Razorbacks Remain a Mystery to Musselman at This Late Stage

With eight games left, Hogs still not quite sure who they are with season ending soon

Author:
Jacob Davis
Updated:
Feb 12, 2024 2:08 PM EST
Original:
Feb 11, 2024

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas' win over Georgia on Saturday wasn't necessarily a complete game on either side of the court. Rewatching the thrilling 78-75 victory displayed the Razorbacks' focus and determination of continuing getting better.

“Two teams that were kind of desperate today, I thought," Musselman said. "We’re still searching for who we are.”

In the recent past, the Hogs have been able to diagnose issues early on which hasn't been the case this season. Four noncompetitive 20-point SEC losses against the likes of Auburn and Florida dominated the headlines early.

Some folks remain on the fence whether this Razorback team will ever turn the corner, but Saturday still provided hope. A NCAA Tournament is out of the question for now. Playing for team pride the rest of the way will be crucial for how this team is remembered in the future.

Sure, there were 12 turnovers for the game including four possessions that saw a Razorback stepping out of bounds along the baseline. It certainly cost Arkansas points, especially at times when the team desperately needed them. Once ahead by 12 points, miscues helped Georgia take a lead off Justin Hill's three pointer with 3:59 to go.

Clutch shots from Makhi Mitchell and El Ellis pushed Arkansas back ahead on three separate occasions in the final 2:30. The Razorbacks have made basketball IQ questioning mistakes regularly this season including Saturday. However, the team overcame several mistakes to pull out a momentum swinging win.

"I liked our new flow offensively the way we did things, I really did," Musselman said. "Hope the players feel the same way. I don't know if they do. But I thought offensively again the biggest area of improvement for us is not stepping out of bounds. We scored 44 points in the second half. But stepping out of bounds [four times], I've never seen anything like in my life. So if we could not step out of bounds, that might give us another four to eight points."

Swagger and confidence has lacked during an up-and-down season for Arkansas. Defensive leadership showed up early an often as the veterans Mitchell, Ellis, Tramon Mark and Davonte Davis played huge minutes shooting efficiently and limiting themselves to only four turnovers.

Saturday was the second time in three games where the Razorbacks seemed to believe in what they wanted to do. It's imperative the team translates Saturday's success to Wednesday night as the Hogs' host No. 6 Tennessee.

“It’s great right now, but once I leave this room it’s all about getting ready for Tennessee," Musselman said. "I don’t think I’ll be watching much of the Super Bowl, I’ll be watching Tennessee.”

The Razorbacks have struggled all season defending the three pointer. A newfound air-tight perimeter defense will be tested as the Volunteers sink nine three pointers per game. Tennessee has made 46-of-136 three point attempts in SEC road games this season, a 33% average. Arkansas was able to limit Georgia's three-point shot taking Saturday going 4-of-18 after starting a horrendous 1-of-12.