Three things we know about the Arkansas Razorbacks through nine games

Calipari's vision for Hogs coming together as non-conference play winds down

Arkansas Razorbacks guard Meleek Thomas (1) during the first half against the Winthrop Eagles during the first half at Bud Walton Arena. | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — There is no question that expectations for this Arkansas basketball team were exceedingly high after a Sweet 16 appearance to close last season.

With two losses on their resume, the Razorbacks appear ready for a heavyweight tilt in Dallas Saturday against Texas Tech. The same team that made an epic double-digit second half comeback to send the Razorbacks packing out of the NCAA Tournament.

The Red Raiders, like the Razorbacks, have played a seemingly tough non-conference schedule, but are without a signature win this season despite being 7-2. Coach Grant McCasland's team lost to Illinois in a tight game, but were drummed by 30 by then No. 1 Purdue in the Baha Mar Championship.

Arkansas Razorbacks guard Darius Acuff Jr. (5) brings the ball up court against Duke Blue Devils during the first half at United Center. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Arkansas' coach has insisted his players work to drag themselves to the finish and he will draw something up on his whiteboard to get them across the finish line.

That certainly worked last week against No. 6 Louisville, but the Razorbacks have also been within striking distance of Duke and Michigan State. Luckily for second-year coach John Calipari, his Razorbacks have remained healthy and are focused on getting better in multiple facets of the game.

As Arkansas now ranks No. 17 nationally in this week's AP Top 25 poll, the Hogs are coming together at the right time not only with a physical advantage, but mental one.

Frenetic pace in transition

Calipari will tell anyone who listens that his team in transition is one of the best in the country.

That frenetic pace can pull the Bud Walton Arena crowd out of its seat at any moment with highlight dunks, alley oops and transition threes. The Razorbacks prowess was seen Saturday in North Little Rock when the team outscored Fresno State 26-11 in fast break points.

Arkansas has outscored opponents 200-80 in that regard, with Louisville being the only team to match fast break points in a single game this season, 8-8.

Waking up in post

Senior forward Trevon Brazile has been a steady presence down low while transfer big man Malique Ewin has emerged as a scoring option and a force on the boards.

Ewin's improvement over the past two games has been a pleasant surprise for Calipari after challenging him to revert to his old Florida State ways.

Arkansas Razorbacks forward Malique Ewin (12) drives during the second half against the Fresno State Bulldogs at Simmons Bank Arena. Arkansas won 82-58. | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

He's averaged an efficient 17 minutes over the previous four games while scoring 12 points, five rebounds, one assist, one steal, one block with only two turnovers.

"[Ewin] has stepped his game up a lot since he's been here," Brazile said. "We know what he can do, and we believe in him. So it's just on him to go out there and do what he did tonight. We believe he's going to continue to do it."

Battle-tested freshmen

Calipari has three freshmen consistently in his rotation with Meleek Thomas and Darius Acuff playing at an elite level early on in their college careers, respectively.

Thomas averages 17 points per game while making 40% of his shots from the field, including a 35% clip from three. He's arguably the Razorbacks' best offensive option, but he's not concerned with how much he touches the ball either.

Arkansas Razorbacks guard Meleek Thomas bringing the ball upcourt against the Fresno State Bulldogs at Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock, Ark. | Ted McClenning-allHOGS Images

Shooters will always find a way to get open and sometimes hoist up attempts when heavily guarded. With his teammates figuring things out in the halfcourt more often, it'll only help Thomas find ways to get open and become a much more lethal option at all three levels.

"I want to say I need to find a rhythm for everybody else to get involved, or everybody else to feel the way they need to," Thomas said after the Louisville game. "If I wasn’t out there, I feel that they would step up for me in that case. But it plays a huge role when I do so every time I do that, it gets more attention on me, opens up things."

Acuff is as skilled of a young point guard as Calipari has recruited and its shown throughout the early stages of the season. He's come into his own over the past three games, averaging over 18 points, eight assists, and four rebounds per game.

During that stretch, he's shot nearly a 45% rate from the field, including a 39% clip from three, and is the only Razorback who's averaging more than 30 minutes a night. Calipari noted that his freshman point guard has improved plenty in such a short time, but that doesn't mean the maturation process is over yet.

Learning to close out the Louisville game was key to his learning experience at the college level and will probably pay dividends once SEC play begins.

"He's grown a ton, but he's got a long way to go still," Calipari said of Acuff following the win over Louisville. "What he didn't recognize the 20-second clock, but it's not his fault, because I didn't notice it either. Okay? He did a couple things like, I'm saying I got to take you out if you're not getting your stuff in order, because we can lose this game."