FAYETTEVILLE -- The Arkansas Razorbacks will try to pull off a rare split when they play LSU today in the Maravich Assembly Center.
If the Razorbacks win, it will be only the fourth time since they joined the SEC for the 1991-1992 season that they beat an opponent on the road and lost to that same team at home.
LSU won 75-54 at Walton Arena on Jan. 10 -- the only home game the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville has lost this season -- but Razorbacks Coach Mike Anderson expressed confidence his team can beat the Tigers at their place.
"That's the mindset," Anderson said. "We've got a good basketball team."
In 122 home-and-home SEC series going into this season, only three times have the Razorbacks and their opponent each won on the road.
The first time it happened was in 1995, when Alabama became the first team to beat Arkansas in Walton Arena, taking home an 88-70 victory. Arkansas then beat Alabama 86-80 in Coleman Coliseum.
The next season, Alabama and Arkansas again won on the other's home court when the Razorbacks beat the Tide 71-63 in Coleman Coliseum and lost 98-89 in Walton Arena.
The only other time Arkansas and an SEC opponent each beat other on the road in the same season was in 2010 when Arkansas won 80-73 at Ole Miss in Tad Smith Coliseum and the Rebels won 68-66 in Walton Arena.
In addition to LSU, the Razorbacks' other SEC home-and-home opponents this season are Auburn, Missouri, Ole Miss and Texas A&M.
The home team already has won in Arkansas' series against those four teams, with the Razorbacks beating Missouri and Ole Miss in Walton Arena and losing at Auburn and Texas A&M. That means the Razorbacks and their opponents have each won on the road in the same season three times in 126 SEC home-and-home series.
LSU hasn't swept two games from Arkansas since 2009.
More depth for Tigers
LSU had just seven scholarship players against Tennessee, which beat the Tigers 84-61 on Wednesday night in Thompson-Boling Arena, because of suspensions and dismissals.
Sophomore forward Wayde Sims and freshman guard Brandon Rachal, who were each serving one-game suspensions, will be back for today's game against Arkansas.
Sims is averaging 5.7 points and 3.0 rebounds in 17.5 minutes. Rachal is averaging 4.3 points and 2.7 rebounds in 15.8 minutes.
"It will help a little bit," LSU Coach Will Wade said of having Sims and Rachal available for today's game. "We need some production from them. If something does go wrong, we have somebody we can throw in there."
LSU freshman forwards Galen Alexander and Mayan Kiir, who have scored a combined 32 points this season, have been dismissed from the team.
Good offense, bad defense
In SEC games only, no team is hitting a higher percentage of shots or allowing a higher percentage of made shots than Arkansas.
In nine conference games, the Razorbacks rank No. 1 in field goals made at 46.8 percent (249 of 532) and No. 14 in field goal defense at 46.9 percent (246 of 525).
Bailey likely to play
Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson said forward Adrio Bailey, a sophomore from Campti, La., likely will play in his home state against LSU.
Bailey, who started at LSU last season and against the Tigers earlier this season in Walton Arena, dressed out but didn't play in the Razorbacks' last game when they lost 80-66 at Texas A&M.
Anderson said Bailey was healthy, but he decided not to play him.
"He'll get a chance to play," Anderson said when asked whether Bailey will get into today's game. "It's based on what he does in practice."
Two weeks ago Anderson benched senior forward Dustin Thomas in a 97-93 victory over Ole Miss. Thomas responded the next game by scoring eight points on 4-of-5 shooting in the Razorbacks' 80-77 double-overtime victory at Georgia in which he played a season-high 29 minutes.
Macon finishing
Arkansas senior guard Daryl Macon has played off the bench the past four games, but he's always been on the court in the final minutes.
"He's played well," Coach Mike Anderson said. "I mean, he's played well coming off the bench, he's played well starting.
"The good thing about it is, it's about the playing time, it's about finishing. Whether he starts or not, he's having an opportunity to finish. I think that's the key."
Macon is averaging 16.7 points, including 19.0 ppg in five games off the bench. He scored the Razorbacks' final 16 points against Georgia.
"Obviously, it gives us some balance from that standpoint," Anderson said of Macon boosting the bench points. "But who knows? He could be starting the next game."
Perimeter struggles
LSU is shooting 28.9 percent on three-pointers (55 of 190) in SEC games.
"We can sit here and slice things however you want to slice them, but you have to make open shots," Tigers Coach Will Wade said. "We're in the SEC. You want to play in the SEC, you have to stick open shots.
"Right now, our guards aren't making them. We have two guys that are 5 of 23 from three."
Brandon Simpson and Daryl Edwards are both 5 of 23 (21.7 percent) on three-pointers in SEC play. Skylar Mays is 8 of 28 (28.6 percent) and Tremont Waters is 13 of 52 (25.0 percent).
Sports on 02/03/2018