Gameday Live: Arkansas vs Texas Southern

FAYETTEVILLE — Though on opposing benches, it would be understandable if Arkansas Razorbacks coach Eric Musselman and Texas Southern Tigers coach Johnny Jones consulted each other during tonight’s game.

First-year coach Musselman’s 3-0 Razorbacks of the SEC and second-year TSU coach Jones’ 0-3 Tigers of the SWAC (Southwestern Athletic Conference) tip off 7 p.m. today at Walton Arena, aired by the Razorbacks Radio Network and Internet video available on SEC+.

Musselman and Jones present a rare coaching matchup because each has worked for the other.

Former LSU star Jones head coached his alma mater when he hired Musselman as an assistant in 2014-2015.

Musselman as Nevada head coach in 2017-2018 hired Jones as his assistant and coached Jones’ son, Johnny Jones Jr., then a freshman reserve guard and now a starting guard for the Tigers playing Arkansas tonight.

Musselman on Monday was asked to comment about his keeping up with the Joneses and the Musselman career change from NBA to college coach. Musselman said he was close to accepting an NBA assistant job under longtime friend Flip Saunders with the Minnesota Timberwolves when another longtime friend, David Patrick, called him from Jones’ LSU staff.

“I had never met Coach Jones,” Musselman said, but accepted Jones’ invitation to visit Baton Rouge. “I really liked Coach Jones a lot. Sat down with the family and we wanted to stay on the path of college coaching and so passed up what could have been a really comfortable situation with the Timberwolves to go with Coach Jones and it was awesome.”

When a 10-21 campaign ended Jones’ LSU tenure despite four previous winning seasons, Musselman “begged” him to come to Nevada.

“We had an assistant coaching spot open at Nevada and I wanted to hire a former head coach,” Musselman said. “Just kind of begged Coach Jones to come help me and he did and it worked out for him. That kind of spring-boarded him back to another head job at Texas Southern and obviously my time at LSU helped spring-board me to get a head job at Nevada. I really respect him as an Xs and Os coach. I respect him as a man, as a father. He’s like a mentor to me.”

Musselman seems to have the upper hand tonight with a 3-0 SEC team at home vs. an 0-3 from the SWAC outfit.

However in a game against Wichita State TSU battled to the wire in a loss 69-63 at Wichita.

“Wichita State’s a hard place to play, and a really good team,” Musselman said. “So certainly we have tremendous respect [for TSU], and we know they’re going to be ready to play.”

Musselman noted last season’s Tigers won road games vs. Oregon and Baylor among others.

They shouldn’t come to Walter intimidated given the big-time places some of Jones’ Tigers have been.

TSU forward Eden Ewing, missing the South Dakota game injured, transferred from Purdue. Center Jethro Tshisumpa transferred from Mississippi State. Forward John Walker transferred from Texas A&M. Forward Chris Baldwin transferred from UMass. Guard Bryson Etienne transferred from Temple College. Forward Justin Hopkins transferred from Samford. Guard Jordan Andrews transferred from South Alabama. Johnny Jones Jr. transferred from Nevada, and graduate transfer guard Divonte Lumpkin transferred from the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Perhaps the top Tiger, 5-10 senior point guard Tyrik Armstrong, transferred from Weatherford College.

“Their point guard can score the ball,“Musselman said. “He’s quick, he’s crafty with the ball. They run a lot of pick and rolls. So we have to have really good pick and roll defense.”

Musselman said Monday he may have an update today regarding 6-8 sophomore Razorbacks letterman Reggie Chaney, on disciplinary suspension the first three games though practicing with the Razorbacks.

“Hopefully we’ll be able to make a statement as early as tomorrow on Reggie’s status,” Musselman said.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/game?gameId=401169843

• Texas Southern prepares for game two of the four-game Collegiate Hoops Roadshow Tuesday night as they'll head to Fayetteville, Ark. to face the University of Arkansas.

• This marks the second year for TSU head coach Johnny Jones. Jones went 24-14 in his inaugural year as head coach with three Power 5 conference wins. TSU fell in the finals of the 2019 SWAC Tournament and competed in the CIT. TSU advanced to the semifinals of the CIT last season.

• Texas Southern Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Kevin Granger has fond memories of Arkansas as he was a player on the 1993 TSU squad which met sitting President of the United States Bill Clinton. It was believed to be the first time a sitting President had attended a college basketball game. Arkansas won the game that night but Granger nearly had the last laugh a year later as TSU fell to Arkansas 79-78 in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament after a late rally.

• TSU has to replace three key starters from last year's squad but has several returnees who had made starts last year that will have to step up. Point guard Tyrik Armstong, shooting guard John Jones and forward Eden Ewing will be counted on to lead the charge as Armstrong and Jones are top returning scorers while Ewing is the top returning rebounder. • Head coach Johnny Jones is 55-37 all-time in the month of November and 3-7 at TSU.

• Jones is 46-63 all-time against the SEC and 5-6 against Arkansas.

• Arkansas is 6-0 against TSU all-time as this is the first meeting since 2011.

• TSU was picked second in the Southwestern Athletic Conference preseason poll as senior forward Eden Ewing was named to the All-SWAC Preseason First Team. • Eden Ewing was granted a sixth year of eligibility in the summer while forward John Walker III was recently granted a waiver to participate immediately after spending the past season at Texas A&M University.

• TSU's home game on Nov. 30 marks the first time since 2014 the team will host a Division I foe as a non-conference opponent.

• Three of TSU's first three opponents (San Diego State, Wichita State, Arkansas) are ranked in the Ken Pomeroy Basketball Ratings Top 100 and the final four non-conference opponents are also ranked in the top 100 (Nevada, Oregon, Arizona State, Texas A&M).

• Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman was the associate head coach at LSU under head coach Johnny Jones in 2014-15. He moved to Nevada as head coach in 2015 and hired Jones in the same capacity in 2017. TSU assistant coach Brandon Chambers and video coordinator Derek Saich both worked under Musselman at Nevada.