UA-Pine Bluff made Arkansas work for its offense early Tuesday night, and the culprit was a zone look the Razorbacks don’t see all that often.
When the Golden Lions switched into a 1-3-1 zone in the first half, it disrupted Arkansas’ rhythm and slowed a start that had been all Razorbacks. Arkansas had opened on a 25-0 burst from the first minutes of the half until the 11:54 mark, but the zone forced Jordan Smith Jr., Jeremiah Wilkinson and Billy Richmond III to settle into halfcourt possessions instead of flying into transition.
That change didn’t completely stop Arkansas, but it did make the Razorbacks adjust in real time. The three-point volume dipped, and John Calipari’s group found other ways to score by attacking the rim and working into midrange looks.
Arkansas finished the night 35-of-64 from the field, good for 54.7%, but just 6-of-18 from beyond the arc. The real damage came inside: the Razorbacks outscored UAPB 54-30 in the paint and blocked seven shots to the Golden Lions’ one.
“How much have I worked on zone,” Calipari asked rhetorically. “ Like what, two days, literally.
I went and watched some of [UAPB's] tape from a year ago. I didn't have tape for this year but I saw them play that 1-3-1 (zone defense).
So we worked for two days on how you can attack a 1-3-1 and be aggressive. But it didn't matter.
“They put us on our heels a little bit. Now, we got drives and lobs and dunks after we got going.
And then the other thing, they went to a 2-2-1 (zone). And usually, you stretch the court on us, we're usually pretty good because we'll always have a a dunker near the basket.
So, you're either giving us a three or a dunk or a layup.”
Even with the adjustments, Arkansas still left some points out there around the basket, going 10-of-16 on layups and dunks. The Razorbacks were better on their other lane attempts, hitting 17-of-23, and finished with 54 points in the paint.
Arkansas now turns its attention to Sunday, Nov. 8, when it meets Virginia at Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. Tipoff is set for Noon CT. It will be the first time the programs have faced each other since Nov. 18, 1998, in Fairbanks, Alaska.
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