After a Humiliating Defeat Against the Auburn, Can the Arkansas Make a Comeback in Time?

The Auburn Tigers entered their game against the Arkansas Razorbacks with an 11-2 tally. The two teams locked horns at the Bud Walton Arena. The Razorbacks had a 9-4 stat before the game and were the favorites to win it. Instead, the Auburn did something unexpected. They clobbered up the Razorbacks with a blowout margin of 83-51. Though the Razorbacks had three players scoring in double digits, they could not stand up when the Auburn stormed their court.

This has led to a lot of critics speculating whether the Arkansas can make a comeback or if it’s going to be an uphill task from here. There were particular incidents in the second half that turned the tides in the Auburn’s favor and ousted the Arkansas from the game.

How did the Arkansas Perform?

Their guard Keyon Menifield Jr. smashed the team’s highest 14 points whereas their forward Trevon Brazile smoked 11. Menifield also contributed with 3 rebounds and 4 assists. On the other hand, Brazile too chipped in 7 rebounds. Another noteworthy performance from the Razorbacks was their guard Tramon Mark. Mark sloshed 10 points with 5 rebounds. Additionally, he also helped with 2 assists. The performance by the Razorbacks was quite average and they could not catch up with the pace of their opponents. 

While they were near to the Tigers in the first half trailing by a 37-30 tally, the second half was a heart-shattering experience for them. The Tigers started a rampage defeating the home team by a 46-21 stat, something no one had expected. As a viewer, one could sense the Arkansas’s losing hope when the initial lead in the second half started affecting their body language.

It somewhat foreshadowed what was to follow next. There came a point where their guard Davonte Davis got a technical foul and he went to sit behind the bench. Their head coach Eric Musselman is known for his hard coaching tactics and it takes time to bond with him. Musselman’s chemistry with his team does not look to be perfect at this point in time, and this failure to have a rapport with his players might have been the reason behind their humiliating loss.

Read More: With Kansas Stumbling Out, Can Purdue Maintain Number 1 NCAA Status?

However, things are not as grave as they may seem. A lot of credit also goes to the Auburn for performing together as a unit. An analysis of their game will reveal the points that helped them overpower their opponents.

Was it all about Arkansas’s weakness?

The Arkansas last season also had an average record but came back during the Second Round of the NCAA tournament to defeat the Kansas by a 72-71 margin. They were ranked at the eighth spot whereas the Kansas occupied the top position in the rankings. Thus, the Razorbacks have done it previously and can also repeat their heroics once again. All they need is to have belief in their abilities.

Though, the loss isn’t entirely due to shortcomings on the Arkansas’s part. The credit also goes to the Auburn for performing exceptionally well. The Tigers had previously lost against the Appalachian State which had raised a lot of questions against them. They had been defeated by  a 69-64 margin which led to a lot of critics speculating whether the Tigers were a good enough team. With this win, they would have shut their haters.

The Auburn specially look good with their guards Johni Broome and Aden Holloway. While Broome stands atop the Tigers’ points tally with 15.6 points per match, Holloway has helped with 3.6 assists per game. Holloway leads the assists table for the Tigers. Broome has nabbed the team’s highest 8.6 rebounds per game with 2 blocks per contest. These stats are a testament to their hard work and have helped the Auburn perform effectively. 

Even in the recent match against the Tigers, Broome contributed effectively potting 14 points per game with 8 rebounds in the match.  Credit also goes to their guard Chad Baker for dropping the game’s highest 16 points. Thus it was a collective team effort by the Tigers that helped them stay ahead by leaps and bounds in the match.

Can the Arkansas make a comeback in time?

The problem with the Razorbacks has been a lack of resilience the way it happened tonight. Musselman will have to make sure that he develops chemistry with his team and bonds enough to understand them inside out. This will help them ward off such moments when they are left in the middle of things without having the confidence to execute their plans.

Menifield had made a couple of three-pointers that looked to get them back in the game but then they faltered. The body language from then on went in the negative space. He had a 4-for-9 three-pointer tally and a 5-for-15 field goals. The missed shots were what went to the Razorbacks’ heads and couldn’t recover from then on. The problem with the team as stated earlier has not been in their skills but how they have gelled in together as a team or probably the lack of it. 

They had stopped getting back on their defense and easily gave up. Broome got exactly everything he could have wished for. The defeat was a salty one for the Arkansas considering it was their home court and they should have made efforts to uplift their team. They didn’t lack any sort of motivation from the fans since they have one of the best environments.

If the Arkansas can sort out their issues and gel in together, they can sure make a comeback in time and be a formidable team.

Watch This Story: Sending Shockwaves in The Basketball World, Know 18YO MiLaysia Fulwiley’s Story