Tag: JD Notae

Huge run helps Arkansas blow past Gardner-Webb

A massive run to end the first half lifted Arkansas past Gardner-Webb on Saturday, 86-69.

That was more like it.

No. 16 Arkansas handled a non-power conference team visiting Bud Walton Arena the way they’re used to on Saturday afternoon, beating Gardner-Webb, 86-69.

A 27-5 run over the last seven minutes of the first half turned a six-point deficit into a 16-point lead at the break. Most of the run came from the play of Connor Vanover, JD Notae and Devo Davis.

Vanover had his best career game as an Arkansas player, scoring 19 points and grabbing seven rebounds in 17 minutes. Notae followed his game-high 30 points in the season opener against Mercer with 18 against the Runnin’ Bulldogs. Davis, who played point guard the whole game after shifting among three spots against Mercer, bounced back from a five-turnover game in the opener, to finish with 10 points, six assists and three rebounds.

All three are holdovers from last year’s Arkansas team that has only four players in its 11-man rotation back from last year. Everyone else is a transfer into the program in their first year with the Razorbacks. Of that bunch, Stanley Umude led with nine points.

Gardner-Webb simply couldn’t handle Arkansas’ length. Vanover, at 7-foot-3, was an intimidating presence inside. But even Arkansas’ perimeter players’ long arms hassled the visitors. The Hogs forced 15 Runnin’ Bulldogs turnovers and scored 15 points off them.

Arkansas is off until Wednesday at Bud Walton Arena when the Razorbacks host Northern Iowa.

Arkansas hoops ready for Gardner-Webb in second game of season

Gardner-Webb put a scare into UNLV in its opener. Arkansas survived one in its, too.

With first-game nerves out of the way, the Arkansas men’s basketball team can now aim forward through the rest of its nonconference slate.

Next up: Gardner-Webb.

Arkansas had to rally in the second half to beat Mercer in both teams’ season opener on Tuesday night at Bud Walton Arena, 74-61. The Razorbacks, the No. 15 team in the nation in the coaches poll, will host Gardner-Webb on Saturday afternoon in Fayetteville.

The Runnin’ Bulldogs, from Boiling Springs, North Carolina, were picked to finish third in the Big South’s South Division in the preseason. They lost their opener to Nevada-Las Vegas on Wednesday, 64-58. UNLV needed run in the final minutes to escape.

Gardner-Webb is led by guards D’Maurian Williams and Lance Terry, two of the three players who averaged in double figures for the team last year. Williams was the game’s leading scorer against UNLV, dropping 21 points.

Arkansas was led in its opener by JD Notae. He scored 30 points, the most he has in a Razorbacks uniform since joining the team as a transfer from Jacksonville last year. Pittsburgh transfer Au’Diese Toney and Miami (FL) Chris Lykes joined him in double figures with 18 points and 16 points, as well.

Tipoff from Bud Walton Arena is at 2 p.m. on Saturday and will air on SEC Network+. The tip time gives Hogs fans plenty of time to get back home in time to watch the football team play LSU (6:30 p.m. kickoff).

Arkansas comes from behind to dispatch Mercer in season opener

Arkansas guard JD Notae scored 30 points and the No. 15 Razorbacks rallied to beat Mercer, 74-61.

It wasn’t pretty, but it was a victory.

No. 15 Arkansas rallied from an eight-point halftime deficit in Tuesday’s season-opener and beat Mercer,74-61, in Bud Walton Arena.

Preseason All-SEC guard JD Notae led all scorers with 30 points. He shot 11 of 26 from the field and 5 of 14 from 3-point range. Pittsburgh transfer Au’Diese Toney added a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds and Miami (FL) transfer Chris Lykes chipped in 16 points, all but two of which came in the second half.

Arkansas started the final 20 minutes on a 14-2 run and used 13 Mercer turnovers in the half to score XX points.

James Glisson III and Kamar Robertson led the Bears with 12 points and Mercer made 13 of 31 from downtown to keep things interesting.

Arkansas hosts Gardner-Webb on Saturday at 2 p.m. in its next game.

Arkansas squeezes past North Texas

The Razorbacks played an exhibition against a Conference USA opponent, with portions of the proceeds going to COVID relief.

Arkansas needed a opponent the caliber of North Texas before opening regular season play.

On Saturday at Bud Walton Arena, the Razorbacks were able to dispatch the Mean Green, 68-60.

JD Notae led all scorers with 21 points, while Chris Lykes had 14 and Stanley Umude contributed 12.

Arkansas was without Jaylin Williams in the contest, which probably led to UNT outrebounding the Hogs 42-28.

Defensively was where Arkansas showed it had made the most improvement, limiting the Mean Green to just 4 of 26 shooting from the perimeter.

Davonte ‘Devo’ Davis got in early foul trouble and only scored 7 points, playing with four fouls the majority of the second half.

Now Eric Musselman gets more than a week to prepare for the season opener against Mercer on November 9.

 

The 5-foot-7 Chris Lykes is adjusting to Hogs basketball

Chris Lykes may have started in the doghouse a bit, but he’s come in for Arkansas basketball in the last month.

Chris Lykes is an easy man to spot on the Arkansas basketball court. Look for the smallest guy out there.

The 5-foot-7 graduate transfer from Miami (FL) was a star with the Hurricanes and was considered one of the best players in the transfer portal. Arkansas considered it a coup when it landed him as he’s shown his size isn’t a hindrance, but a bonus.

Still, Razorbacks coach Eric Musselman had said Lykes’ transition from Miami to Arkansas had been rocky. He averaged 15 points a game or more in each of his last three seasons in south Florida. But there he was practically required to be a primary scorer.

That isn’t the case at Arkansas.

“The attention to detail is really new for Chris,” Musselman said a month ago. “I think he’s at his best when he’s just kind of balling or just playing. We’re going to need him to know the plays at the off guard and the point guard position. He’s not there right now understanding the third and fourth option at both those positions.”

Arkansas has a pair of top guards. JD Notae is a similarly styled player and has already spent a couple years in the system. He’s also a preseason All-SEC first-teamer. Devo Davis runs the point and was named preseason All-SEC second-team earlier this week. As it stands, Lykes is the third guard and likely the first off the bench for either one of those players.

Musselman’s marks were a month ago. Since, the Hogs have played both their public intra-squad scrimmage and their first exhibition game. Lykes had 14 on 6 of 10 shooting in the former and 13 points with two assists and two steals in the latter.

Davis has been impressed with how far his elder teammate has come in a month.

“He’s adapting really well, I can tell you that,” Davis said. “From when he first stepped on campus to now, his motor has changed, his demeanor of the game has changed. You could really tell if you were at practice. You can tell in a game, as well.”

Hogs pick up two – Notae and Davis – on All-SEC coaches team

Two returners from last year’s Elite Eight team made the coaches preseason All-SEC team for Arkansas basketball.

Arkansas had two selections on the preseason All-SEC coaches teams that were released Tuesday.

Guards JD Notae and Devo Davis were both named by the league’s coaches as all-conference. Notae was on the first team. Davis was on the second team.

Notae was the team’s sixth man last year, but was still on third on the team in scoring 12.8 points per game. He also led the team defensively on the perimeter, averaging 1.3 steals a game.

Davis started 17 of the team’s 30 games last year and was a staple in the lineup as the season went on, earning more and more minutes. He’s the team’s best playmaker and an aggressive rebounder. Davis averaged 8.5 points and 4.5 rebounds as the point guard last year.

Notae is largely expected to shift into a starting role with Arkansas this season. The Razorbacks return four of their nine regulars from last year, but lose three of their last four scorers. An influx of transfers, including guards Chris Lykes from Miami (FL) and Stanley Umude from South Dakota.

Arkansas opened its exhibition season on Sunday against Division II East Central, winning 77-74, and plays its second exhibition Saturday against North Texas. The Razorbacks open the regular season November 9 against Mercer in Bud Walton Arena.