The length and athleticism of the Arkansas men’s basketball roster were on display during the 75-54 victory over Orange 1 Basket Bassano on Saturday in Como, Italy.
The Razorbacks’ bounced back from a shaky defensive outing Thursday in which they gave up 86 points to Catalan Elite in Barcelona, Spain.
On Saturday, Bassano shot 30% from the floor in a game that could have looked more lopsided had the Razorbacks' opponent not made 14 of 16 (87%) attempts from the free-throw line.
Arkansas’ interior defense was troubling to Bassano center Destiny Agbamu, who missed all 11 field goal attempts.
The Razorbacks turned defense into offense with regularity and scored 29 points from 26 turnovers. The Hogs feasted in the open floor. Arkansas led 27-0 in transition with several high-flying dunks.
Five Razorbacks blocked a shot, including freshmen Barry Dunning and Joseph Pinion, who swatted two each. In his postgame press conference, Arkansas coach Eric Musselman recalled a block by freshman point guard Anthony Black and lauded the first-year player’s defensive abilities.
“He should be one of the best shot-blocking guards in the entire country because he’s got great length,” Musselman said. “There’s just not many 6-foot-8 players that have to guard 5’ 10 guys. He should be one of the best defenders in the country.”
The Razorbacks’ stifling defense made up for a subpar shooting performance – 27% from three-point range and 57% on free throws. Nick Smith was the lone Razorback to score double figures and finished with 20 points on 8 of 14 from the field.
Out of halftime, Arkansas utilized a multi-point guard lineup of Black, Smith, Davonte Davis, Trevon Brazile and Kamani Johnson to start the second half. Musselman said he was pleased with the production from that group on both ends of the floor.
The Razorbacks took complete control of the game in the third quarter by outscoring Bassano 24-9. Smith capped the period with a buzzer-beating three-pointer from about 5 feet beyond the arc.
“It was zero shock,” Musselman said. “That’s why that group was put out there in the third quarter was to slam the door as quick as we possibly could in the second half.”
Black negated any concerns about sharing the court with two additional primary ball handlers and spoke highly of the team’s “small-ball” dynamic.
“We’re three competitive dudes who want to win, so there’s no envy or anything like that,” Black said of sharing point guard responsibilities with Davis and Smith.
Arkansas’ toughest opposition on Saturday may have come from airport security. The Razorbacks had difficulties checking in and receiving their boarding passes and luggage, Musselman said.
In typical point guard fashion, Black came through with the assist.
“Somehow, (Black), the world-renowned traveler, figured it out and got eight guys through security a hell of a lot quicker than I got through it,” Musselman said.
Arkansas will conclude its European tour Monday against the Bakken Bears in Lake Como, Italy. The game is set to begin at noon Central and will be available for streaming on FloSports.