintain the ball transferring and get beauty relatively than settling for contested pictures. Getting out in transition and attending to the rim earlier than Hawai’i can arrange a zone might be paramount.
Hawai’i bucks the same old mid-major formulation of three-happy offense. This workforce is disciplined, robust and skilled with sufficient measurement to make the Hogs work. Johnson has the craft to present Arkansas complications if its frontcourt doesn’t have a superb night time, and the uncommon zone look will make the Razorbacks’ guards work tougher to create.
The Rainbow Warriors have been troublemakers of their two video games in opposition to high-major opposition this yr, shedding to Oregon and Arizona State by solely a mixed eight factors.
At the top of the day, although, the Razorbacks’ offense presents an excessive amount of volcanic power for Hawai’i to deal with.
Arkansas wins, 91-76.
How to Watch Arkansas vs Hawaii
Date: Thursday, March 19
Location: Moda Center (Portland, Ore.)
Tipoff Time/TV: 3:25 p.m. CT (TBS)
KenPom: Arkansas has a 91% likelihood to win, with a projected rating of 87-72.
Odds/Betting Line: Arkansas, -15.5 | O/U 159.5 (BetSaracen)
*winner faces the winner of (5) Wisconsin vs (12) High Point within the second spherical of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday*
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