Razorbacks Hitting Stride at Right Time Biggest Takeaway from Missouri Win

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Arkansas Razorbacks entered Bud Walton Arena with a built-in excuse to mail in a performance, but were focused on tournament seeding with a 94-86 victory over Missouri on Saturday.

Despite a sluggish start, each Razorback did what ever they wanted to in the second half and led by as many as 14 points with over two minutes to go.

Arkansas picked up its sixth Quad-1 victory of the season, a key metric the NCAA Tournament selection committee uses in terms of seeding. Here are three other key takeaways as Arkansas prepares for the final four games of its regular season.

Hogs Always Respond

The Razorbacks have yet to lose two straight games this season, which hasn't been done in a single-season since the 1994-95 team that went to the Final Four.

This teams has a much shorter rotation, but are playing very efficient basketball as the month of March approaches. Arkansas has a very tough stretch to close the season with Texas A&M at home, Florida on the road, Texas at home and will close the regular season on the road against Missouri.

Arkansas Razorbacks guard Darius Acuff during game against the Southern Jaguars at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. | Nilsen Roman-allHOGS Images

Arkansas leads the SEC in field goal percentage at nearly 52% and its offense is still humming at nearly 90 points per game, which ranks No. 2 in the SEC and No. 6 in the nation.

There's simply no better way to put it except there is no quit in this team considering they have played seven of last year's eight participants in the Elite Eight from last year.

The Razorbacks kept it close against others such as Michigan State on the road, at neutral site venues against Duke and Houston and nearly picked off Alabama on the road.

There have been bright spots against Texas Tech in Dallas, splitting with Auburn and knocking off Tennessee in the SEC opener.

Coach John Calipari has his team playing at its best right now and that means most want to avoid in March. Just ask Kansas and St. John's to reference what their experiences were like last year.

Can BIlly "Goat" Keep It Up?

There isn't another player on Arkansas' roster who plays with more energy and effort than Billy Richmond III. His recent stretch of 20+ points in three consecutive ball games are more than at any other point in his college career.

Arkansas Razorbacks Billy Richmond during game against the Jackson State Tigers at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. | Nilsen Roman-allHOGS Images

With a shortened rotation, Richmond has played 34 or more minutes in each of the previous four games while not changing who he is on either end. He is drilling 60% of his attempts from the field, pulling in four rebounds, one block, and just over one turnover per game.

He exited Saturday's game in noticeable pain, but Calipari maintained that the apparent injury was only cramps and that he'll be fine moving forward. Richmond is critical not only to Arkansas' rotation due to limited depth but is depended upon to play a variety of positions in the front and backcourt.

Last season, Richmond was a menace on defense and utiliized his supreme athleticsm in transiton for jaw dropping dunks and other wild finishes at the rim. He is one of Darius Acuff's favorite teammates to hookup with on the offensive end as Richmond is tied with Meleek Thomas for most assist-to-scorer on the team, according to CBBAnalytics.

Is Wagner Coming Alive?

It was inevitable that Acuff wasn't going to be able to play a full 40 minutes against Missouri immediately following a 49-point, 50 minute double-overtime game against Alabama.

That gave DJ Wagner a chance to run the Razorbacks' offense efficiently for a period without Acuff on the floor and facing a 35-28 deficit late in the first half.

Wagner distributed the ball well, leading Arkansas on a 19-6 run to close the half and went to the locker room with a 47-41 lead.

Arkansas Razorbacks guard DJ Wagner drives for a layup against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Sweet 16. | Michael Morrison-Hogs on SI Images

Wagner's calm demeanor is something the Razorbacks missed early on in conference play in losses at Auburn, Georgia and home against Kentucky. He's maintained a team-first mentality with the emergence of Acuff and hasn't let that change even with a drop in production this season.

Calipari's most loyal player on the roster appears to be feeling more comfortable in his new role with an efficient performance in back-to-back games against Alabama and Missouri.

He's scored 15 points on 6-of-13 attempts from the field, and one turnover in 53 minute.s

Hogs Always Respond

Can BIlly "Goat" Keep It Up?

Is Wagner Coming Alive?

Latest Hogs Headlines