Razorbacks ready for games to count

Arkansas coach Mike Anderson watches from the bench against Emporia State's Friday, Nov. 4, 2016, during the second half of play in Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Over the previous three months Arkansas' men's basketball team has played four games in Spain against club and pro teams, a Red-White intrasquad game, and games against Central Missouri and Emporia (Kan.) State.

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But those were all exhibition games, not ones that count on the team's record.

"We've been chomping at the bit for a while now," Arkansas senior guard Dusty Hannahs said. "We're really ready to get started."

The Razorbacks open the regular season against Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne at 7 tonight in Walton Arena.

"Now we play for keeps," Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson said. "The nerves will be going, but there's an excitement with this team here."

Razorbacks senior guard Manny Watkins said he feels like today is Dec. 25, not Nov. 11.

"Any time we get a game, that's Christmas for me," Watkins said. "I love getting a chance to play.

"I don't care who you bring in here. Bring in the Cavs and tell us we've got to play them and I'm ready. I just want to play."

IPFW may not be the NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers, but the Mastodons have three starters back from a 24-10 team that played in the NIT last season, and they're the preseason pick to win the Summit Conference championship.

The Mastodons beat Capital -- an NCAA Division III school in Columbus, Ohio -- 97-67 in their only exhibition game and were led by senior guard Mo Evans' 21 points and six assists.

"It's going to be a tough game," Hannahs said. "You can't take anyone lightly at this level of basketball.

"There is a lot of parity and a lot of players everywhere you play. We have to come out ready to play, play our game and get after it."

IPFW hit 14 of 28 three-pointers against Capital and shot 41.0 percent (354 of 863) last season from behind the arc.

The Mastodons' starters combined to hit 11 of 18 three-pointers against Capital, with Evans 3 of 8, Deangelo Stewart 4 of 5, Kason Harrell 2 of 2 and John Konchar 2 of 3.

"That tells me that's a team that has got guys that can shoot the basketball," Anderson said. "So our defense has really got to be up to par."

IPFW is playing an SEC team for only the second time after losing to Auburn 61-50 during the 2012-13 season.

"Coach always says when teams come in here, they aren't playing us, they're playing the University of Arkansas, the tradition, the (1994) national championship and the Final Fours," Watkins said. "We're going to get every team's best shot, and we've just got to be ready."

Arkansas has won 21 consecutive season openers and 42 consecutive home openers. Anderson is 14-0 in season openers as a head coach, including 5-0 with the Razorbacks.

"Those games don't have anything to do with this game," Anderson said. "We prepare our team the best we can, and hopefully our guys will bring some of the practices and how they've been playing in the exhibition games.

"We got better each game. To me, it wasn't about the competition or who we were playing. It was about us and what we were doing. I just saw some positive things from different guys and guys trying to get on the same page.

"I'm looking forward to our fans coming out and really, really enjoying this team."

Hannahs and Watkins are among five returnees for the Razorbacks, along with senior center Moses Kingsley, the preseason SEC player of the year; junior guard Anton Beard; and junior forward Trey Thompson.

The team has seven scholarship newcomers with juniors Jaylen Barford, Daryl Macon, Dustin Thomas and Arlando Cook, and freshmen C.J. Jones, Adrio Bailey and Brachen Hazen -- who is from Fort Wayne.

Jones isn't expected to play tonight because of a knee injury.

"I feel like it's been a really smooth transition," Hannahs said of the newcomers fitting in with the returnees. "Everyone's gotten along from day one. Everybody has the same goal in mind, which is to help the Razorbacks be the best we can be and go farther than people expect. We're trying to have a really special season, because we've got the players to do so."

The Razorbacks finished 16-16 last season.

"That season's over and this is a completely different team, but for the guys that were on that team, that's still there," Watkins said. "It just makes you more hungry.

"No one wants to go 16-16, especially not here at Arkansas. That's just something most of us aren't used to doing, and we don't want that feeling anymore."

Sports on 11/11/2016