Arkansas set to open SEC Tournament against Auburn
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Everyone is familiar with March Madness.
But what about March Manliness?
Let University of Arkansas senior forward Kamani Johnson explain.
“It's when the men come to play basketball,” Johnson said last week when asked about the Razorbacks' recent postseason success in March. “That's what it's about.
“I think you get battle-tested in March. That's why upsets happen.
“Nobody cares about what you did all year. You roll the basketball out there and you see who's the best team.
“I think that's why we've had success in March, because we ended up figuring out a way to win.”
The Razorbacks reached the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight the previous two seasons, the first time Arkansas has done that since winning the 1994 national championship and returning to the title game in 1995 before losing to UCLA.
“I know we have one of the best staffs in the nation, if not the best staff in the nation for things like March,” Johnson said of fourth-year Arkansas Coach Eric Musselman and his assistants. “We've been having success.
“March is neutral sites and a big stage. With the guys on our team individually, I know how they are and I think we'll play our best basketball in March.”
The Razorbacks (1912) didn't start March well last Saturday when Kentucky came into Walton Arena and left with an 88-79 victory to avenge an 88-73 loss to Arkansas in Rupp Arena earlier this season.
But, as Johnson said, a successful postseason — starting with Arkansas' SEC Tournament opener against Auburn (20-11) at 6 tonight in Bridgestone Arena — can go a long way toward erasing a frustrating regular sea
son.
The Razorbacks lost five games by three points when they missed a three-point attempt at the buzzer.
They lost freakishly athletic sophomore forward Trevon Brazile to a season-ending knee injury in the ninth game. And they lost freshman guard Nick Smith — a preseason first team All-SEC pick — for 19 games as he dealt with right knee management.
But Smith is healthy now and back in the lineup and Arkansas is starting a new season at the SEC Tournament.
“We need the team to feel confident,” Musselman said. “We need the team to believe that we can win, and I think this team has that.
“I'm hopeful and think this team is excited to go play. But we have an opponent that's going to be excited too.
“That's what makes these games so competitive. I'm sure everybody on Auburn is excited as well, and that's the mentality everybody should have.”
Like Arkansas, the Tigers will be in the NCAA Tournament's 68-team field according to people who do bracket projections such as ESPN's Joe Lunardi and Jerry Palm of CBS.
That doesn't mean the Razorbacks and Tigers couldn't use a victory to further boost their NCAA Tournament resumes.
Arkansas lost its last three regular-season games — all to nationally-ranked teams in SEC champion Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky — and Auburn closed 4-8 including six losses to nationally-ranked teams Alabama (twice), Texas A&M (twice), at Tennessee and at Kentucky.
But the Tigers beat the Vols 79-70 last Saturday at home in a statement victory after losing in overtime at Alabama earlier in the week.
Alabama is No. 2 in the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings behind Houston and Tennessee is No. 3.
“One team wins the league — one team. That's Alabama,” Auburn Coach Bruce Pearl said. “The other 13 didn't.
“It's all about tournament play. It's all about the postseason. That's where we're at right now.”
Arkansas is No. 18 in the NET rankings thanks in large part to the Razorbacks' strength of schedule.
“And now the reward for such a job well done is we get to play the 18th-best team in the country according to the NET,” Pearl said of the Tigers beating Tennessee and drawing the Razorbacks. “Arkansas is seeded 10th in the SEC Tournament, but based on the NET they're the 18th seed in the NCAA Tournament.
“You go figure that one. What a great reward.”
The Tigers, No. 32 in the NET rankings, beat the Razorbacks 72-59 at home this season with many of the same players who experienced No. 1 Auburn's 80-76 overtime loss at Arkansas last season.
“We don't like Arkansas, so it's a lot of intensity between us,” said junior guard Wendell Green, who led the Tigers with 19 points when they beat the Razorbacks on Jan. 7. “Going into it we know that. We've just got to come ready.
“We beat them this year, played them one time, so we know they're trying to get that get-back on us. It's going to be a lot going into that game. We just want to try to find a way to win.”
Freshman guard Anthony Black led the Razorbacks at Auburn with 23 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists.
“We've just got to stick together as one and prioritize winning above all else like we have at times this year,” Black said last week.
“If we just do that and play with a lot of toughness, I think we'll be a pretty hard team to beat.”
Smith, who missed Arkansas' game at Auburn, has averaged 21.8 points in the previous four games.
“Arkansas is really talented, really deep, really athletic,” Pearl said. “We played great here at home. They weren't at full strength because they didn't have Nick Smith.”
Smith, like Black, is projected to be an NBA Draft lottery pick. Arkansas junior guard Ricky Council, averaging team-high 16.5 points, also is included in most NBA mock drafts.
“Smith's a great offensive player, so it's just another dynamic player that we have to stop, another shooter on the court,” Green said. “He's going to get up a lot of shots, but we've just got to try to slow him down. That's the main thing.”
Auburn 6-10 sophomore Johni Broome, a transfer from Morehead (Ky.) State, was voted a second-team All-SEC player by the coaches, as were Green, Black and Council.
“We're in March now,” Broome said. “March is the best time of college basketball. We all know about March Madness.”
As Kamani Johnson might say, may the best men win.