As much hand-wringing and clutching of pearls that has taken place over the Arkansas men’s basketball team this season, Eric Musselman’s team still stands in a solid position to make the NCAA Tournament.
The Arkansas women are a different story.
A 4-1 start in SEC play turned sour as the Razorbacks went 3-8 the rest of the way and they finished eighth in conference play. That slotting earned them a first-round date with Missouri, the 9-seed, in the first round of the SEC Tournament, which begins with the Hogs and Tigers on Thursday at 11 a.m.
Arkansas had no trouble with Mizzou during the regular season, winning 77-55. That victory came way back on January 8, however, during the Razorbacks’ hot start to kick off league play.
Whether beating the Tigers again would be enough to earn a berth in the Big Dance is the main question. As of Tuesday, ESPN women’s bracketlogist Charlie Creme had Arkansas on his “First Four Out” line, suggesting a win keeps the conversation open, but a loss from the teams ahead may be required, too.
Fairly or not, it’s probably the only chance the Hogs will get. If they were to beat Missouri on Thursday, a game against the defending national champions and the nation’s No. 1 team, South Carolina, awaits on Friday.
The game against Missouri can be seen on SEC Network at 11 a.m. CT from Greenville, South Carolina.
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