Arkansas kept rolling in Baha Mar Summer League play on Monday night, and this time it was JJ Andrews who supplied the spark in a 91-49 win over Toros del Valle.
The Razorbacks didn’t exactly put their best first-half foot forward. Arkansas went into the locker room with only a 37-29 lead, its smallest halftime margin in any of the three exhibition games so far.
But the second half belonged entirely to the Hogs, who burst out of the break with a 21-2 run and never looked back. By the end, Arkansas had outscored Toros del Valle 54-20 after halftime.
Andrews was at the center of it all. The 6-foot-6, 225-pound freshman finished with a double-double, piling up 15 points and 13 rebounds. Six of those boards came on the offensive end, where he kept extending possessions and wearing down the opposition with his physical play.
The first possession after halftime summed up his night. Jordan Smith Jr. missed, Andrews tracked down the offensive rebound, powered through contact and finished the putback. That sequence helped ignite the run that put the game away.
With Miikka Muurinen still not cleared, Andrews has been spending most of these exhibition games at the four. John Calipari has been pushing him to rebound, and Monday was a strong answer.
“(He) rebounded the ball,” assistant Bruiser Flint said postgame. “He's playing a lot of four.
Calipari's been on him about, 'I need you to go rebound.' So, he rebounded both ends.
That's why he got the double-double, and I think in transition, Cal's letting him push it. So, he rebounded.
Now, he's got to make good decisions, and he did that tonight.”
Andrews also kept pressure on the rim, drawing 12 free throw attempts. He made 7 of 12 at the line, and that attack-first approach helped set the tone for the rest of the roster, with all but two Razorbacks getting to the stripe multiple times.
Through three exhibition games, Andrews has been one of Arkansas’ most reliable players. He’s averaging 16 points on 56.7% shooting from the field, including 33.3% from deep, along with 8.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals in about 25 minutes per game.
After Saturday, Andrews explained what it means to suit up for Arkansas in these preseason games.
“It's been the greatest feeling ever,” Andrews said. “Just knowing what it means to be a Hog for these fans, and especially being homegrown.
I know a lot of people wanted me to stay, especially because my dad played there, and my parents they left it up to me. But ultimately, I'm just thankful for the opportunity to be able to wear a Razorback uniform.
It means a lot to me.”
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