By Nate Allen
Special to the News-Times
FAYETTEVILLE - Though today’s SEC game is home instead of road where these Razorbacks wallow 0-3, it seems they still must play much better defense and shoot free throws with much better accuracy lest they suffer a similar fate against coach Andy Kennedy’s Ole Miss Rebels that they did Wednesday night at Florida.
Arkansas (12-6 overall, 2-4 in the SEC) comes off an 88-73 SEC loss to the Florida Gators in Gainesville, Fla., and today at Walton Arena hosts Ole Miss (10-8, 3-3 in the SEC).
Tip-off is 2:30 p.m. and televised by the SEC Network.
Coach Mike Anderson’s Razorbacks played hard at favored Florida, but were strafed by 13-of-25 Florida threes, including 6-of-7 by Florida guard/North Little Rock High alum KeVaughn Allen.
Allen scored a season-high 28 points on the Hogs.
“First and foremost, defensively we did not get it done,” Anderson said during Wednesday’s postgame in Gainesville. “It’s not good defense.”
Anderson sang the same tune Friday at his press conference at Walton and bemoaned it much of the SEC season other than Arkansas’ stifling of Missouri at the finish of last Saturday’s 65-63 success at Walton.
“Since we’ve hit conference play, one thing I have not been happy with is our defense,” Anderson said. “I think we’ve been trying to outscore people and I think we saw that in effect the other night against Florida.”
Like his mentor, former Arkansas national championship coach Nolan Richardson whom Anderson assisted for 17 years, Anderson relies on depth to keep his pressure defense fresh.
That depth, not so deep anyway in SEC play thus far, could be two seniors shallower today.
Senior starting guard and North Little Rock High grad Anton Beard (ankle) and senior top alternating big man and Forrest City High grad Trey Thompson (hamstring) both exited during the first half against Florida and did not return.
Anderson termed them “questionable” for today’s game before Arkansas practiced Friday.
Freshman Darious Hall of Little Rock Mills, who scored 10 points in the first half for his debut start against Missouri, likely replaces Beard in today’s three-guard starting alignment with second-year junior college transfer senior stars Jaylen Barford and Daryl Macon.
Alternating forwards Dustin Thomas and Arlando Cook, both 6-8 seniors, and 6-7 sophomore Adrio Bailey would alternate spelling 6-11 freshman Daniel Gafford inside if Thompson is unavailable.
Gabe Osabuohien, the 6-8 freshman, hasn't played in SEC games but has flashed blue-collar promise by taking charges during three early non-conference games while Thomas and Cook sat out due to disciplinary suspensions, will take a turn, too, Anderson said.
“Gabe goes out and does some of that dirty work that you want,” Anderson said.
“He's a blue-collar player and he plays with a little edge. I think like that. He's a good passer, too. He'll play without a doubt.”
Still, with Arkansas’ numbers down and its pressure so far not great even full strength, Anderson said he’ll mix defenses and personnel trying to find the fit against Ole Miss team by not relying on just a couple of scorers which Anderson said Arkansas does too much on with Barford (18.9) and Macon (15.6), though El Dorado’s Gafford (12.6) can score big, too, foul trouble permitting.
“I look at this Ole Miss team and they are a team with more balance,” Anderson said.
“They’ve got five guys in double figures and they are playing pretty good basketball. Physical, attacking basketball.”
Rebels DeAndre Burnett, Terrence Davis, Bruce Stevens, Markel Crawford and Breein Tyree average 14.3, 13.1, 10.3, 10.3 and 10.1 points, respectively.
Last season when Arkansas outlasted Ole Miss 98-80 at Walton and edged the Rebels 73-72 in the SEC Tournament opener in Nashville, Tenn., Davis scored 24 at Walton and 26 in Nashville. Burnett scored 27 at Walton and 16 in Nashville. Tyree tallied 13 in Nashville.
Stevens, a junior college transfer, led the Rebels with 22 and 20 points their last two games, a 78-72 SEC success over Florida in Oxford, Miss., and last Tuesday’s 71-69 SEC loss at Texas A&M with Tyree’s try for a trey rimming in and out at the buzzer.
Macon scored 57 points for his two SEC games, but just 40 encompassing his last four.
Seeing those Ole Miss uniforms might help him recover his scoring touch considering he scored 30 on the Rebels at Walton and tallied 15 at Nashville while Barford scored 18.