FAYETTEVILLE — Legendary Coach Geno Auriemma said his undefeated and third-ranked Connecticut Huskies don’t want to run with No. 19 Arkansas, but Razorbacks Coach Mike Neighbors said they can.
“Don’t fall for that. They can run,” Neighbors said Wednesday. “Go back and look at the last time St. Francis tried to run with them in the NCAA Tournament. I think they had 100 at the half. Actually they had 96.
“They can run. They can play fast. I think he’s giving us some respect, and we appreciate it. But I ain’t falling for it.”
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Today’s tipoff time at Walton Arena has been changed to 5 p.m. to be broadcast on ESPN2. The game was put together on the fly a week ago after both teams had games canceled because of their opponents’ covid-19 issues.
The game has been announced as a sellout. The attendance limit is capped at 4,000 because of covid-19 restrictions.
Going by the numbers, the teams are similar offensively. The University of Arkansas (11-6) ranks seventh in the country, averaging 85.4 points per game. The Huskies (10-0) are just four spots below, averaging 85.1.
Auriemma, who recently passed former Tennessee coach Pat Summitt for second on the career wins list with 1,101, said his team won’t be walking the ball up the floor, though. The Huskies just have to find the speed that works for them.
“Luckily, we’re not that fast, so we don’t have to worry about trying to run as fast as them,” he said. “That’s not our game. We’re somewhere in the middle.
“We’re in a bit of a quandary here. If we go too slow, we really have to execute our half-court offense. When you have this many young players, that ain’t the winning edge.”
Tennessee is the only common opponent. The Lady Vols overpowered Arkansas 88-73 in Thompson-Boling Arena on Jan. 7, while the Huskies rallied in the fourth quarter for a 67-61 win in Knoxville a week ago.
Neighbors acknowledged his team’s confidence may have taken a hit after losing five of the past seven games against SEC foes. But he said the Razorbacks are resolute as they prepare to face their sixth ranked opponent in eight games.
“We certainly need a ball to bounce our way to get a little bit of that going,” Neighbors said. “But we’re not defeated. There’s no discouragement.
“I do believe we’ve developed a calloused toughness about us. We carry a little badge of honor that we’ve got a six-loss team that’s ranked in the top 20. We’re all about keeping it in perspective.”
The latest blow was a 75-73 loss in the final seconds at Georgia on Monday. The Razorbacks led much of the second half, but senior Gabby Connally drilled a 17-foot jumper from the right wing with 0.9 seconds remaining to hand Arkansas the defeat.
“Now I do think through the pain of losing they learned the value of every single possession,” Neighbors said. “The first possession, the third possession or the 23rd — they’re all worth the same amount of points. Don’t let it come down to that last one.”
Neighbors said his veteran-laden team likely won’t get caught up in the moment of facing UConn, an iconic program that has won 11 national championships.
“Their hall of fame reads like the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame,” Neighbors said. “We’re playing against kids their age. They’ve played against them in McDonald’s All-American games. They played against them in the summer.
“And we don’t have to beat them in a best-of-seven. It’s a one-night thing on your home floor in front of as many people as covid is gonna allow us.”
Connecticut freshman Paige Bueckers missed the Huskies’ last game against Georgetown after rolling her ankle late in the win at Tennessee a week ago. The 5-11 point guard, who averages a team-best 17.1 points per game, did not practice Tuesday after doing some light shooting drills Monday, Auriemma said. He added there’s a better chance than not she will play against Arkansas.
Anna Makurat, a 6-2 sophomore who has started six games and averages 4.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists, is out indefinitely with a leg injury.
The Huskies will have 5-11 junior guard and Little Rock native Christyn Williams, who averages 15.6 ppg. She was rated the top recruit in the country by ESPN and earned multiple National High School Player of the Year honors in 2018 when she signed with UConn out of Central Arkansas Christian.