MBB Preview: Arkansas at Texas A&M

Mike Cawood March 6, 2020

Who: Arkansas Razorbacks (19-11, 7-10 SEC) at Texas A&M (15-14, 9-8 SEC)
What: Razorbacks play their final regular-season game.
When: Saturday – March 7 – 3:30 pm
Where: College Station, Texas – Reed Arena
How (to follow):
– TV: SEC Network (Sam Gore and Dane Bradshaw)
^ CLICK HERE to Watch ESPN/SEC Network Online
– Radio: Learfield IMG College Razorback Sports Network (Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman)
^ Listen to Razorback Sports Network Online: CLICK HERE
– Sirius/XM: XM Channel 391, Streaming Online on channel 891
– Live Stats: Texas A&M Live Stats

– Arkansas Game Notes: CLICK HERE
– Texas A&M Game Notes: CLICK HERE

Versus Texas A&M

This will be the 160th meeting between Arkansas and Texas A&M. The Razorbacks own a 103-56 advantage in the series. The Hogs have a slight 38-37 advantage in games played in College Station thanks to a 73-71 victory in Reed Arena to open SEC play last season.
Arkansas is 8-5 versus the Aggies since A&M joined the SEC for the 2012-13 season.
The teams split the series last season, each winning on the road. Texas A&M defeated Arkansas in the last meeting, 87-80 last February in Bud Walton Arena. The Hogs had won 10 straight in Fayetteville over the Aggies prior to the loss dating back to Jan. 25, 1987.

LAST TIME THEY MET:

Jan. 5, 2020 – FAYETTEVILLE – Isaiah Joe scored 11 of his 17 points over the final 8:18 of the second half to help Arkansas pull away for a 69-59 victory over Texas A&M before a sold-out at Bud Walton Arena.
Joe was 4-of-5 from the field (3-of-4 from 3-point range) over the final 8:18. Mason Jones, who had four rebounds over the final 8:18, scored 17 for the game as well, while adding a team-high six rebounds with three assists and three steals.
After Adrio Bailey picked up his fourth foul with 12:12 left in the game, Arkansas went to a five-guard lineup. Including Joe’s 11 points over the span 8:18, Arkansas out-scored the Aggies 19-11 and out-rebounded A&M 10-9. Arkansas also forced eight turnovers, while committing just two.
Arkansas was clinging to a two-point lead (50-48) after a near six-minute drought, missing nine straight shots and making just 1-of-12 over six-and-a-half minutes. Jimmy Whitt Jr., ended the dry spell with a jumper at the free throw line. Texas A&M’s Andre Gordon followed with a layup to get the Aggies back to within two, 52-50.
From that point, Joe drained a 3-pointer as part of a 14-6 run to put the Razorbacks up 10 (66-56) with 3:52 left. The teams traded 3-pointers over the next two minutes, including one by Joe at 1:41 to provide the 69-59 final as neither team scored the rest of the game.
Joe finished with five 3-pointers, five rebounds, two assists and two steals. Desi Sills added 13 and Whitt 12. Jalen Harris had five assists and zero turnovers in 31 minutes off the bench.

Oldest, Most Common Rival

Texas A&M is one of three teams on this year’s schedule that Arkansas played in its inaugural season in 1923-24. Rice (144 meetings) and TCU (142 meetings) are the others.
The Aggies are the Razorbacks’ most common opponent with 158 games played in the series.

Joe On Track for FT Record in SEC Games

Since his return to the lineup, Isaiah Joe is 30-of-30 at the free throw line.
Overall, Joe is 41-of-43 at the line in SEC games this season.
^ His 95.3% in SEC games currently is a school record.
^ The school record is 94.1%, held jointly by Pat Bradley (32-34 in 1997) and Darrell Hawkins (32-34 in 1992).
By going 12-of-12 at the free throw line versus Tennessee:
^ He is the first Razorback since Daryl Macon (14-of-14 vs. Texas Dec. 17, 2016) and ninth Razorback to go perfect at the line with at least 11 attempts.
^ Joe’s 12-of-12 is the best by a Razorback in an SEC game, becoming the fourth player with at least 10 attempts to be perfect at the line.
For the season, Joe is 88.5% from the stripe to rank 21st NCAA/3rd SEC.

8-7-6-5

Arkansas has committed single-digit turnovers in each of the last four games.
^ 8 vs Missouri • 7 vs Tennessee • 6 at Georgia • 5 vs LSU.

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