A&M bookends UA's SEC test

Arkansas guard Isaiah Joe (1) shoots against Texas A&M defender Jay Jay Chandler during a game Saturday, Jan. 4, 2020, in Fayetteville.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- The University of Arkansas men's basketball team will close the SEC regular-season schedule the same way the Razorbacks started it -- by playing Texas A&M.

Arkansas (19-11, 7-10 SEC) plays Texas A&M (15-14, 9-8) at 3:30 p.m. today at Reed Arena nine weeks after the Razorbacks beat the Aggies 69-59 at Walton Arena on Jan. 4.

"That seems like an eternity ago," Texas A&M Coach Buzz Williams said of the SEC opener at Arkansas. "What was it? The first Saturday in January?

"This will be the first Saturday in March. That's a long time relative to the journey we've been on."

The Aggies -- picked in a preseason media poll to finish 14th in the SEC -- are tied with Tennessee for seventh after winning 78-75 at No. 17 Auburn on Wednesday night.

"I think we try a lot harder," Williams said of how the Aggies are different now compared to their first game against the Razorbacks. "I think we're probably all on the same page. But most teams probably can say that."

The Razorbacks are 3-1 in their past four games since sophomore guard Isaiah Joe returned to the lineup after missing five games -- all Arkansas losses -- while recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.

"We've certainly watched the film numerous times from the last A&M game," Razorbacks Coach Eric Musselman said. "I do think they are more confident. I think Coach Williams has done an incredible job this year.

"Their confidence level is much different than when we played them earlier in the year. But I also think that we're a confident team as well."

Arkansas has played two games each against LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri and Tennessee since last facing Texas A&M. The Razorbacks played the Tigers and Vols twice within a span of two weeks.

"It is a little weird because so much can change throughout that time when you first played [the Aggies]," Arkansas senior guard Jimmy Whitt said of the lengthy break between games against Texas A&M. "When you play a team one week and then the next week you play them again, not much can change in a short period of time.

"But it has been a long time [between Texas A&M games], and they've been using that time to play phenomenal basketball. They've always been a really good defensive team, but they've stepped it up more recently and throughout conference."

The Razorbacks beat LSU 99-90 on Wednesday night at Walton Arena when they were led by junior guard Mason Jones' 36 points and Whitt's 26.

It was the eighth game this season Jones has scored 30 or more points, including 41 against Tulsa, 40 against Auburn, 38 against Mississippi State and 37 against Tennessee. He scored 17 points in the first Texas A&M.

Jones leads the SEC in scoring in all games (21.8) and conference games (23.2).

"How good is he?" Williams asked rhetorically. "I'm not sure who'll guard him. I'm not sure who in our league has done a very good job guarding him.

"He's just been phenomenal. And now that [Joe] is back, it makes them even more potent."

If the Razorbacks win today, they'll be assured of a first-round bye in next week's SEC Tournament and will play their opener Thursday rather than be among the bottom four teams who play Wednesday night.

An Arkansas loss could put the Razorbacks in a Wednesday night play-in game, but doesn't guarantee that depending on the outcome of other conference games today.

Arkansas is 10th in the SEC standings, where the only guaranteed seeds for the conference tournament are Kentucky at No. 1 and Vanderbilt at No. 14.

"I'm not going to lie to you, we have a whiteboard up in one of the offices with all the scenarios," Musselman said of the SEC Tournament bracket. "But I've spent all of about three seconds in there because I just want our team to prepare as best as we possibly can to beat Texas A&M. That's it.

"Wherever the standings end up -- like we had no control over Isaiah getting hurt for five games -- it is what it is. You go play this game and you see what happens."

Texas A&M fell behind 12-1 at Auburn before rallying to hand the Tigers their only home loss this season. It was the Aggies' first road victory over a ranked team on the road since they won 81-80 at No. 8 Auburn in 2018.

On Tuesday night, Tennessee overcame a 17-point deficit to beat No. 6 Kentucky 81-73 at Rupp Arena, and Vanderbilt ended a 16-game SEC road losing streak with an 87-79 victory at Alabama.

"Anything can happen in this league," Musselman said.

The Aggies have won more SEC games on the road, where they're 5-4, than at home, where they're 4-4.

Arkansas is 4-7 in road games with victories at Indiana, Georgia Tech, Ole Miss and Alabama.

The Razorbacks have lost four consecutive road games at Missouri, Tennessee, Florida and Georgia since winning at Alabama 82-78 on Feb. 1.

"The way we've played on the road the last couple of games has not been good," Musselman said. "I thought we were really confident on the road early.

"I mean, we've won some really, really, really big road games. We've just got to get back to that feeling."

Today’s game

ARKANSAS AT TEXAS A&M

WHEN 3:30 p.m. Central

WHERE Reed Arena, College Station, Texas

RECORDS Arkansas 19-11, 7-10 SEC; Texas A&M 15-14, 9-8

TV SEC Network

Sports on 03/07/2020