Razorbacks Must Find Way to Reach No. 4 Seed-Line for NCAA Tournament

Can Calipari find way to keep team locked in on bigger picture against Oklahoma?

Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari motions to players on the floor in game against Jackson State at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. | Nilsen Roman-allHOGS Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Whether this is a desperation move or not, Arkansas goes into Friday night's game against Oklahoma with one thing in mind: survive and advance.

It's been a minute since the Razorbacks have made it to the SEC Tournament championship game, falling to a John Calipari Kentucky squad in 2017. For Arkansas to improve off the 5-seed line ahead of the NCAA Tournament bracket reveal, they will more than likely have to reach the title game on Sunday afternoon.

ESPN's Joe Lunardi updates his "Bracketology" graphic nearly every six hours these days as anticipation arises across the country about who will be seeded where. Arkansas is remains slotted as the top No. 5 seed despite Texas Tech's recent three-game skid.

Obviously, Kansas and Virginia continue to move on in their respective tournaments while the Red Raiders are hanging out at home looking to get star guard Christian Anderson, who slipped on the glass floor in Kansas City at the Big 12 Tournament.

That said, due to the uncertainty surrounding who will be available for Texas Tech, a team already down their preseason All-American candidate JT Toppin, Arkansas should've already been moved up at this point.

Arkansas Razorbacks Billy Richmond during exhibition matchup against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. | Arkansas Communications

Perhaps, Lunardi is taking a watch-and-see approach Friday ahead of Arkansas' game against the Oklahoma Sooners before hitting update on the switcheroo with Tech.

With 3-of-4 higher-digit seeded SEC teams reaching the quarterfinals, it would be reasonable to believe that Ole Miss, Kentucky and Oklahoma will get sea legs before long. For some odd reason, the teams that began the tournament earlier than those without a bye are locked in more while playing with nothing to lose.

The Sooners are bringing energy on each possession, hot shooting from Nigel Pack and others in search of an NCAA Tournament bid. With the Sooners on the "First Four Out" line, a victory over Arkansas Friday would more than likely put them squarely on the bubble ahead of Sunday.

That urgency is what makes Friday night’s matchup particularly dangerous for Arkansas.

The Sooners enter the game with far less certainty surrounding their postseason fate, which often creates a different level of desperation. Teams playing for their tournament lives frequently bring an edge that can be difficult to match, especially in a conference tournament setting where momentum can build quickly over the course of a few days.

Oklahoma appears to be playing with exactly that type of urgency.

The Sooners have leaned heavily on the perimeter shooting of guard Nigel Pack, whose ability to score in bunches can quickly swing the momentum of a game. When Oklahoma’s guards are knocking down shots and playing with confidence, the Sooners become a much tougher team to contain.

For Arkansas, the challenge will be matching or surpassing Oklahoma's energy from the opening tip.

Arkansas Razorbacks guard Darius Acuff Jr. during game against the LSU Tigers at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. | Arkansas Communications

The SEC tournament has produced unpredictable results this week because teams with something to prove tend to play looser and more aggressively. Oklahoma fits that description perfectly as they try to fight its way back onto the NCAA Tournament discussion, and potentially to save coach Porter Moser's job.

Arkansas understands the margin for error becomes smaller at this point in the season. While the Razorbacks appear safely inside the NCAA Tournament field, seeding still matters greatly when it comes to potential positional matchups next week.

Remaining on the No. 5 line could set up a difficult Round of 32 matchup against a No. 4 seed to decide if Arkansas can make it to the Sweet 16.

That possibility is one of the reasons the Razorbacks have every reason to keep pushing forward in Nashville. With star guard Darius Acuff available, he is probably ready to prove why he rightfully deserved to be named SEC Player of the Year.

If the Razorbacks can get a handle on the outside pressure of being seeded, being able to survive and advance will come much easier

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