Hogs’ Menifield won’t surprise Tigers

“Half of our team knows half of the Auburn team. That alone takes on new meaning. So now there’s some personal stuff that goes into going against a certain player or going against a certain program.” Arkansas men’s basketball Coach Eric Musselman

FAYETTEVILLE — Declared eligible by the NCAA on Dec. 15, Arkansas point guard Keyon Menifield surprised the Razorbacks’ remaining three December opponents.

The sophomore transfer via the University of Washington surprisingly excelled in victories over Lipscomb 69-66 in North Little Rock, and over Abilene Christian 83-73 and North Carolina-Wilmington 106-90 at Walton Arena.

In today’s 1 p.m. SEC opener on ESPN2 at Walton Arena, Menifield might excel again against the Auburn Tigers.

Menifield won’t surprise them, regardless of his results. Even with Tuesday’s 88-68 nonconference victory over Penn on the early week agenda, Coach Bruce Pearl and his Auburn staff likely spent the week in FBI mode compiling information on Menifield and the 9-4 Razorbacks.

Ditto for Coach Eric Musselman and his Razorbacks staff compiling information on Pearl’s No. 25-ranked, 11-2 Tigers.

The Hogs played a ferocious nonconference schedule yet haven’t faced what besets today, Musselman said.

Starting with the exhibition victory over current AP No. 1 Purdue, Arkansas among others beat No. 7 Duke and Stanford, and lost to current No. 8 North Carolina, current No. 15 Memphis and current No. 11 Oklahoma. Among alleged no-name but very good teams, Arkansas lost to North Carolina-Greensboro and beat the UNC-Wilmington team that beat Kentucky at Rupp Arena in Lexington.

Then-No. 20 Baylor and always tough at home Appalachian State account for Auburn’s two losses in a nonconference slate including defeating Notre Dame, Indiana, St. Bonaventure, Virginia Tech and Southern California.

“Auburn’s played a difficult schedule,” Musselman said. “We feel like we experienced a lot of different things through nonconference, but when you get to the SEC it doesn’t matter if it’s this year or 4 years ago. You’re talking about great length, great athleticism, great rebounding teams and for the most part in our league you’re talking about a really good pace of play.”

And players, even with all the transfer portal shuttling, are so familiar with each through summer AAU ball or in college competing, like Arkansas senior 3-year letterman guard Davonte “Devo” Davis, and 4-year letterman Auburn graduate forward Jaylin Williams.

“Half of our team knows half of the Auburn team,” Musselman said. “That alone takes on new meaning. So now there’s some personal stuff that goes into going against a certain player or going against a certain program. There’s a lot of added things that start taking on a life of its own in conference play. So yeah, it’s a lot different in the league.”

Arkansas starts SEC play differently than Musselman’s past teams.

It’s a deeper team but also not as per usual defensively proficient against the dribble drive and threepoint shot.

Auburn sports similar depth, potentially neutralizing Arkansas’ depth, and offensive capability to hit the Hogs where it hurts.

“They’re a threat on the perimeter, and they’re a threat on the dribble drive and they are a threat at the rim,” Musselman said. “That’s what you’re going to face when you face Auburn.”