Gameday Live Arkansas vs Valparaiso
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/game?gameId=401169903
The Razorbacks will play Valparaiso on Saturday night at Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock.
The Hogs have gone 9-1 this season, and they won their latest contest against Tulsa last Saturday, 98-79. Razorback guard Mason Jones dropped a career-high 41 points against the Golden Hurricane, making, 12 of his 18 shots from the floor. Arkansas was coming off its first loss of the year to Western Kentucky, 86-79, on the road after an overtime period.
“I said it the other day, my wife and I and I have been talking about just the uniqueness,” Razorback head coach Eric Musselman said. “Even though we know it’s a neutral site game so to speak on the schedule, there’s going to be a lot of Hogs fans there obviously. So we’re excited. It’s unique. Not many programs get a chance to play in a different place in your state in a regular-season game. So, I think it’s cool and unique. We’re all looking forward to it. The players are as well. And I’ve heard since I got the job about the excitement there and how important this game is to the program and to the entire state.
"I think we handled that first week really well leading up to the Tulsa game. Certainly, this week’s a little bit different because of the fact that guys had finals and the schedule was kind of twisted and turned a little bit. There were a couple of days where we had some guys that kind of seemed mentally exhausted from exams and stuff. But, I thought they did a great job fighting through it mentally."
This will be the first-ever meeting between Arkansas and Valpo. The Crusaders have acquired a record of 7-5 this season, and they played two games this week. They lost to Charolette on Monday, 67-57, but bounced back and beat High Point on Wednesday, 87-72.
“You look at Valpo and for many years it’s been a really, really good program that’s played in the NCAA Tournaments and always does a great job in their league play,” Musselman said.
WHO: Arkansas Razorbacks (9-1) vs. Valparaiso Crusaders (7-5)
WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 21 at 7:00 p.m. (CST)
WHERE: Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock
TV: The game will not be televised
The Crusaders are led in scoring by Javon Freeman-Liberty. This season, he is averaging a team-leading 21.8 points per game. He has made 98 of his 208 attempts from the floor in 12 games, and the sophomore plays 31.9 minutes per contest.
“Freeman is going to take all their shots,” Razorback guard Isaiah Joe said. “He’s definitely their key player. He’s made 98 shots so far and nobody else on their team has even attempted 77, so we got to lock in on him, not to discredit the other guys. They’re great players too. They all like to run in transition and can knock down open shots. Some of them can also get to the bucket. So, we just got to play how we know how to play.”
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