Razorbacks Report

Struggling Allen faces NLR pal

KeVaughn Allen (5) of the Florida Gators drives up the court against Arkansas Thursday Dec. 29, 2016 at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Former North Little Rock High School teammates Anton Beard and KeVaughn Allen will face other for possibly the final time Wednesday night in Gainesville, Fla.

Beard is a senior guard for the Arkansas Razorbacks. Allen is a junior guard for the Florida Gators.

Wednesday night is the teams' only regular-season meeting, though the Razorbacks and Gators could meet in postseason play.

"Yeah, it means a little bit more," Beard said of playing Allen. "But I wouldn't put pressure on things going into the game.

"I'm playing for the Razorbacks. He's playing for Florida."

Beard said he and Allen remain friends and stay in touch despite being on opposing SEC teams. They most recently talked to each other about two weeks ago, Beard said.

"We'll probably talk next week some time when they play somebody else," Beard said. "But we don't talk the week of our game. It'll be something we bring up in the future."

Beard is averaging a career-high 11.1 points and shooting 40.9 percent from the field, including 32.8 percent on three-pointers.

Allen, a preseason All-SEC first-team pick, is averaging a career-low 10.3 points. He averaged 12.3 points as a freshman and 14.0 as a sophomore. In SEC play, Allen's scoring is down to 6.6 points.

For the season, Allen is shooting 34.9 percent from the field and 29.1 percent on three-pointers.

In Ole Miss' 78-72 victory over Florida on Saturday, Allen shot 2 of 9 from the field -- including 1 of 6 on three-pointers -- and scored 5 points.

"I've got to find a way to get him going somehow," Gators Coach Mike White told the Gainesville Sun.

In SEC games, Allen is 5 of 17 on three-pointers.

"We do shooting drills in practice where he's knocking it down really consistent," White said. "In talking to him, he's a man of few words, but he feels confident, he feels good about himself. I don't know what it is.

"I would bet he would have a big game pretty soon. I was hoping it would be against the Rebels."

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Coach Mike Anderson said that with the success Allen has enjoyed over his career at Florida, he remains at the top of opponents' scouting reports.

"He's very capable," Anderson said. "As a coach, I know that. I don't know what has contributed to [Allen's struggles]. Maybe he's just not shooting the ball well. But it can turn like a switch. You turn that switch on a guy, he just goes off.

"Let's hope it isn't this game here. But he's a very, very good basketball player."

SEC challenge

Arkansas 6-11 freshman Daniel Gafford's game hasn't taken a dip since SEC play started.

Gafford, who led the Razorbacks with 15 points against Missouri, has a higher scoring average in SEC games (12.6) than he does on the season (11.6). He's shooting 61.9 percent from the field (26 of 42) in SEC games and is averaging 5.6 rebounds.

"I think Daniel's getting more comfortable," Arkansas senior forward Trey Thompson said. "I think the more he plays, the more he adapts to the game and who's he playing.

"The level of competition, I think he steps up to it tremendously. I just think he'll step up game by game."

Razorbacks Coach Mike Anderson said Gafford is doing a good job of adjusting to the more physical play in the SEC, but he's also using his athleticism.

"He's a guy of size that can run the floor," Anderson said. "He's pretty agile. He can come out on the floor. He isn't just strictly a power basketball player.

"He gets transition baskets. He's a tremendous offensive rebounder. I think he's playing a lot taller now than he was earlier in the year."

Tough road stretch

The Razorbacks -- who are 0-3 in road games with losses at Houston, Mississippi State and Auburn -- are preparing to play four of their next five SEC games on the road.

A home game against Oklahoma State on Jan. 27 in the Big 12-SEC challenge is mixed in with the Razorbacks' SEC schedule of playing at Florida, at home against Ole Miss, and at Georgia, at Texas A&M and at LSU.

"It's the way the schedule is written," Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson said when asked about the road stretch. "I hadn't even looked that far, so thanks for reminding me.

"We're in a race. You have to have nine games at home and nine on the road. My mindset is we knew that at the beginning.

"The games will come and we have to play them, whether it be at home or on the road. We just have to continue to build consistency and get better."

Strong RPI

Arkansas moved up four places from No. 25 to No. 21 in the NCAA's Ratings Percentage Index -- a formula which ranks teams based on their record and strength of schedule -- after beating Missouri on Saturday.

The Razorbacks' strength of schedule is ranked No. 7 nationally.

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Sports on 01/16/2018