Men's Basketball In Full Swing On Opening Day of Practice
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The 2015-16 season is officially underway for the Arkansas men’s basketball team, as the Razorbacks hit the court twice on Monday, opening the year with a 6 a.m. practice, before coming back for an up-tempo afternoon session in the brand new Basketball Performance Center.
“We won 27 games last year and the guys who are returning know what it took to get there, and trust me, their work ethic has been descriptive of that,” said head coach Mike Anderson as he held a 25-minute press conference before the afternoon practice. “The key is getting a product out there that’s going to be a Razorback product. We’re going to fight, scratch and claw, and we’re going to give ourselves a chance to win.”
The Razorbacks’ 27-9 record last season marked the sixth-most wins in program history as Arkansas made its 30th NCAA Tournament appearance. The Razorbacks posted a 13-5 record in SEC play to capture the No. 2 seed in the SEC Tournament and advance to the championship game for the first time since 2008 and the sixth time in program history.
With seven returning players from last season, the Arkansas roster will feature a slew of upperclassmen, as eight of the 12 players are juniors or seniors.
“You’re going to see a team that will attack the basket and probably shoot a few more threes, Anderson said. “We have some guys who can knock some shots down, but we have to continue to be in that attack mode.”
When Arkansas plays its first preseason exhibition on Nov. 5 against Southwestern Oklahoma State, fans will get a look at a renovated Bud Walton Arena, as a $4 million investment has been made to the facility to maximize fan experience.
The new center-hung video board features four LED displays that will give Bud Walton Arena the largest video display of any basketball facility in the country. To go along with the visual enhancements, a brand new sound system has also been installed to enhance volume and clarity for every seat in the arena.
The Mike Anderson era has thrived with its up-tempo style, posting a 67-8 record in Bud Walton Arena over the last four years, including a 39-1 mark against non-conference opponents in the Basketball Palace of Mid-America. Arkansas’ .893 winning percentage at home is the second best in the SEC over the last four years, as Razorback fans have created the ultimate home court advantage.
Season tickets, SEC mini plans and single-game tickets are now on sale to the public to watch the #Fastest40 Minutes in college basketball all season at Bud Walton Arena. The SEC mini plan features four Saturday game and a Thursday showdown with Kentucky, while select single-game tickets have been reduced from a year ago, including $5 cuts on tickets in the upper bowl and loft. Tickets can be purchased now at the Razorback Ticket Center, by phone at 1-800-982-HOGS (4647) and online by clicking here.
Arkansas returns to the court Tuesday morning for another 6 a.m. workout and will hold five two-a-day practices over the next seven days.
For more information on Arkansas men’s basketball, follow @RazorbackMBB on Twitter.
