Outside Bud Walton Arena, the temperature was almost as cold as the Razorbacks’ shooting.
Who was hot for the University of Arkansas on Saturday? No one.
Missouri’s defense took away the Razorbacks’ dribble-drive offense, contesting every shot in the paint and forcing them to crank up 28 threes.
The No. 12 Tigers were the better team and won 81-68.
Just how much their defense controlled the game can be seen in one statistic.
With 6:54 to play in the first half, the Hogs had forced eight turnovers but scored just seven points off of them.
In the next 15 minutes, they forced nine more turnovers but had only one layup to show for them. Yet, they trailed just 45-40 because at least the turnovers were keeping the Tigers from scoring.
The Razorbacks would finish with 13 steals and 21 turnovers forced for just 15 points.
It was such a frustrating game that with 3:51 remaining, Coach Eric Musselman chewed on referee Doug Shows — a native of North Little Rock who lives in the Atlanta area now — so long and hard that he got ejected.
No doubt Musselman was sick and tired of the officials blowing their whistles over ticky-tack fouls on both sides.
There were 57 fouls called, and Missouri made 28 of 39 at the free-throw line compared to 23 of 34 for Arkansas.
The whistle-happy referees likely were just one factor in Musselman’s frustration.
He tried so many different lineups in hopes of getting an offensive spark that he ended up using 10 players.
He almost coached his mask off, but too often the Razorbacks couldn’t have found a basket at a five-family garage sale.
Arkansas missed long and short, hitting 19 of 71 from the floor for 26.8%, including 7 of 28 on three-pointers. Six players attempted at least 3 three-pointers.
The Tigers’ defense was that good.
Missouri is a veteran team that returned 85% of its scoring from last season, including 6-10 senior Jeremiah Tilmon, who led all scorers with 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.
He was the main reason Mizzou had 34 points in the paint. Arkansas had 22.
It was the Razorbacks’ first loss of the season, and no doubt it will be used as a learning tool.
Every team on the Hogs’ schedule is going to study how the Tigers defended the Razorbacks’ dribble drive, which was mostly great effort by a team that has been together for a while now.
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There has been growing concern in the world of perspiring arts about the College Football Playoff, specifically about how it is like Groundhog Day every year.
Many observers felt the selection committee overrated the ACC when it put both Clemson and Notre Dame — who is part of the conference just for this coronavirus season — in the playoffs.
Those concerns were realized Friday night when Ohio State dominated Clemson 49-28 when the Buckeyes Justin Fields threw for six touchdowns against the Tigers. Before that, Alabama dominated Notre Dame 31-14 in a game that wasn’t as close as the score.
That’s 38 points combined worth of losses by the teams the selection committee ranked No. 2 and No. 4.
Since the CFP began to decide the 2014 national champion, the Fighting Irish have made two appearances and Clemson has made six of seven.
Alabama made its sixth appearance, and Ohio State made its fourth.
The rich get richer as CFP teams get more money and greater exposure for recruiting.
Basically, it is time to expand the field to eight and limit the Power 5 to six entries.