FAYETTEVILLE — Stanley Umude was averaging 12.3 points per game in SEC road games when Arkansas visited Ole Miss on Jan. 26.
In his debut in the league at Mississippi State, he scored a team-high 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Umude then combined for 18 points in a 1-1 stretch at Texas A&M and LSU.
The Razorbacks won fairly comfortably, 64-55, against the Rebels, running their winning streak to five games ahead of a home date with West Virginia in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. The South Dakota transfer finished scoreless and missed all four of his shots.
Since, Umude has seemingly played with a heightened focus on the road.
“I think he’s no different than a quarterback that gets in a groove,” Arkansas coach Eric Musselman said. “I think right now offensively he’s playing with confidence. I think his teammates are looking to get him shots.
“His stats offensively are good in league play.”
They are especially solid away from home. Following the off night at Ole Miss, he rebounded to score 31 and 19 points in the team’s next two road games at Georgia and Alabama, respectively.
In those outings, he was 9 of 15 from three-point range, including 6 of 8 against the Bulldogs.
Umude has scored well on the road throughout his lengthy college career. According to Sports Reference, he has averaged 15.5 points on 45.6% shooting — 32.8% from three — in 44 true road games. He has averaged 13.9 points at home and 12.7 points in neutral-site games.
That trend has continued this season as he has scored 14.5 points in Arkansas’ six road games and 10.5 in Bud Walton Arena.
Musselman has viewed Umude as a player whose offensive game has developed this season against stiffer competition in the SEC. The 6-6 wing is second on the team in scoring in conference play at 13.4 points per game.
For the season, he is averaging 10.9 points.
“It’s not often that a player can play better in league play than non-conference play,” Musselman said. “But I certainly think Stan, as the season has progressed, has become more and more comfortable on both sides of the ball for us.”
Umude has provided the Razorbacks with a terrific jolt from the perimeter. His 20 made threes inside the league are second only to JD Notae’s 25, and Umude has shot at a 39.2% clip.
No other Arkansas player has connected on more than eight threes against SEC teams.
In conference play, Umude has knocked down 9 of 13 (69.2%) left-wing threes, according to CBB Analytics, and 5 of 13 (38.5%) left-corner attempts. He is also shooting above the Division I average along both baselines, hitting 11 of 24 jumpers.
“Obviously when (Umude and Notae) are making threes we’re a different team,” Musselman said. “It opens up the floor hopefully for us to be able to finish at the rim, although that was not the case in the last game. He’s shooting the ball well.
“He spaces the floor out so much, because he plays that 3-4 spot and when it’s not just a point guard or an off guard that’s knocking down threes (it’s a plus). And he’s also a guy that’s really helped us in the mid-post and in the mid-range from 15 feet.
“He’s a hard cover, for sure.”
Arkansas is hopeful Umude will take his show on the road again Tuesday at Missouri. He is shooting 54.2% from the floor and 52% from three in true road games as a Razorback.
“I think (progress) just comes with embracing the role that I have on this team,” Umude said. “I feel like my role is a lot bigger than it was maybe toward the beginning of the season, so I think it’s just embracing that and taking the challenge every night to play as hard as I can.”