Arkansas basketball is back on the road with a short turnaround, looking to get back to .500 and avoid a third-straight loss in the SEC.
The Razorbacks (12-13, 3-8 SEC) will face Texas A&M (15-10, 6-6) Tuesday night, just two days after a loss to Mississippi State. This will be the second meeting of the season between the Hogs and Aggies, with a game-winning floater from Tramon Mark proving to be the difference on Jan. 16.
Arkansas has lost back-to-back games, suffering an embarrassing home defeat to Tennessee before Saturday’s loss to the Bulldogs. Texas A&M is also on a two-game skid with losses to Alabama and SEC cellar-dwellar Vanderbilt.
Here are three things to watch and a score prediction for the Hogs’ 13th SEC game of the season.
Can Arkansas basketball do better against Wade Taylor IV?
Taylor is one of the best scorers in the entire SEC, and he poured in a career-high 41 points in Texas A&M’s loss to Arkansas earlier this season. Taylor made a three-pointer in the closing stages of that loss that was neutralized by Mark’s game-winner.
Taylor lacked efficiency in that career-best performance, missing 19 shots and nine from three. However, he did consistently get to the free-throw line and made 10-of-13 attempts from the charity stripe.
The Hogs have struggled defending elite guards in back-to-back games, with Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht and Mississippi State’s Josh Hubbard combining for 41 points in two-straight Arkansas losses. On the road against the Aggies, the Hogs need a better performance against Taylor to ensure a season sweep over a conference rival.
Will either team make three-pointers?
Tuesday night’s matchup will feature two of the worst three-point shooting teams in the country. The Aggies rank 357th in the nation with a shooting percentage of 27.3%, and Arkansas isn’t much better at No. 274 and 31.7%.
More: Arkansas basketball squanders final minute in loss to Mississippi State to fall below .500
More: Arkansas basketball blown out by Tennessee in another home embarrassment
The Hogs haven’t made more than eight three-pointers in any game SEC this season. Making shots from long range won’t be a focus for either squad, but it could be a major boost.
Arkansas must get better on the boards
The Aggies are a dominant force on the offensive glass, leading the entire nation by averaging 16 offensive rebounds per game. Texas A&M dominated Arkansas in the teams’ previous meeting with 19 offensive rebounds that led to the Aggies taking 23 more shot attempts.
Arkansas played without big-men Trevon Brazile (knee) and Jalen Graham (shoulder) in Saturday’s loss to Mississippi State. Even with those two, the Hogs would be undersized against the Aggies. They’ll need a big performance from Makhi Mitchell and Chandler Lawson.
Prediction: Texas A&M 75, Arkansas 70
Second half against Tennessee aside, Arkansas is starting to find some consistency in its last three games. The Hogs had a massive opportunity Saturday to secure a road SEC win and fell just short. Arkansas should keep things tight against Texas A&M, but the rebounding disparity will prove too much to overcome in a hostile environment.
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Arkansas basketball vs. Texas A&M: Prediction, scouting report
