The last time Auburn made an appearance in Bud Walton Arena, the Tigers were the No. 1 team in the country and had to leave the court through a court-storming of Razorback fans, following a 80-76 loss to the Hogs in 2022.
Auburn returns to the hallowed arena Saturday at 1 p.m., ranked No. 25, and facing an unranked, yet rejuvenated Arkansas team, in the SEC conference-opener.
The Razorbacks (9-4) have been on a roller-coaster ride throughout the non-conference portion of the season, including a win over No. 7 Duke and a home loss to mid-major UNC Greensboro.
Auburn (11-2) has been steady through the early season, but has lost to the only ranked team it has faced – an 88-82 loss to No. 20 Baylor on Nov. 7 – while also dropping a road game to mid-major Appalachian State last month.
Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman has emphasized the importance of getting the conference slate started in the right direction, for both teams.
“Well, I think, every game, whether you’re home or road, is really important to both teams,” Musselman said. “It’s the start of conference play. It’s one game. But it’s against a team that has won a lot of games since Coach (Bruce) Pearl has been there. They’re going to be ready to play and we hope that our guys are ready to play. You’re playing against a team that is ranked. I think, any time you play against a team that’s ranked, you should be ready to play.”
Since a 79-70 loss to Oklahoma on Dec. 9, the Razorbacks have won three straight games with newly inserted point-guard Keyon Menifield Jr. playing a major roll in their recent success.
Menifield transferred from Washington before the season, but was ruled ineligible to play by the NCAA for the first semester. The 6-foot-1 speedster lit up the scoreboard for a career-high 32 points in a 106-90 victory over UNC Wilmington last Saturday.
“I think he’s just an innate baller,” Musselman said this week. “You could probably throw him on any team tomorrow and he would figure it out. He’s got unbelievable court awareness. We need him to practice a little bit harder and we need him to improve in some areas. But his teammates really like him – they like playing with him – and you can see that.”
This will be the 60th meeting all-time between the two programs, with all but one of those games coming since the Razorbacks joined the conference in 1992. Arkansas own a 38-21 advantage in the series, including a 23-5 mark in games played in Fayetteville.
The Razorbacks have won 14 of the last 19 contests against the Tigers, including a split last season. Auburn won at home during the regular season, before Arkansas returned the favor in the SEC Tournament.
Fans are encouraged to participate in the “Stripe-Out” of Bud Walton Arena for the game. You can view the map to see what sections are marked for red and for white.
