FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas junior guard Davonte “Devo” Davis continued to play stifling defense in the Razorbacks’ 67-64 loss at Baylor last Saturday.
Bears senior guard Adam Flagler, who came into the game averaging 16.1 points, finished with five points and shot 1 of 11 — including 0 of 3 on three-point attempts — with Davis as his primary defender.
Over the last four games, Missouri’s D’Moi Hodge, Ole Miss’ Matthew Murrell, LSU’s Adam Miller and Flagler shot a combined 6 of 35 while being guarded primarily by Davis and 1 of 15 on three-pointers.
“Devo’s playing at an elite, elite level defensively,” Arkansas Coach Eric Musselman said Sunday night on his television show. “It’s amazing that you take the [opponent’s] best [perimeter] player and he’s just shutting those guys down. It’s been absolutely amazing.
“Flagler is one of the best guards in the country and he held him to 1 of 11.”
A likely defensive assignment for Davis tonight is Texas A&M guard Tyrece Radford, who over the last 10 games is averaging 16.6 points.
“[Davis] you could argue is the best perimeter defender in the league,” Aggies Coach Buzz Williams said.
Davis also scored 16 points at Baylor to extend his streak to six games with 16 or more points. His high-scoring game in that stretch has been 18 points at Missouri.
Arkansas Aggies
Aggies guard Khalen “KK” Robinson, a junior from Little Rock who transferred from Arkansas to Texas A&M after last season, has played in 13 games off the bench and is averaging 6.8 minutes and 2.4 points this season.
Robinson has played 12 minutes in 3 SEC games with 12 points.
Texas A&M forward Ethan Henderson, a fifth-year senior from Little Rock who transferred from Arkansas two years ago, has yet to play for the Aggies this season and isn’t practicing, but he still is listed on the roster.
Aggies Coach Buzz Williams has said Henderson’s absence isn’t because of an injury or a disciplinary reason, but hasn’t been specific about why he’s not practicing or playing other than to say he “has some work to do.”
When Texas A&M finished 27-13 last season and lost to Xavier 73-72 in the NIT Championship Game, Henderson played in all 40 games, including 15 starts, and averaged 2.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 13.3 minutes with a team-high 25 blocked shots.
Happy birthday
Arkansas seniors and twins Makhi and Makhel Mitchell are celebrating their 23rd birthdays today. The transfers from Rhode Island were born on Jan. 31, 2000, in Washington, D.C.
Makhi Mitchell has played in all 21 games this season, including 20 starts, and is averaging 7.5 points, 5.8 rebounds with a team-high 30 blocked shots.
Makhel Mitchell has played in 15 games, including two starts, and is averaging 3.6 points, 2.7 rebounds and 10.7 minutes with 18 blocked shots — second on the team behind his brother.
Makhel Mitchell has gotten more playing time of late and had 4 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocked shots and 2 assists in 23 minutes at Baylor after missing the previous game against LSU because of an ankle injury.
Wichita guys
Arkansas 6-6 junior guard Ricky Council, averaging a team-high 17.2 points, and Texas A&M fifth-year 6-5 senior guard Dexter Dennis, averaging 8.1 points, are both starting for their SEC teams after being teammates at Wichita State the previous two seasons.
Council was the American Athletic Conference Sixth Man of the Year last season when he averaged 12.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 26.6 minutes while playing 20 of 28 games off the bench.
Dennis, a three-year starter for the Shockers, was the AAC’s Defensive Player of the Year last season and averaged 8.4 points and 5.0 rebounds.
Considering Dennis’ defensive prowess and knowledge of Council’s game, it won’t be surprising if they’re matched up tonight.
Getting to the line
Texas A&M is second nationally in free throws made and tied for third nationally in free throw attempts.
The Aggies’ average of 18.7 made free throws rank only behind Texas-Rio Grande Valley’s 19.0, and their average of 25.0 is tied with Alabama-Birmingham behind Texas-Rio Grande Valley’s 27.0 and Alabama’s 25.2.