Umude, Toney step up for Hogs
FAYETTEVILLE — The best thing the Arkansas Razorbacks had going for them against Vanderbilt on Tuesday night was a 6-6 senior transfer.
Stanley Umude or Au’Diese Toney — take your pick.
Umude and Toney were two bright spots for the University of Arkansas in the Razorbacks’ disappointing 75-74 loss to Vanderbilt at Bud Walton Arena.
Arkansas had won seven in a row over the Commodores (9-3, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) and 16 in a row in Walton Arena before losing to Vanderbilt for the first time since 2017. The Commodores also won at Fayetteville for just the fourth time in 20 games.
Umude, who transferred from South Dakota, scored a season-high 28 points and hit 11 of 20 shots, including 3 of 7 from 3-point range, and 3 of 4 free throws.
Toney, who transferred from Pittsburgh, scored a season-high 20 points and hit 6 of 7 shots, including 1 of 2 from behind the arc, and 7 of 9 free throws.
“I thought Stanley really, really stepped up,” Razorbacks coach Eric Musselman said. “I thought Au’Diese stepped up in the second half.”
Umude scored 18 points in the first half to lead Arkansas to a 40-35 lead. He hit 8 of 9 shots.
“His scoring in the first half — he kept the game close because he shot at such an incredibly high clip,” Musselman said.
Umude is averaging 11.4 points per game this season.
“That was probably the best game he has had so far,” Vanderbilt coach Jerry Stackhouse said of Umude’s play Tuesday night. “I have watched a number of games. He is very capable, but this was definitely his best game scoring the ball.”
Toney, who averaged 5.4 points the previous five games, against Vanderbilt returned to the form he showed earlier in the season, when he was voted MVP of the Hall of Fame Classic and had 13 points and nine rebounds against Kansas State and 19 and nine against Cincinnati.
After Umude’s big first half on Tuesday night, Toney had 16 points in the second half when he hit 5 of 5 shots.
The Razorbacks were plus10 points during Toney’s 36 minutes.
“I think it was just he got back to doing what it was that was making him successful in the beginning of the season,” Umude said of Toney’s game. “I think he was just playing hard and getting it where he can.”
Umude also led the Razorbacks in scoring with 19 points in their 81-68 loss at Mississippi State last week.
The 47 points in two games is more like what was expected of Umude, who scored 1,520 points in four years at South Dakota and averaged 21.6 points last season.
Umude scored 20 or more points in 26 games for the Coyotes and 30 or more five times with a career-high 39 against North Dakota State last season.
“I think Stan is confident,” Musselman said. “We need him to defensive rebound more at that power forward spot in the SEC.”
Umude had three rebounds each against Mississippi State and Vanderbilt. He had two defensive rebounds against the Bulldogs and one against the Commodores.
“You can’t play 33 minutes and have one defensive rebound, because we did get out-rebounded by seven,” Musselman said of Vanderbilt’s 35-28 edge on the boards. “So there’s a lot of things we have to keep getting better at for sure. One of them being Stanley rebounding at the defensive end.”
Umude said scoring aside, he needs to be better.
“I still don’t feel like I’ve been playing all that well,” he said. “I had four turnovers (against Vanderbilt), and defensively we couldn’t get the stops that we needed to get.
“I think my teammates have been doing a good job finding me, and I’ve just been knocking down shots that I haven’t been hitting.”
Umude’s improved scoring hasn’t resulted in victories for the Razorbacks (10-4, 0-2), who play at Texas A&M (12-2, 1-0) at noon on Saturday.
“I feel like I’m starting to find a little bit of a rhythm offensively,” Umude said. “But if we’re losing, then something’s got to change, obviously.”
Arkansas has lost its first two SEC games for the first time since the 2013-14 season.
“It hurts starting 0-2, but it’s a long conference season,” Umude said. “So we just have to keep working, and we have to go to practice and keep cleaning up some things.
“We’ve got to have each other’s backs. Just keep believing in each other, keep trusting each other, trust what we’re doing and trust why we’re here.
“We have to find a way to keep our spirits high and just keep working, and the wins will come.”