No. 19 Arkansas walked into halftime Friday with a 43-27 cushion over Central Arkansas, and the first 20 minutes at Bud Walton Arena were shaped by a few familiar names finding their rhythm in a hurry.
Billy Richmond set the tone offensively and looked every bit like the Razorback who has kept getting better as a scorer. The Memphis native had 13 points on 5-for-7 shooting by just past the midpoint of the half, and he knocked down his first three attempts from deep. He finished the half with 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting after coming off a season-high 16-point outing against Robert Morris on Wednesday.
Arkansas also got plenty of juice in transition. The Razorbacks piled up 15 fastbreak points in the half, a sharp contrast from the trouble they had getting out and running against Virginia.
Miikka Muurinen was part of that burst, finishing two alley-oop dunks - one set up by Richmond and another by Jordan Smith Jr. Arkansas’ other dunk of the half came from Smith.
Smith, who had struggled badly against Robert Morris with three points on 1-for-8 shooting, was perfect in the first half Friday. He scored eight points on 3-for-3 from the floor, opening the game with two free throws and later finding a groove offensively.
It was also the first time all year he wore a headband. Smith appeared to injure his wrist late in the half, but he did not go to the locker room and returned with 1:14 left before halftime.
Muurinen, too, looked far more comfortable than he did Wednesday. After managing just two points on 0-for-5 shooting against Robert Morris, he scored four first-half points on a pair of dunks and added two blocks, a rebound, an assist and a steal. Following a rocky night that included a brief shouting match with head coach John Calipari, Muurinen was much more in sync on Friday.
In Other News...
Arkansas Gets A Timely Boost As South Carolina Faces New Doubt
South Carolinas injury report brought a little more clarity heading into its matchup with Arkansas, but not all of it was encouraging. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers was upgraded to probable after dealing with an ankle injury, while the Gamecocks took a hit elsewhere with wide receiver Nyck Harbor slipping to doubtful. On the Arkansas side, defensive lineman Quincy Rhodes moved from questionable to probable, giving the Razorbacks a timely boost on a front that will need as much depth as it can get.
The rest of the report still leaves both staffs sorting through availability, with several players on each side listed as out or questionable before kickoff. For Arkansas, Rhodes status matters because the Razorbacks are trying to line up as many healthy bodies as possible against a South Carolina group that may have its quarterback back but could be missing one of its more dangerous pass-catching threats. In a game shaped by attrition as much as scheme, the final injury updates could end up carrying real weight. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Football Finally Faces The SEC Spending Reality
University of Arkansas officials used a Board of Trustees meeting to lay out where the Razorbacks stand financially and where they want the football program to go next. President Jay Silveria and athletics director Hunter Yurachek updated trustees on a review of the programs spending, with the goal of getting Arkansas into the top half of SEC spenders and giving the Razorbacks a better chance to compete for the College Football Playoff.
Silveria said the school will move quickly on a financial plan designed to allocate resources more efficiently and strengthen the roster for 2027. For a program trying to keep pace in a league where money often shapes the margin between staying relevant and falling behind, the review signals that Arkansas is treating the spending gap as a football problem as much as a budget one. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Fans Now Face A Strange Isaiah Sealy Limbo
Isaiah Sealys situation has settled into an unusual holding pattern for Arkansas basketball. He is no longer enrolled at the University of Arkansas and is not part of the Razorbacks mens basketball team for the 2026-27 season, even though he is still working through rehab on a knee injury with the schools medical staff. For now, he will not take part in practices or games, leaving the program in a strange spot with a player whose status is still tied to the university, just not to the roster.
The uncertainty around Sealy goes beyond the injury. He was arrested in August and faces several charges, and he has pleaded not guilty, which means the legal side of his case is still unresolved as well. Arkansas is hoping he can rejoin the program full-time next summer, but with his future still unclear, fans are left watching a situation that has no clean answer yet. [Read more 🡒]