MBB Preview: #18 Arkansas at Florida

February 21, 2022

Who: #18/18 Arkansas Razorbacks (21-6, 10-4 SEC) at Florida Gators (7-10, 7-7 SEC)
What: Arkansas faces Florida for the Razorbacks’ penultimate, regular-season road game.
When: Tuesday – Feb. 22 – 6:00 pm (CT)
Where: Gainesville, Fla. – Exactech Arena (10,151) at Stephen C. O’Connell Center
How (to follow):
– Video: ESPN2 (Karl Ravech, Jimmy Dykes and Marty Smith)
^ Online: Watch ESPN
– Radio: Learfield Razorback Sports Network (Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman)
^ Listen to Razorback Sports Network Online (Tune In)
^ Razorback Gameday App
– Sirius/XM: Sirius: 134 || XM: 192 || Online Channel: 963
– Live Stats: FloridaGators.com

– Arkansas Game Notes
– Florida Game Notes
– SEC Standings / Stats / Notes

FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas climbed in the most recent polls to #18 and puts that ranking on the line Tuesday (Feb. 22) at Florida. Game time is set for 6:00 pm (CT) and the contest will be televised on ESPN2.

This will be the 40th meeting between Arkansas and Florida —all since Arkansas joined the SEC in 1991-92. The Gators are the Razorbacks’ least common SEC opponent.
Florida leads the all-time series, 26-13, has won 16 of the last 19 and is 14-2 all-time versus the Hogs in Gainesville, including 14 straight wins.
According to ESPN Basketball Power Index, Arkansas has THE TOUGHEST SCHEDULE IN THE NATION to close the regular season. Arkansas started the stretch with a win over #16/13 Tennessee. All five of Arkansas’ final five games are QUAD 1 games including four games being among the NCAA NET top 20: #11 Tennessee • at #49 Florida • #3 Kentucky • #16 LSU • at #1 Tennessee.
Arkansas fell to a season-low 93rd in the NCAA NET after losing at Texas A&M on Jan. 8 as the Razorbacks had dropped 5-of-6 games. After beating Missouri at home (and starting its streak of winning 11 of its last 12), Arkansas jumped 14 spots to 84th. The Hogs followed that with a win at LSU (Feb. 15) and shot up 30 spots to 54th. Arkansas has steadily climbed the NET over the last 12 games to a current season-best 23rd (a 7-point bump) after beating Tennessee. By comparison, the next best improvement by a current NET top 25 is St. Mary’s who went from 43rd on Jan. 8 to currently 21st. Also, of the teams in the NCAA NET 90-100 on Jan.8, the best improvement other than Arkansas is Oregon going from 91st to 63rd.
For the second time this year, Jaylin Williams has been named the SEC co-Player of the Week as he averaged 13.0 points and 13.5 rebounds while leading Arkansas to a road win at Missouri and a home victory over #16/13 Tennessee. He shared the honor with Vanderbilt’s Scotty Pippen Jr. Williams posted double-doubles in both wins to run his current streak to four-straight and nine over his last 13 games.
Arkansas will only have two days, including a travel day, to prepare for Florida. Arkansas is 10-0 in games this year when having two days or fewer days rest between games. This will be the third true road game Arkansas has played with two days or fewer rest. Arkansas won at #12 LSU and won at Missouri. The Razorbacks also won the Hall of Fame Classic on back-to-back nights on a neutral court in Kansas City.

For more information on Arkansas Men’s Basketball, follow @RazorbackMBB on Twitter.