Razorbacks BasketballTuesday, November 3
No. 12 Arkansas men open the season tonight at 7 p.m. against Arkansas-Pine Bluff
The Daily Fayetteville team
If you're headed to Bud Walton tonight, tipoff is 7 p.m. as No. 12 Arkansas opens its season against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. It's the first-ever men's basketball meeting between the two, and the game is on SEC Network+ and ESPN+.
Tonight's opener starts a season with big expectations
- 222
- days between last season's Sweet 16 loss and the opener
- 99.9%
- KenPom's chance of an Arkansas win tonight
- 10
- newcomers, eight of them freshmen
Coach John Calipari's Hogs have the youngest roster in the power conferences,, and wing Billy Richmond III is a holdover who made the SEC All-Defensive team. They beat No. 15 Gonzaga 76-72 and Memphis 93-81 in exhibitions.
- Next: Sunday vs. No. 9 Virginia in Washington, D.C.
- Freshman Jordan Smith Jr.: projected No. 2 pick in 2027 mocks
- Preseason SEC poll: Arkansas picked third
Guard Jeremiah Wilkinson, a Georgia transfer, said the Hogs can't look past anyone: “Whether it's Pine Bluff or the Golden State Warriors, our game, our goal is to come out and play as hard as we can.”
Arkansas and UAPB start far apart in the KenPom rankings
| Arkansas | Measure | Arkansas-Pine Bluff |
|---|---|---|
| No. 19 | KenPom rank | No. 354 |
| 28 | Wins last season | 13 |
| 9 | Losses last season | 19 |