Ain’t no sunshine Hogs have not won at Florida since 1995
FAYETTEVILLE — The Arkansas Razorbacks basketball team has a chance for a program SEC first tonight, but it will take doing something it hasn’t accomplished in 22 seasons.
The Razorbacks ( 22- 7, 11- 5) improved to 6- 2 in SEC road games after winning 79- 68 at Auburn on Saturday. Six SEC road victories are tied for the most for the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville since joining the conference for the 1991- 92 season.
The Razorbacks went 6- 2
in SEC road games in 1994 — when they won the national championship and there were 16 conference games — and 6- 3 in 2015.
For Arkansas to win its final SEC road game to finish 7- 2, the Razorbacks have to
win at No. 12 Florida ( 23- 6, 133) for the first time since Feb. 28, 1995 — a span of 8,037 days.
Tipoff for the ArkansasFlorida game is 6 tonight on ESPN2.
Arkansas has lost 11 consecutive games against the Gators at the O’Connell Center, which underwent a renovation for this season.
Mike Anderson is 0- 3 at Florida as Arkansas’ head coach — including losing there 57- 56 in 2015 and 87- 83 last season — after experiencing victories at the O’Connell Center in 1993 and 1995 as an assistant for Nolan Richardson.
“It’s a challenge,” Anderson said of trying to win at Florida. “But it’s an opportunity for us to go and get better.”
Florida is the only SEC venue where Anderson hasn’t won in his six seasons as the Razorbacks coach. Earlier this season, he won at Texas A& M and LSU for the first time.
The Gators are 8- 1 at home this season with their only loss to Vanderbilt 68- 66 on Jan. 21.
“They’ve done well at home, so obviously we’re going to have to play at a high level,” Anderson said. “We’ve got to play a complete game in order to give ourselves a chance.”
Anderson said he expects a particularly raucous crowd tonight with Florida honoring its four seniors, including starting forward Justin Leon from Conway.
“There will be a lot of emotion,” Anderson said. “They’ll be fired up to play.”
The Gators won nine consecutive games under secondyear Coach Mike White — including 88- 66 at home over Kentucky — before the Wildcats avenged that loss with a 76- 66 victory at Rupp Arena on Saturday.
“Mike has them playing at a real high level,” Anderson said. “So it’s not going to be a very welcoming atmosphere, but it’s something our guys look forward to.”
Florida opened SEC play with an 81- 72 victory over Arkansas in Walton Arena on Dec. 29 behind 21 points from KeVaughn Allen, the Gators’ sophomore guard who played at North Little Rock.
“This is a different Arkansas team,” White said. “This Arkansas team has won five in a row, and they’ve won road contests at some really tough places.
“You’ve got to be a good team to do that. I think some of it is they had three junior college transfers that are all, in my opinion, markedly better than they were whenever we played them — it seems like five years ago — in late December.”
In addition to road victories against Texas A& M, LSU and Auburn, the Razorbacks have won at Tennessee, Vanderbilt and South Carolina. Their two conference road losses were at Kentucky and Missouri.
Anderson said the Razorbacks have been resilient on the road after starting 0- 2 in SEC home games. They’re now 5- 3 at home.
“We lost a few games here, and we had to make up for it,” Anderson said. “So the only place you’re going to make up for it is on the road.
“That’s a credit to our kids. Their focus and preparation going into those games. They’re playing for each other.”
Anderson credited the road victories to leadership from seniors Dusty Hannahs, Moses Kingsley, Manny Watkins and junior Anton Beard; improved play from junior college transfers Jaylen Barford, Daryl Macon and Arlando Cook; and the emergence of Dustin Thomas — a transfer from Colorado — and Trey Thompson.
“We’ve got a lot more balance now, and so moving forward we want to continue playing some of our better basketball,” Anderson said. “I still don’t think we’ve played our best basketball, but I think we’re surely trending in that direction.”