ESPN spits on the concept of pigs as a trend with South Carolina won status

An inspiring victory against a rival of the bitter conference, which has completed a big week for the Arkansas Basketball team. After a resume victory against Missouri on Saturday, the Razorbacks achieved a brave home win against Texas with only seven healthy players, since Adou Thiero was out of the way with an above-average knee.

Arkansas firmly has the couple of victories in the driver's seat of his own NCAA tournament fate – although nothing is easy, especially without their two leading goal scorers in Thiero and Boogie Fland.

The other seven boys on the square showed a large amount of resistance, even when Texas stormed the extension on the extension after the middle of the second half. The Texas newcomer Phenom Tre Johnson played a major role in this comeback when he illuminated the pigs for 39 points – a record from Texas Freshman.

The ability to give up a two-digit lead late in the game, while at the same time it can gather a short-fast rotation to achieve a win in the extension, really shows how this Razorback team has shot a corner in the past five weeks.

The pigs are now one or two victories that are finally in a place in the tournament, and they have three other winnable games on the schedule. Up is only a readup with the worst team in the conference, South Carolina.

The Gamecocks have only one second win 84-69 against Texas last week throughout the season. They pursued this performance by giving up 101 points to the same Missouri team that Arkansas defeated last weekend.

South Carolina currently occupies number 91 in the net ranking list of only two SEC teams outside of the top 50 and No. 80 on Kenpom, including a conference, the 115th adapted offensive efficiency rating.

The competition between the pigs and the Gamecocks is scheduled to hand in at the Sec Network on Saturday at 12 p.m.

What you can expect from South Carolina Basketball

In the season, South Carolina occupies number 279 in a team in the team, including only 65.0 points against conference opponents. The Gamecocks shoot 28% compared to the SEC teams, but this brand rises to over 30% at home.

Sophomore Collin Murray-Boyles (6-foot-7) plays the team in the hit and rebound and achieves an average of 16.1 points and 8.5 rebound inlays. Arkansas has learned to remain competitive when it comes to losing the rebound battle, but it has been exceeded on the offensive glass in the last nine games.

Murray boys is the only player in the SEC with an average of at least 1.5 blocks and 1.0 steals. Even if the trio of Razorbach-Bigs can contain it aggressively, it will probably make her life more difficult at the other end of the court. As you can see in the clip below, it is also a strong passerby:

Collin Murray Boyles achieved/existing volume against Missouri 🎥

The vision, explosiveness and strength make him such a unique player at his build pic.twitter.com/gs0ojkqxti

– Stan (@notsann) February 27, 2025

Jamarii Thomas is the only other GameCock that is achieved on average in two digits with 13.5 points and 3.2 templates. The 6-foot 0-Senior is one of two major threats from the scope that Arkansas cannot afford to lose track and shoot 35% compared to 4.4 attempts per game.

Nick Pringle (6-foot-9) moved to South Carolina with Alabama after two seasons this season. The senior striker is on average career height in points (9.1), rebounds (6.1) and assists (1.1), while shooting 59% out of the field. This will be an interesting matchup with which Thiero will probably miss at least one more game due to his knee injury.

In his career with The Tide, Pringle has exposed three times with a 10-point double double double, most recently a loss of overtime of 92-88 for Arkansas last March.

A few top classes fill the five best goal scorers for the Gamecocks Aus-Junior Zachary Davis (6-foot 8) and Senior Jacobi Wright (6-foot-2).

Davis contributes 8.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game – including 1.0 offensive rebounds – and shoots almost 32% from a distance. Wright an average of 8.1 points and 2.1 rebounds, but it shoots less than 30% from a distance.

Other remarkable players in South Carolina's rotation:

• Morris Ugusuk (6-4, Sun) | 6.2 ppg, 1.4 RPG, 41% 3P
• Arden Conyers (6-7, SR) | 4.5 ppg, 1.2 RPG

What you can expect from Arkansa's basketball

In her first competition without Adou Thiero or Boogie Fland, Arkansas achieved an inspired team performance to achieve a big win in his home place. Each of the seven available players played an important role in victory, but it was the trio of great men who strengthened their game the most.

Zvonimir Ivisic led the team with 18 points – although this has become largely normal for the pigs in the past few weeks. Apart from his anomal stinker against Auburn, Big Z has an average of 20.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.8 blocks, 1.4 steals and 1.0 assists in five of his last six games, while shooting 62% from the field and 54% from the large reach.

However, it was the other two great men who really came up with the plate in the absence of Thiero. Trevon Brazile earned himself next to Big Z and in the first few minutes threw a few triple-in-one in the first few minutes and 8 rebounds in a team high-13-plus-13 in Box Plus/Minus.

“His first two three he made, he shot her with confidence,” said Arkansa's assistant Kenny Payne after the game. “He didn't hesitate. He didn't think about it. He instinctively shot and they went in and it gave him energy. “

Jonas Aidoo also had his best trip in over a month. Most of his 23 minutes and 8 points have scored for 30 minutes and 12 points against the LSU in mid -January. He fought hard in the color and made a few timely post shots when Texas made his comeback late.

The most impressive was Aidoo – the 10 out of 22 (46%) from the free -wire line in the second game – in the strip and hit two massive free throws in extra time to seal the victory.

The production of these three players could easily be the differentiator in the next three matchups, since Arkansas will probably navigate without Adou Thiero at the end of the regular season.

Johnell Davis has often struggled with efficiency this season, but he has put together a good basketball section in his last nine games. In this range, he achieves an average of 15.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 2.1 assists – although he only shoots 38% of the field and 32% from the large range.

Nevertheless, his leadership and his ability to be disturbing on the defensive side of the ball was an unsung factor of how well the pigs have played recently. The defense was the team's business card in this route, and Davis was at the top of a top 5 defense last month.

What can be seen in Arkansas against South Carolina

Against two of their most hated teams in the conference, the pigs have successive victories and their next Matchup against the clear worst team in the conference. Not to mention the seven -member rotation gave everything they had to hold on to a tour in an overtime game.

The elements of a trap game are clearly present.

John Calipari played his team properly, and everyone on the Raziback bank understands that his goal of doing the NCAA tournament has not yet been achieved, but it is human nature to recognize that this game is different from the last ones that they have played at a talent level.

The pigs cannot afford to overlook the Gamecocks – especially in their home courtyard. So far, South Carolina has lost to Auburn, Florida, Texas A & M, Ole Miss and Mississippi State at their home court this season – including loss of loss against Bulldogs.

Their evaluation improves from 62.1 to 69.1 points between away and home games against SEC teams, including the increase in their percentages at all levels of the court. Her sales also fall from 15.3 on the street to 11.6 in home games.

If this is not enough to show you how dangerous South Carolina is as a 1-14 SEC team, you are just right as the basketball power index from ESPN.

Despite the razorbacks that have been playing well lately, and the GameCocks with only one conference victory, this projection of Metric Arkansas only gives a chance of 58.3%.

This means that South Carolina has a 41.7% chance of winning, which is the highest percentage and is a second game. (It has something better for the game of the next week in Georgia with 42.1%.)

This is a rather amazing statistics on the surface, since South Carolina can no longer help his NCAA touring chances with victories in the regular season and would theoretically have a little less motivation. But the solid game of the Gamecocks at home, although it only led to a win, probably has something to do with the projection of ESPN. The inconsistent game of the razibacks in the past few weeks (especially among large men in Jonas Aidoo and Trevon Brazile, to which Thiero's absence is even more,) is also a probable factor.

In short, this is not a team that Arkansas can afford for some reason – be it overall record, talent on paper or the emotional high of the youngest victories.

Game forecast

Arkansas is 23-17 against South Carolina, although it has lost each of the last two meetings. Nevertheless, the pigs are in the last five meetings between these two teams in Columbia, SC, 4: 1

So far, the pigs play their best basketball of the year, but even the best teams would have difficulty maintaining a consistent good game with only seven players. Perhaps the fatigue will not be able to get the head against South Carolina, but Arkansas only has so much to give with such a limited roster.

Regardless of this, the trainers and players understand what it is about. The job has not yet been done, and the Gamecocks are simply the next team that stands in the way of this group and achieves their goals.

Big Z will continue to achieve the team in the goal, although the team will continue their trend to extensive scores-partly due to the fact that every player has to play extended minutes. The bigs will reappear in this competition, as Arkansas takes another step forward to follow the NCAA tournament.

Arkansas wins, 77-72.

How to watch Arkansas against South Carolina

Date: Saturday, March 1st

Location: Colonial life Arena (Columbia, SC)

Tipoff Time/TV: Mittag CT (SEC network)

ESPN BPI: Arkansas has a chance of 58.3%, which is preferred by 2.1 points.

Kenpom: Arkansas has a chance of 57%, which is preferred with a score of 70-68.

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Further reporting on Arkansas basketball from Boas …