Razorbacks head to Oxford knowing Ole Miss will make it physical

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — No. 15 Arkansas packs its bags again, this time pointing the bus toward Oxford, Miss., where style points won’t matter much on a Wednesday night in the SEC.

The Razorbacks are trying to get to 2-0 in league play, which sounds simple until you remember that SEC road wins are treated like rare coins.

Everybody wants one. Not many leave with one.

Ole Miss doesn’t look like the towering presence it flashed a year ago, but the Rebels. Under Chris Beard, still play the sort of game that makes visitors grumble by halftime and check the turnover column twice.

Hogs assistant Chuck Martin didn’t bother dressing it up.

“I think you got to take care of the ball, particularly against this team, like Ole Miss, you got to take care of the ball,” Martin said Tuesday. “They turn you over. They’re going to get after you defensively.”

That tone fits the matchup. The Rebs are 8-6 and coming off an 86-70 loss to Oklahoma to open conference play. There’s no marquee win on the resume.

The closest thing is an 83-77 win over Memphis, a team sitting 77th in KenPom.

Numbers tell a blunt story. Ole Miss has no Quad 1 wins, is 0-1 in Quad 2 games, and sits at No. 98 in the NET. All victories so far live in Quad 3 and 4 land, which is not where dreams are made in March.

Ole Miss Rebels coach Chris Beard reacts toward an official during the first half against the Alabama A&M Bulldogs at Cadence Bank Arena in Tupelo, Miss. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Still, the Hogs don’t need a history lesson to know better than to sleepwalk through Oxford.

South Carolina taught that lesson last year. Road games in this league don’t ask how you’re ranked; they ask how tough you are.

From a matchup view, this is Arkansas offense versus Ole Miss defense. The Rebels average 74.3 points, dead last in the SEC, but they give up just 67.9.

Their scoring margin sits at plus-6.4, 15th in the league. For comparison, Arkansas is sixth at plus-15.3.

Defense is where the Rebels hang their hat. They force 12.7 turnovers per game, average 7.2 steals and 4.9 blocks, and hold opponents to 41.8% shooting. Turnover margin and blocks both rank sixth in the SEC.

“Coach Beard’s had a reputation over the years of being a heck of a defensive coach and that hasn’t changed,” Martin said. “The effort every night, they play hard, they’re physical. Defensively, they’re one of the best defensive teams in our league.”

That brings the conversation to the same place it always ends up with Ole Miss in Malik Dia.

Arkansas Razorbacks assistant coach Chuck Martin during the second half against the Troy Trojans at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Dia, turnovers and freshmen shape road test

Dia is the engine. He owns a 32.8% usage rate, well ahead of anyone else on the roster, and he has history with Arkansas.

Last season, he dropped 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds against the Razorbacks in the regular-season meeting.

“He’s a handful,” Martin said. “He’s a really good player because of his versatility. His ability to shoot the ball from the 3-point line… The challenge with him is he’s got great size and he’s skilled enough to shot fake you in and back you down into the paint.”

Dia averages 11.8 field-goal attempts per game, hits 44.2% of them, and gets to the free-throw line five times a night. He’s a 70% shooter there, which means fouling him without purpose is just math working against you.

Behind Dia, the Rebels have pieces that can sting you if you relax. A.J. Storr does most of his damage inside the arc.

Ilias Kamardine averages 11 points per game, shoots 52.1% on twos and leads the team with 4.1 assists.

Patton Pinkins just scored a season-high 25 against Oklahoma, hitting 4-of-6 from deep.

Kezza Giffa adds experience but has done most of his scoring against lower-level competition.

For the Hogs, it starts with ball security. Giving Ole Miss extra possessions is how scoring droughts begin.

Arkansas freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr. earned praise against Tennessee, but he also had four turnovers. He has 11 turnovers over the last five games.

That’s the cost of usage. Acuff’s rate sits at 25.8%, and the ball finds him often. Still, those mistakes get louder on the road.

Arkansas Razorbacks forward Malique Ewin (12) drives to the basket in the first half against the James Madison Dukes at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

The same applies to Malique Ewin, who has 10 turnovers in the last five games. Together, they account for 40% of the team’s giveaways in that stretch.

The flip side is youth-driven upside. Acuff and Meleek Thomas are two of the Hogs’ best scoring options.

With another strong week, Acuff could be named SEC Freshman of the Week for a fifth straight time, something the league hasn’t seen before.

Thomas finally shook a shooting slump last week, and Martin noticed everything else he brought while the shots weren’t falling.

“In the games that he was in a slump, he distributed the ball, he defended the best offensive player on the opposing team,” Martin said. “Because he had that energy about him… it was inevitable that he was going to get out of the slump.”

Limiting Dia is the final checkbox. In two games against Arkansas last season, he totaled 40 points and 16 rebounds.

SEC whistles tend to show up early, so attacking the rim and testing Dia’s foul count could matter as much as any set play.

It’s not flashy. It’s not poetic. It’s an SEC road game, where toughness and patience usually get the last word.

Key takeaways

Arkansas must protect the ball against an Ole Miss defense built on pressure and turnovers.
Malik Dia remains the Rebels’ focal point and a proven problem for the Hogs.
Freshmen Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas carry added weight in a true road environment.

Dia, turnovers and freshmen shape road test

Key takeaways

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