The Arkansas basketball team was scheduled to play at Ole Miss on Wednesday night.
They played, all right. Got played.
Ole Miss had zero trouble with the Razorbacks, sending Arkansas to its fifth loss in six SEC games, 77-51. The 1-6 start is the team’s worst since 2008-09 when the Hogs started league play 1-12. That was then-coach John Pelphrey’s second season of four.
Current head coach Eric Musselman is in his fifth season. The previous three, he took the Razorbacks to the Sweet 16. The first two of those NCAA Tournament appearances resulted in trips to the Elite Eight.
Arkansas looks more like the former team than the latter right now and it isn’t close.
Ole Miss led from the opening tip Wednesday, marking the second straight game the Razorbacks haven’t even had a lead. Arkansas’ offense was anemic, shooting just 33% from the floor as the Rebels also took advantage 10 first-half Arkansas turnovers, leading to 17 Ole Miss points and a 12-point halftime lead.
It didn’t matter who Musselman turned to offensively. Without Tramon Mark, the team’s leading scorer who didn’t play because of a migraine, little production came. Every healthy scholarship player on the roster played at least six minutes. Khalif Battle ultimately led with 11 points.
Four Ole Miss players scored 10 more points, led by Jaylen Murray’s 21.
Arkansas’ margin of defeat was the worst the Hogs have had against Ole Miss in more than 50 years and the second worst ever.
Next up for the Razorbacks is old rival Kentucky. College GameDay will be on-campus Saturday morning for that evening’s tip at Bud Walton Arena.