FAYETTEVILLE -- Last year, Arkansas entered its first post-Christmas game sporting a merry 9-2 record and coming off a win over Oklahoma in new coach Jimmy Dykes' first season.
It's a different story this year. The Razorbacks (3-8) have lost eight of their last nine against a tough schedule in their worst start since 1987 and will try to snap a two-game skid when they host Mississippi Valley State at 7 p.m. today in Bud Walton Arena.
Mississippi Valley State at Arkansas
WHEN 7 p.m.
WHERE Bud Walton Arena, Fayetteville
RECORDS Mississippi Valley State 2-7; Arkansas 3-8
SERIES Arkansas leads 10-0
RADIO KABZ-FM 103.7 in Little Rock; KQSM-FM 92.1 in Fayetteville; KFPW-AM 1230 and KFPW-FM 94.5 in Fort Smith; KURM-AM 790 and KURM-FM 100.3 in Rogers.
ONLINE ArkansasRazorbacks.…
TELEVISION SEC Network +
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS
ARKANSAS
POS^NAME^HT.^YR.^PPG^RPG
G^Jordan Danberry^5-8^Fr.^6.2^2.8
G^Melissa Wolff^6-0^Sr.^4.8^6.7
G/F^Bailey Zimmerman^6-0^Fr.^1.8^1.4
F^Jessica Jackson^6-3^Jr.^17.7^7.8
C^Alecia Cooley^6-3^Jr.^7.8^4.9
COACH Jimmy Dykes (21-22 in second season at Arkansas)
MVSU
POS^NAME^HT.^YR.^PPG^RPG
G^Zemoria Jernigan^5-7^Jr.^7.2^3.4
G^Christina Reed^5-10^Jr.^14.8^6.3
F^Kahdejah Stevens^6-0^So.^7.0^6.3
F^Ashley Beals^6-0^Jr.^15.8^9.2
C^Felesha Walters^6-2^Sr.^3.7^4.7
COACH Elvis Robinson (28-43 third season at MVSU)
TEAM COMPARISON
Arkansas^MSVU
61.1^Points Scored Per Game^50.0
62.1^Points Allowed Per Game^80.8
43.1^Rebounds Per Game^38.3
14.3^Turnovers Per Game^27.0
.349^FG pct.^.343
.241^3-pt FG pct.^.258
.691^FT pct.^.583
CHALK TALK Arkansas’ leading scorer Jessica Jackson scored a game-high 22 points and had a team-best six rebounds in her return to the starting lineup in the loss to No. 5 Texas after coming off bench three of the four previous games and not playing in the other. … Arkansas’ 3-8 start is the program’s worst since also starting 3-8 in 1987. … Texas outrebounded Arkansas 50-39, only the third team to outrebound the Razorbacks this year. … The Longhorns became the ninth of 11 teams Arkansas has faced to score below their season average. … Arkansas’ seven newcomers have combined to average 32.5 points (53 percent of scoring).
— Jimmy Carter
MVSU is 2-7 with an average margin of defeat of 55.3 points in four losses to SEC teams, providing the Razorbacks what should be a welcome respite from their early season woes.
Arkansas' inexperience -- seven newcomers have played and just two rotation players return from last year's NCAA Tournament team -- has hurt on both ends of the court (13th in the SEC in offense, 10th in defense) and in close games, where the Razorbacks are 0-4 in games decided by eight or fewer points.
Last season, a veteran team helped the Razorbacks go 7-6 in games decided by 10 points or fewer. That team won six games away from Bud Walton Arena. This team is 0-6 away from home.
That team had continuity with five set starters and only four other total starts made by the rest of the roster. Dykes has started 10 of the 11 players he's played at least once this year as he searches to find a mix that works.
"Our offense, our defense, everything about us right now is just constantly changing, constantly trying to figure out the level we have to play at and how hard we have to go," Dykes said. "... I like the fact that we have been knocked around and tested."
The Razorbacks' 61-50 loss to No. 5 Texas in its last outing Dec. 20 was a solid example of the learning curve the young players are in the midst of as they're forced into early contributions out of necessity. The Longhorns jumped on Arkansas and led 20-3 after a quarter, but Arkansas outscored Texas 16-5 in the second to cut its deficit to six at halftime and make the game interesting down the stretch.
It resulted in another early season loss, but the in-game growth provided a glimpse of the progression Dykes is seeking as the Razorbacks near the start of SEC play, which figures to be an even tougher test for a group of young, inexperienced and at times overwhelmed roster.
"We're going to do all we can to try to win the basketball game and keep some momentum going that we brought with us from the Texas game," Dykes said. "Although we lost, we played really, really well. We outplayed them for 30 minutes. ... Problem is the game's 40 minutes. We have to put together a complete game going forward, but I like the attitude of our team right now."
Sports on 12/28/2015