Lessons continue for Hogs

FAYETTEVILLE — The University of Arkansas basketball team will play its one game in a 14-day span when the Razorbacks take on Austin Peay at 7 tonight in Walton Arena.

It will be Arkansas’ first game since a 73-70 victory over Texas State on Dec. 22. The Razorbacks don’t play again until their SEC opener at Texas A&M on Jan. 5.

“With this young team it gives us the opportunity to come in and get some work done,” said Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson, whose Razorbacks have nine newcomers. “We’ll have some two-adays, one-adays, maybe even threea-days.

“Whatever it takes to get this team to advance to playing at a certain level. This time here, we’ll use it wisely.”

The Razorbacks (8-3) were playing at a high level earlier in the season when they put together a six-game winning streak — including a 73-72 victory over Indiana — after opening with a 73-71 overtime loss to Texas.

But Arkansas is 2-2 and hasn’t scored more than 79 points since winning 98-74 at Colorado State on Dec. 9.

In addition to beating Texas State, in the last four games Arkansas has lost to Western Kentucky 78-77, beaten Texas-San Antonio 79-67 and lost to Georgia Tech 69-65.

“I think it’s opened up our guys’ eyes,” Anderson said. “I keep saying every team is good.

“One thing you can’t do, you can’t teach experience, and if you look at all of those teams, they’ve got experienced guys coming back. They can beat a lot of teams, and so you don’t want to be that team that they beat.

“I think those lessons have served us well.”

Freshman guard Isaiah Joe has started every game for the Razorbacks and is among six newcomers in their playing rotation.

“We know we can’t take anybody for granted,” Joe said. “You can lose any day, so we have to play with that mindset and with a chip on our shoulder.”

Anderson said the Razorbacks have played well defensively most of the season, but they’ve had too many turnovers in recent games and have struggled to rebound.

Arkansas is averaging 15.3 turnovers in its last three games and was outrebounded 42-34 by Georgia Tech and 43-31 by Texas State.

Georgia Tech and Texas State outscored Arkansas by a combined 36-5 on second-chance points thanks to 32 offensive rebounds.

“We’re not going to have one or two guys get all of the rebounds, so our guards are going to have to rebound,” Anderson said. “Our guards are really going to have to be involved.

“I think when our guards are involved, now we can really get the tempo up because they can get it and they can go with it. We have forwards that can really run and they’re athletic and can make plays.”

Having fewer turnovers and rebounding better are focal points in the extended practices the Razorbacks can have over a two-week span.

“Each and every day we’re learning,” Arkansas junior forward Adrio Bailey said. “So that gives us time to work on things we need to work on and get better for the next game.”

Austin Peay (8-4) began its six-game winning streak with a 74-70 overtime victory at Troy on Nov. 29. Troy won 87-81 at Western Kentucky in the Hilltoppers’ next game after they won at Arkansas.

“That may phase other people, but I don’t look at it like that,” Bailey said of comparing scores. “I feel like we just can’t let them outplay us. We just have to outwork them, outplay them and we have to want it more than them.”

Joe said he respects all teams.

“Anybody can be beaten in this game,” Joe said. “We just have to come out and play our brand of basketball and trust the system.”

Austin Peay starts three seniors, though the Governors’ leading scorer is 6-5 sophomore forward Terry Taylor, who is averaging 17.8 points and 8.3 rebounds.

“It’s a team that has experience,” Anderson said. “Some very, very talented players. They have balanced scoring, and they rebound the ball at a high clip.”

Anderson