Missouri sick of running into Hannahs

Arkansas guard Dusty Hannahs (3) dribbles the ball during a game against Missouri on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017, in Fayetteville.

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Dusty Hannahs isn't perfect from the field against Missouri, but it seems that way to Tigers Coach Kim Anderson.

"Has he ever missed a shot against Missouri?" Anderson said earlier this season. "I don't remember any."

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Hannahs, Arkansas' fifth-year senior guard from Little Rock, has hit a lot more shots against Missouri than he's missed.

Going into today's Arkansas-Missouri matchup in Mizzou Arena, Hannahs is shooting 58.8 percent from the field against the Tigers (20 of 34). He's hit 10 of 19 three-pointers and 8 of 8 free throws.

Hannahs is averaging 19.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 25.0 minutes in three games against Missouri, helping the Razorbacks to a 3-0 record.

In his other 51 games for Arkansas since transferring from Texas Tech, Hannahs is averaging 15.4 points and shooting 44.3 percent from the floor.

Nice numbers, but not as good as he's put up against Missouri.

Hannahs scored 20 and 22 points in the Razorbacks' sweep of the Tigers last season, and he had 16 points when Arkansas beat Missouri 92-73 three weeks ago in Walton Arena.

"I think Hannahs is always a problem," Anderson said after this season's first Arkansas-Missouri game. "He's perpetual motion. He's always moving, so he's a difficult guy to guard."

Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson said Hannahs has done a good job against Missouri and other teams of scoring on drives, floaters or short jumpers when opponents crowd him too much at the three-point line.

"Obviously, everyone knows he can shoot the basketball, so you get a lot of players guarding him real tight," Mike Anderson said. "But he has a knack for getting his shoulders by people and getting in there and creating.

"He's learning how to play without the ball a lot more, and when he's got it going and our guys do a good job of getting it to him, it makes a big, big difference."

Half of Hannahs' baskets against Missouri are three-pointers and half have come inside the arc.

"It's just him staying patient and waiting to see what's going to happen," Mike Anderson said. "I just attribute it to the other guys doing their jobs and Dusty doing what he's supposed to do."

Hannahs said he's aware he's had big games against Missouri, but he didn't want to say much about it.

"I just go out there and attack whoever is in front of me every play," he said. "It's worked against them."

Hannahs said his past success at the Tigers' expense won't guarantee more of the same today.

"It doesn't mean anything," he said. "I could go 0 for 90 in the game, so I'm not really trying to think about it."

Hannahs scored 19 points in 17 minutes off the bench in the Razorbacks' 87-68 victory over Alabama on Wednesday night in Walton Arena. He hit 7 of 9 shots, including 5 of 6 three-pointers.

"Hannahs is dangerous," Alabama Coach Avery Johnson said. "He doesn't need much space to operate.

"Any time you have the luxury of bringing a guy like him off your bench, you're a much better team. He's a guy that's been around the SEC and knows what he's doing."

Mike Anderson said he believes Hannahs, who has started 10 of 22 games this season, plays better off the bench.

"He's more comfortable with his role," Anderson said. "He's not having to do everything he had to do last year. There were games where he had to make shots for us."

Hannahs averaged 16.5 points last season to lead the Razorbacks.

"If he didn't make shots, we were in trouble," Mike Anderson said. "Now we've got other guys that can come in and contribute, and I think that gives us much more balance with this basketball team."

Hannahs is averaging a team-high 14.3 points in 23.5 minutes, but four other Razorbacks -- Daryl Macon, Jaylen Barford, Moses Kingsley and Anton Beard -- are averaging between 13.2 and 9.3 points.

In SEC games, Hannahs is the third-leading scorer (13.6 points) behind Macon (14.7) and Kingsley (13.8).

Hannahs is shooting 44.1 percent from the field (102 of 229), including 36.9 percent on three-pointers (41 of 111), and 88.8 percent on free throws (71 of 80).

"I think he's a way more complete player than people probably give him credit for," Kim Anderson said. "People sometimes label a guy as just being a shooter, but he's a really good basketball player.

"His shooting stands out over everything else, but he does a lot of things well."

Hannahs was a combined 0 of 9 on three-pointers the previous two games against Vanderbilt and Oklahoma State before breaking out against Alabama.

"It felt really good to shoot and make them," he said. "I guess just trust the process and trust the shooting and keep shooting the ball when streaks like that happen."

Today’s game

ARKANSAS MEN AT MISSOURI

WHEN 5 p.m. Central

WHERE Mizzou Arena, Columbia, Mo.

RECORDS Arkansas 17-5, 6-3 SEC; Missouri 5-16, 0-9

RADIO Razorback Sports Network

TELEVISION SEC Network

Sports on 02/04/2017