Razorbacks want to use schedule to their advantage

Arkansas' Alexis Tolefree (2) goes up for a shot during the Razorbacks' game against Arkansas-Little Rock on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019, at Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock.

— Arkansas women's basketball coach Mike Neighbors knows from experience how important the Razorbacks' upcoming two-game home stand is when it comes to the postseason.

"When you're racing to get to eight wins and beyond," Neighbors said, "every one of them, although worth just a single win, some of them carry more importance, and these are two of them."

Arkansas (15-3, 3-2 SEC) has home games against Georgia (11-7, 2-3 SEC) and Florida (11-8, 2-4 SEC) this week. 

Neighbors pointed out that seeding in the SEC Tournament could be determined by the Razorbacks' upcoming four games.

"I'd mark it down and see where we're at going into the SEC Tournament, and say, 'Well, let's see what we did against Georgia, Florida, at Alabama and at Missouri,'" Neighbors said. "That little four game (stretch) counted with the one we just won at Vanderbilt. Those five games. I think you look at what the record was in those five.

"It can go a long way to determine what we're seeded in Greenville."

The Razorbacks were in a similar position last season. After starting conference play 5-2, they had five of their last nine games against teams that finished 5th-9th in the conference. Neighbors' team lost all five of those games, including a 75-72 home loss to Auburn, which he thinks kept his team out of the NCAA Tournament.

"I don't think there is any question it did," Neighbors said. "I think it's what everybody pointed toward."

This year the Razorbacks have a similar situation. Arkansas' next four games are against teams that are 1-3 games behind it in the SEC standings. 

Neighbors said playing these teams gives his group an opportunity to separate itself in the league. 

"When you're going head-to-head you get that separation, plus a tie-breaker," Neighbors said. "So (it's) important, no bigger than any other, but certainly an important time to be at home."

The main difference between this season and last is how the schedule falls. 

"One of the things that was so daunting (about last year) was we weren't sure we could win a game in February," Neighbors said. "When you looked at who we played and where we played them we knew February was going to be tough."

This year he doesn't see the schedule turning into a difficult stretch for Arkansas. 

"I look at our schedule this year and there's not those potential eight- or nine-game losing streaks," Neighbors said.

The Razorbacks will try to separate themselves from the middle of the SEC standings against a Georgia team that plays a different brand of basketball.

"They haven't given up more than 73 points in a game all year long," Neighbors said. "And we've only scored under 73 twice."

The Razorbacks' two games scoring fewer than 73 points came during the Bahamas Hoopfest against Fordham and Wisconsin. Arkansas beat Fordham 71-59 and the Badgers 68-64 the following day.

After their home matchup against Georgia, the Razorbacks will play Florida in Bud Walton Arena on Sunday at 2 p.m.

While these two games are played at the end of January, they could have a huge impact come March.

"When we look at seeding time I think you can go back to this week and probably draw a parallel to where we end up seeded," Neighbors said. "I think that's a fair thing to look at, especially if you look at where we currently sit with them."