Sitting a dandy 3-0 to start the year, the Arkansas basketball team has met all lofty expectations hoist upon them so far in 2022-23.
Their week in Hawaii, however, will be the real test.
Arkansas opens its Maui Invitational on Monday afternoon against a team in the exact opposite boat. Louisville is 0-3 with its fans proclaiming the Kenny Payne era a disaster. Payne is in his first year as a head coach anywhere after serving as an assistant at Kentucky for 11 years and in the NBA for another three.
Eric Musselman had a similar path before beginning at Nevada then jumping to Arkansas. He warned the assembled media after the Hogs’ win over South Dakota State on Wednesday that Louisville’s record wasn’t indicative of how good a team the Cardinals are.
All three Louisville losses have come by one point. They’ve fallen to Bellarmine, Wright State and Appalachian State.
Arkansas, at No. 9 in the country, probably doesn’t want to drop its first game in Hawaii, especially to a team 0-3.
One of them has to lose, though. And here’s how to watch it.