Eric Musselman explains Nick Smith not playing in second half vs. Texas A&M
The Arkansas basketball team welcomed its freshman phenom back to the lineup over the weekend, but Nick Smith didn’t play in the second half against Texas A&M on Wednesday.
The Razorbacks took a 33-24 lead over the Aggies into halftime, but a series of miscues and big makes by Texas A&M quickly narrowed the margin after the break.
Smith didn’t play in the second half.
“We were just trying to win a game and keep our season alive,” said coach Eric Musselman, asked about Nick Smith not playing in the second half.
When pressed further about whether Smith simply might not be ready for that type of crunch-time role in a key game, Musselman answered shortly.
“We’re just going to keep trying to work everybody in,” he said.
Smith finished the Texas A&M game with just one shot attempt and failed to record any other statistics.
He played 17 minutes in a loss to Mississippi State over the weekend, scoring five points, while pulling down one rebound and dishing out one assist.
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Eric Musselman frustrated with team’s closing
The Razorbacks have been in plenty of close games, they just haven’t seen enough of them come out in their favor.
“Well we haven’t been very good closing on the road at all,” Musselman said. “We’ve lost a tremendous amount of close games, so closing has been an issue for this group.”
Chalk up yet another two-possession loss for the Hogs, the fifth in the last eight losses. The latest came in a 62-56 defeat at the hands of Texas A&M on Wednesday night.
“It started at the end of the half when (Hayden) Hefner hit the three and then they came out and knocked down threes to start the second half. Then our shot-selection, our passing was poor late game. I mean 1-of-10 from three in the second half. And then we shoot 50% from the foul line in a close game. That’s not a recipe to win a game. Then we gave up 6-of-12 from three for them.”
Arkansas will be back in action on Saturday at home, hosting Florida in a game that tips off at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN2.