MBB Preview: Arkansas vs Fresno State at North Little Rock

Who: #25/23 Arkansas Razorbacks (6-2, 0-0 SEC) vs Fresno State Bulldogs (6-3, 0-0 MW)
What: Arkansas makes its annual trip to Simmons Bank Arena.
When: Saturday – Dec. 6 – 3:00 pm (CT)
Where: North Little Rock, Ark. • Simmons Bank Arena  (18,000)
How (to follow):
– TV/Stream: SEC Network Plus/Watch ESPN (Brett Dolan and Joe Kleine)
– Radio: Learfield Razorback Sports Network (Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman)
– Sirius/XM: Sirius: 160 || XM: 192 || SXM App/Online Channel 962

– Arkansas Live Stats
– Razorback Gameday App
– Purchase Tickets

– Arkansas Game Notes   
– Fresno State Game Notes
– SEC Men’s Basketball Release/Stats

FAYETTEVILLE – For the 26th time since its opening in 1999-2000, Arkansas will play in North Little Rock’s Simmons Bank Arena when the #25/23 Razorbacks face Fresno State on Saturday (Dec. 6). Tipoff is set for 3 pm and the game will be broadcast on SEC Network Plus.

Arkansas is 15-10 in Simmons Bank Arena and 19-10 all-time in the city of North Little Rock. Last year, Arkansas defeated Central Arkansas, 82-57, in Simmons Bank Arena. The Razorbacks have played in NLR in 21 of the last 23 years, with a 20-year streak of playing in North Little Rock snapped in Dec. 2020 due to COVID. The only other year Arkansas did not play in NLR was the 2000-01 season.

After Fresno State, Arkansas will stay on the road to face #19 Texas Tech in Dallas on Dec. 13 (Sat.).

NOTES:

• Arkansas and Fresno State have met on two previous occasions and the Razorbacks won both.
• The first meeting was Nov. 29, 1997, in Phoenix. Arkansas upset the #12 Bulldogs, 70-69, in the Premier Classic. With Fresno State down one with four seconds left, Demetrius Porter’s shot in the lane as the buzzer sounded rattled around the rim but didn’t fall. Nick Davis led the Hogs with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Kareem Reid and Pat Bradley combined for 11 assists – 6 from Reid and 5 from Bradley – Bradley added four steals. Arkansas was just 4-of-20 from 3-point range but forced 24 turnovers. The Bulldogs were led by Avondre Jones’s 23 points and 14 rebounds while Rafer Alston added eight assists and Tremaine Fowkles had 14 rebounds.
• The second meeting was Nov. 17, 2017, in Fayetteville. Arkansas won, 83-75 as Daniel Gafford came off the bench to score 25 points with eight rebounds and three blocked shots. Jaylen Barford added 18 points and Anton Beard 15. Bryson Williams led the Bulldogs with 22 points and nine board while Jaron Hopkins had nine points and 10 boards. Neither team was particularly good at the line, but Arkansas was 25-of-38 compared to 131-of-22 for Fresno State.
• With an 89-80 victory over #6 Louisville on Wednesday, Arkansas improved to 3-0 in the three-year ACC/SEC Challenge. In the three years of the Challenge, the SEC leads 30-16, thanks to a 14-2 record last season and a 9-7 mark in 2025. The leagues tied, 8-8, in year one of the series.
• After its 89-80 win over #6 Louisville, Arkansas climbed 12 spots in the NCAA NET, going from #45 to #33.
• Arkansas and its opponents have both made 67 3-pointers. However, Arkansas has only attempted 190 (35.3%) and its opponents have attempted 230 (29.1%).

For more­­ information on Arkansas Men’s Basketball, follow @RazorbackMBB on X, Instagram and Facebook.