Just when it looked like it may finally be turning the corner this season, the disappointing Arkansas basketball team squashed any momentum with an 85-82 loss to Vanderbilt in Bud Walton Arena on Tuesday night.
Now, the ravaged Razorbacks (14-14, 5-10 SEC), a 13.5-point underdog, must now try to get back in the win column playing inside one of college basketball’s toughest environments, Kentucky’s legendary Rupp Arena. The Hogs and No. 15 Wildcats will tip off at 12:30 p.m. on CBS.
Arkansas had won its previous two games, prior to Tuesday, taking out Texas A&M on the road and Missouri at home – completing the season-sweep against both teams. But Vandy (8-20, 3-12) hobbled into Fayetteville and defeated the Razorbacks for the third straight time.
This will be the second meeting of the season for the Cats and Hogs, after Kentucky (20-8, 10-5 SEC) won 63-57 in Fayetteville on Jan. 27. Arkansas led at halftime of that game, and even held the advantage with 13 minutes left in the game, but then allowed the Wildcats to score eight unanswered points down the stretch to seal their fate.
Arkansas and Kentucky have a celebrated history against each other, although the Wildcats do hold a 35-14 lead in the all-time series. This will be the 50th meeting between the two schools on the hardwood. Although Kentucky does hold a 15-5 edge in Rupp, the Razorbacks have won the past two meetings in that arena.
Senior Khalif Battle has been on fire the past two games for Arkansas, putting up a career-high 42 points in the win over Missouri, then 36 against Vanderbilt. The 78 points in back-to-back games rank second in program history, only behind Martin Terry’s 82 in back-to-back games in 1973. Terry scored 35 at TCU, then 47 at home against SMU.
If Battle can score 30 points on Saturday, he would join Mason Jones as the only Razorbacks to score 30-plus in three straight contests. In 2020, Jones put up 34 against South Carolina, then 30 at Alabama, followed by 40 at home against Auburn. He was named AP SEC Player of the Year following that season.
After Kentucky, the Hogs have two regular-season games remaining Those include its final home game against LSU on Mar. 6, then the finale at Alabama on Mar. 9.