Musselman’s squad has work to do

FAYETTEVILLE — So far it seems this Arkansas Razorbacks men’s basketball season peaked in the preseason.

In the exhibition game Oct. 28 before a packed Walton Arena, Arkansas giddily celebrated statewide as its Razorbacks defeated now nationally No. 1 Purdue in overtime.

Razorbacks fans started counting the days before Arkansas hosts the basketball blue blood Duke Blue Devils in Wednesday’s 8:15 p.m. ESPN televised game at Walton.

However neither they nor Arkansas Coach Eric Musselman counted on the Hogs being only 4-3 in the games that count leading into Wednesday’s SEC/ACC Challenge against Coach Jon Scheyer’s 5-1 No. 7 Blue Devils.

Scheyer, 27-9 last campaign, is into his second season replacing his former coach and boss, retired Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski.

The Razorbacks, under Hall of Fame Coach Nolan Richardson, beat Krzyzewski’s Blue Devils for the 1994 national championship, a game that still resonates 29 years later, prompting Arkansas fans to fill Walton Arena on Wednesday.

After the exhibition epic over Purdue, Arkansas opened this actual season against four mid-majors at Walton Arena.

Nationally ranked 14th at the season’s start to now fallen from the AP’s Top 25, Arkansas won its first three.

The second and third vs. Old Dominion and Gardner-Webb exposed growing pains and flaws among Musselman’s large collection of transfers and Layden Blocker, the freshman who fared well in the Bahamas.

With returning standout forward Trevon Brazile’s season-ending injury last December, only senior guard Devo Davis and senior center Makhi Mitchell return as regular SEC starters from 2022-23.

In game four, North Carolina-Greensboro capitalized on Arkansas flaws, leading 35 minutes and winning a 78-72 stunner.

“We’re not defending the three, and we’re not guarding the dribble drive,” Musselman said after losing to UNCG, a team Arkansas respected after trailing at halftime before prevailing last season but doubtlessly believed would beat again at Walton. “We’ve basically had the same defensive concepts for eight years and might have to look at changing some things based on our lack of ability to keep the ball in front of us and also contest the three.”

Off the UNCG loss, Arkansas faced a Battle 4 Atlantis gauntlet in the Bahamas versus Stanford, eventual Atlantis runner-up Memphis and perpetual power North Carolina last Wednesday through Friday.

Arkansas won a 77-74 double overtime thriller over Stanford but fell 84-79 to Memphis. The Hogs committed 18 turnovers, were outscored 27-10 on miscues plus spotted Memphis five points on three players’ technical fouls.

Finally, upon leading North Carolina by three at half, Arkansas suffered a second-half blowout. The Hogs lost 87-72.

In the Bahamas the Hogs never grasped a defensive handle on the opposition’s star player, a Musselman staple leading Arkansas to three successive Sweet 16s and two Elite Eights.

Memphis’ David Jones scored 36 after Stanford’s Spencer Jones scored 27. North Carolina’s RJ Davis scored 30.

Musselman departed the Bahamas admitting “a lot of concerns” before his team’s duel with Duke.

“Maybe too many to go through right now,” Musselman said.