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Arkansas

Eric Musselman explains Arkansas' struggles on offense early in SEC play

Chandler Vesselsby:Chandler Vessels•01/09/23•

ChandlerVessels

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The start of SEC play hasn’t been kind to Arkansas basketball. Despite entering the conference opener against LSU with just one loss, the Razorbacks have now lost two of their first three league games, including 72-59 to Auburn on Saturday.

One of the common themes in those performances has been poor shooting, and that was certainly true for the loss to the Tigers. After Arkansas shot just 33.9% from the field and 12.5% from 3-point range, coach Eric Musselman attempted to explain postgame the reason for the poor offensive play of late.

“We’re playing against better talent,” he said. “You’re going up against some length and going up against some of the best defensive teams in the country. Alabama’s coming. Look at their defensive numbers.”

As Musselman mentioned, the Razorbacks face perhaps their toughest test yet in SEC play in their next game, as they will face No. 4 Alabama on Wednesday. The Crimson Tide rank 37th in defensive rating, and are also averaging 5.7 blocks per game, good for third in the SEC.

Musselman stressed that he believes his team can overcome the defensive challenge the Alabama and big man Charles Bediako, who leads the team with 2.1 blocks per game, present. To do that, he preaching to his team for more movement without the ball on offense.

“We’ve talked to our team about just trying to be better cutters. Instead of just dribbling the ball, you’ve got to cut,” Musselman said. “Au’Diese Toney is one of the best cutters in the country. Moses Moody was a great cutter for us. Justin Smith was a great cutter for us. You’ve gotta learn to move without the ball and score across the board. We’re not getting as many basket cuts as we have in the past. We’re doing the same drills. So you’ve gotta figure out when your shot’s not falling how to get some easy baskets off reading the defense.”

If Arkansas can heed the advice of Musselman and come away with a win against Alabama, it could be just what it needs to get back on track for SEC play. Tip-off for the game is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT on Wednesday in Fayetteville.