The good news for Mike Anderson is his team owns a top 25 RPI.
The bad news is the rating likely won’t get any help from Saturday’s neutral-site game in Houston against Texas. in fact, there’s a chance the Hogs’ stock could be damaged by the matchup.
On paper, that game seems marquee. Both are quality programs with a rich history, and the teams have a deep rivalry dating to when the two were in the Southwest Conference.
However, the young Longhorns have stumbled. After a heartbreaking loss to Northern Iowa on a buzzer-beater in last year’s NCAA Tournament, Texas started this season 2-3 with double-digit losses to Northwestern and Colorado. The Longhorns also lost at home to UT-Arlington, a team Arkansas beat in November.
UT-Arlington also won at nationally ranked Saint Mary’s. Still, that’s a loss that stings the Longhorns faithful.
Texas is 5-4 after winning two of its past three games - home wins against Alabama and Long Beach State, sandwiched around a loss at Michigan. With the slow start and weak schedule Texas owns only a 142 RPI.
Those directly in front of the Longhorns include the likes of Lehigh, LIU-Brooklyn and Missouri-Kansas City. That's not the company second-year coach Shaka Smart envisioned his team hanging around.
On the other hand, Arkansas is 8-1 and has a much better RPI of 25. So what do Texas’ struggles mean for Arkansas? It makes for a lose/lose situation.
If Texas doesn’t improve, a win means little. The Big 12 could be down a bit, but if Texas doesn’t improve quickly, it won’t be one of the six or seven teams from the league that earn an NCAA Tournament berth. If the Longhorns continue to plummet, the win has minimal value and doesn’t help Arkansas’ NCAA Tournament resume as much.
If Arkansas loses to Texas (playing on a neutral site in state of Texas, a win isn’t a sure thing), the Hogs' RPI could take a big hit. You will hear the analysts refer to it as one of Arkansas’ bad losses if they are on the bubble as team’s schedules are scrutinized. On the other hand, Arkansas’ one loss to Minnesota is not bad considering the Golden Gophers are No. 7 in RPI.
Every game counts when your signature wins are Fort Wayne and UT-Arlington, and there are very few resume-boosting games on the SEC schedule. Kentucky is 10; South Carolina is 21 in the RPI. Ole Miss is 32.
Arkansas really needs to have a loaded nonconference schedule playing in the SEC. Arkansas needs to beat Texas and as many of the higher-ranked SEC teams as it can. Even with an 8-1 record, the Hogs haven’t turned too many heads nationally and aren't receiving any votes in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.
Arkansas is not one of the four SEC teams ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi has included in his very early NCAA Tournament bracket. Arkansas has work to do and not only needs to win games but the key games.
As for the game with Texas, Arkansas must use its experience to keep a young Longhorns team floundering. Texas lost its entire starting lineup from a year ago, including star junior point guard Isaiah Taylor.
Even with the nation’s No. 5 recruiting class, early wins have been hard to come by. Taylor’s loss has been the toughest to overcome and Smart has chosen to fill the void with a committee. The Arkansas guards need to put pressure on Texas on the defensive end and force turnovers that lead to transition baskets.
That will continue to shake their confidence. The Longhorns shooting has been very spotty. If the Hogs play trademark in-your-face defense it will bother Texas.
Nine games in, there is still a question whether Texas is rebuilding or reloading. The next few games and the beginning of the Big 12 season will be a good indicator.
Whether Arkansas wins or loses Saturday, it would be in the Hogs’ best interest if Texas can shed its growing pains and overachieve the rest of the season.
Nate Olson is a contributor for WholeHogSports.com