Preview – No. 17 Arkansas Set for Big Tests at San Diego Invitational

kylie magar December 19, 2022

SAN DIEGO – The No. 17 Arkansas women’s basketball team (13-0) will wrap up what has been a successful non-conference slate with two games lined up at the San Diego Invitational. Arkansas will play No. 16 Oregon on Tuesday at 3 p.m. Central Time and will face off against either No. 3 Ohio State or USF on Wednesday at Pechanga Arena.

GAME INFORMATION

Vs. No. 16 Oregon
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 20
Time: 3 p.m. CT
Opponent: No. 16 Oregon

Vs. No. 3 Ohio State or USF
Date: Wednesday, Dec. 21
Time: If we win first game, 5:30 p.m. CT
If we lose first game, 3 p.m. CT
Location: Pechanga Arena (San Diego, Calif.)
Watch: FloHoops
Listen: Razorback Sports Network from Learfield
Arkansas Game Notes
USF Game Notes

STORYLINES

Arkansas women’s basketball stays put in the national rankings, coming in at No. 17 in the AP Poll. This marks the third week Arkansas has been ranked in both polls. The Razorbacks were tabbed to No. 22 in the WBCA Coaches Poll for the second consecutive week as well
The Razorbacks are 13-0, which continues to be the best start in the Mike Neighbors era at Arkansas and is the best since 2013 (when that team started the year 13-0)
Arkansas’ 13 wins is the most among any NCAA DI, DII and DIII women’s basketball program, and now the program is one of 10 undefeated teams in the country
Arkansas is also one of three unbeaten teams in the SEC (South Carolina and LSU the other two)
The Arkansas athletic department is just one of seven in the country to have their men’s and women’s basketball programs in the top 25 and their football team bowl eligible
For just the third time in program history, the Razorbacks have started a season 13-0 (2007: 15-0 start and 2013: 13-0 start)
With a win on Tuesday, Arkansas will begin the year 14-0 for the first time since 2007 and second time in program history
Two wins at the San Diego Invitational would improve the Razorbacks’ record to 15-0, tying a school record for the best start in school history
The team has four players who average double digits in scoring
Samara Spencer leads Arkansas with 16.5 points per game and 57 total assists
Saylor Poffenbarger attacks the glass like nobody’s business, leading the team with 8.3 rebounds per game. She also leads the team in blocks (15)
Erynn Barnum has the most steals on the team with 21, while sitting second on the team in scoring with 14.9 points per game
Makayla Daniels and Chrissy Carr are also averaging double digits in scoring with 13.4 points and 12.2 points per game, respectively
Barnum’s field goal percentage continues to lead the SEC at .682, as well as No. 5 in the country
Nobody in the country gets to the free throw line like the Razorbacks, as the team is second in the country in free throw attempts per game (28.08)
In the SEC, Arkansas is No. 2 in 3-pointers per game (8.38), defensive rebound percentage (.755) and defensive rebounds per game (32.69)
Neighbors’ teams in the past few years have not been known for rebounding the ball effectively, but that has changed, as the Razorbacks have outrebounded opponents in 11 of 13 games. The team’s 32.7 defensive rebounds per game is the sixth most in the country

SCOUTING OREGON

Oregon is No. 16 in the AP Poll and is 9-1 on the season with its only blemish coming against No. 8 North Carolina (85-79)
The Ducks were projected to finish second in the coaches poll and third in the media poll in the Pac-12. Oregon finished 20-12, 11-6 in the Pac-12, dropping their opening round in the NCAA Tournament to Belmont, 73-70 in double overtime
Te-Hina Paopao, Sedona Prince and Endyia Rogers were named to the Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team
Oregon has four players in double-digits in scoring like the Razorbacks, led by Rogers who averages 14.4 points per game and leads with 44 assists
Phillipina Kyei pulls downs 11.2 rebounds per game
Kelly Graves is one of the winningest active head coaches with a 583-238 overall record

HISTORY AGAINST THE DUCKS

Arkansas holds a 3-1 advantage in the all-time series, as the two teams will play one another for the fifth time
The Razorbacks won the last matchup played on Nov. 25, 2013, in Honolulu with a 79-67 victory
The first game in the series was played in 1984 in Las Vegas, resulting in a 65-54 win for Arkansas

SCOUTING OHIO STATE

Ohio State is No. 3 in the country, and coming into San Diego with an 11-0 record, as of 10 unbeaten teams in the country like Arkansas
The Buckeyes were selected to finish second in the Big Ten Preseason Coaches Poll and third in the Media Poll
Ohio State placed two on the Coaches and Media Preseason All-Big Ten Team, including Taylor Mikesell and Jacy Sheldon
Last season, the Buckeyes finished 25-7, 14-4 in the Big Ten, with their postseason ending at the NCAA Sweet 16
Mikesell leads with 18.4 points per game on a Buckeyes team that has five players averaging double figures
Taylor Thierry pulls down a team’s most 5.5 rebounds per game and Madison Greene has tallied 59 assists
Kevin McGuff knows how to win with a 410-189 overall record across 21 seasons, and 155 wins compared to 90 losses at Ohio State
McGuff has played a huge influence on head coach Mike Neighbors, with Neighbors on his staffs at Xavier and Washington before taking over for him in Seattle in 2013

HISTORY AGAINST THE BUCKEYES

Arkansas and Ohio State have played each other just once, with Arkansas earning the 86-80 victory in the 1995 WNIT

SCOUTING USF

USF is one of the top teams out of the American Athletic Conference, coming into the tournament with a 10-3 record
The Bulls defeated No. 22/18 Texas (70-65), and hung tough against No. 8/10 NC State (65-67), No. 23 Villanova (72-50) and No. 22/23 Michigan (63-58)
USF is the favorite in the American, as the team was picked to win the conference with nine first-place votes
The Bulls got an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament last season, finishing the year 24-9 with a 12-3 league mark. USF lost to Miami 78-66 in the opening round of the tournament
Elena Tsineke was named the Preseason Player of the Year, as well as the All-Conference First Team
Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu was also named to the Preseason First Team
Tsineke leads the Bulls with 16.6 points per game
Fankam Mendjiadeu pulls down a team’s most 11.5 rebounds per game and Aerial Wilson has racked up 52 assists
Jose Fernandez is in his 23rd season at the helm and is a two-time American Coach of the Year, has guided his teams to eight NCAA Tournament appearances, including seven in the past 10 years and has coached seven 20-win teams

HISTORY AGAINST THE BULLS

Arkansas and USF have faced off once, back on Nov. 11, 2011, which resulted in a 65-61 overtime win for Arkansas in Daytona Beach, Florida

LAST TIME OUT

21/22 Arkansas vs. No. 16 Creighton was a highly anticipated matchup that did not disappoint, as the Razorbacks kept their record perfect at 13-0 with an 83-75 win in Omaha
The Razorbacks held a hot-shooting Creighton team to 34.8 percent shooting from the field, 22.9 percent from beyond the arc
Four Razorbacks reached double digits in scoring with Spencer leading the way with 26 points and four rebounds and assists, a piece
Poffenbarger logged her third double-double of her career with 16 points and 11 rebounds
Barnum had 15 points, while Daniels registered 14 points in her first game back from injury
Arkansas made a season-high 12 3-pointers, while shooting 46.2 percent from beyond the arc

UPCOMING

The Razorbacks kick off SEC play against LSU at Bud Walton Arena on Thursday, Dec. 29 at 6 p.m. Tickets for the game are still available and coverage of the game will be broadcast on ESPN2.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about Arkansas Women’s Basketball, follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @RazorbackWBB and on Facebook at Facebook.com/RazorbackWBB. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel, “Kickin’ It In The Neighborhood” for an inside look at the Razorback women’s basketball program and check out The Neighborhood podcasts at CoachNeighbors.com.