FAYETTEVILLE — Cal State University-Bakersfield may be a new opponent for Arkansas, but its head coach is a familiar face.
Former Ole Miss player and head coach Rod Barnes will lead his Roadrunners (7-7) into a battle with the Razorbacks (9-2) Wednesday night at 7 p.m at Bud Walton Arena in a game that will be televised by the SEC Network.
Barnes has played or coached over 20 games against the Razorbacks and has led CSU-Bakersfield to the NCAA Tournament in 2016 and the NIT Final Four in 2017.
“It doesn't surprise me,” Arkansas head coach Mike Anderson said. “Rod was a point guard and played on an Ole Miss team that won and of course he coached over there with Rob Evans for awhile and then he got the head job and did a tremendous job there as well.
“His teams were tough, defensive-minded and like I said mirrored him. It doesn’t surprise me with him having an opportunity to go…out West and his DNA continues to be all over his team. They have gotten better each and every year.”
There’s proof of that the past two seasons.
“I think last year they were in the Final Four of the NIT and they had games on the road where they had to go and win to get there. The year before that they were in the NCAA,” Anderson said.
“Rob is a very, very good basketball coach and I think it has been on display in the SEC and now at Cal-State Bakersfield as well.”
CSU-Bakersfield has faced a tough non-conference slate with losses at Arizona (91-57), UCLA (75-66) and at Fresno State (70-55). Arkansas beat Fresno State 83-75 on Nov. 17.
“They're intense, hard-nosed, tough, scrappy kind of players,” Anderson said. “His team exemplifies it. They are 7-7 and played a pretty tough schedule. Been on the road at UCLA and played them pretty good. They played a team we played early in the year in Fresno and it was a close ball game at halftime. It’s a team that played Arizona and played them pretty good for a half. Arizona's size had an effect on the game. It's a team that's got balanced scoring.”
The Roadrunners are led by 6-1 freshman guard Jarkel Joiner (11.6.) of Oxford, Miss., one of four players averaging in double figures.
Redshirt junior guard Damiyne Durham (10.7), 6-6 senior forward Shon Briggs (10.6. 5.4) and Holmes, Miss., Community College guard transfer Ricky Holden (10.6) also score in double figures while 6-10, 205-pound Egyptian-born senior center Moataz Aly (8.1) is close.
“I think he has recruited to places to where he is familiar from and…I think you take those guys and combine with the talent that is out that way and I think that is why you are seeing his team is a little different than some of those teams - just hard-nosed,” Anderson said.
“That is where his recruiting base is. He is from Mississippi so it makes sense for him. You got the player of the year out of Mississippi, who is their leading scorer as a freshman. That says a lot about you.”
CSU-Bakersfield had won three straight before losing to Delaware 76-62 in its last game on Dec. 20.
Arkansas has won four straight with its last game being a 104-69 victory over Oral Roberts University on Dec. 19 before three days home for Christmas break.
“We’re taking care of the basketball, we’re creating turnovers, possession game is going in our favor,” Anderson said. “ Let’s, knock on wood, continue to do what we’re doing and get better at it. In terms of scoring, that’s the object of the game, to score."
The Razorbacks have been ranked No. 26 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll for the last two weeks.
“You guys keep up with the rankings and all that,” Anderson said. “You know what? I know we’ve got a really good basketball team. I know we’ve got a team that’s getting better and I want to be in the rankings when it’s all said and done. And this is when you want to concentrate on how your team’s playing. And when I look at how we’re playing, I get excited about this basketball team because I know there’s potential for them getting even better.”
A win on Wednesday night and one over No. 19 and visiting Tennessee (9-2) on Saturday would likely jump the Razorbacks into the poll.
Anderson is of the belief that his team won’t be looking ahead.
“That’s going to be our job as a coaching staff to emphasize to our guys to stay on task,” Anderson said. “And hopefully the senior leadership will be on task to do that as well.”