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arkansas razorbacks

Texas and Arkansas Advance to Sweet 16 from NCAA Tournament in Portland

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

Portland, OR – The second round of the NCAA Tournament in Portland featured match-ups between Gonzaga and Texas, followed by No. 12-seed High Point facing an athletic Arkansas Razorback team.

In the opener Cam Heide made his only field goal of the game, a three-pointer with 12 seconds remaining to give Texas a four-point lead and help clinch a 72-68 win over 3-seed Gonzaga. The Zags had closed the deficit to 69-68 on the previous possession on a Graham Ike dunk. The Longhorns are one of the few remaining double-digit seeds left in the tournament, having won three games including a First Four 68-66 win over North Carolina State.

Jordan Pope (17 points) connected on two big second half three-pointers for Texas. The first one gave them a 62-56 lead with 5:30 remaining. The second shot gave them a 69-64 lead with 2:36 remaining, Matas Vokietaitas was solid inside for Texas, finishing with 17 points on 7-of-11 from the field with nine rebounds. Vokietaitas made it difficult for Graham Ike inside. Ike led the Zags with 25 points but was an inefficient 10-of-22 from the field. He was bottled up on the boards, only getting three rebounds, committed three turnovers and was charged with four fouls trying to contain Vokietaitas.

Gonzaga hasn’t been the same team since Braden Huff was injured. Tonight, they didn’t shoot reliably, only converting on 4-of-16 from deep. They only turned the ball over seven times, but Texas took advantage of them with an 11-2 edge in points off turnovers. Texas only committed five turnovers.

Thefirst half was close throughout with Texas taking a 35-33 lead into the break on a Pope three-pointer with six seconds remaining. Pope led the Longhorns with nine points while Ike scored 11 points for Gonzaga. The stats were basically even and both teams took care of the ball throughout the half, with Gonzaga only committing four turnovers while Texas had only one turnover.

In a thrilling second game Arkansas outlasted a strong High Point Panthers squad 90-83 led by 36 points from Darius Acuff. 5’11 Point guard Rob Martin was impressive for the Panthers, scoring 30 points and continually getting past Razorback defenders.

The game was close throughout with Arkansas taking a 43-42 lead into halftime. High Point went on a 10-0 run early in the second half to take a 56-52 lead, with six of those points by Terry Anderson (15 points, 6 assists).  The Panthers took their last lead (72-71) on am Owen Aquino basket with 7:04 remaining. The game was tied at 83 when Acuff took over. He scored seven straight points, the first two baskets on drives to the hoop and then he calmly swished a 24-foot three-pointer from the wing. That gave the Razorbacks a 90-83 lead and enough space to hold off High Point at the end.

Acuff was exceptional. He needs to be in serious consideration as the first point guard taken in the NBA draft. He plays with pace and can speed up and get past his defender at will. He’s strong enough to score inside after contact and is likely the best shot-maker in college basketball this season. Tonight, he was 11-of-22 from the field (3-of-6 3s) and added six assists against only two turnovers.

The Razorbacks basically played only six players with Karter Knox and Nick Pringle out with injuries. Acuff received help from Maleek Thomas (19 points on 3-of-5 from deep), Malique Ewin (14 points, 12 rebounds) and Billy Richmond (15 points, 10 rebounds).

Martin was exceptional for the Panthers. He had five assists in addition to his 30 points on 11-of-23 from the field. He might be the quickest guard I’ve seen this season with extreme explosiveness off the dribble.  He was supported by 25 points and 8 rebounds from 6’7 Cam’Ron Fletcher. Fletcher had previously played at Kentucky for current Arkansas coach John Calipari.

This article was written by Carl Berman, Managing Partner of NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Instagram, or on twitter.

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High Point and Arkansas Advance at NCAA Tournament in Portland

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

Portland, OR – The High Point Panthers and the Arkansas Razorbacks advanced from the first round at the NCAA Tournament in Portland in the afternoon session. High Point, a 12-seed, upset the 5–seed Wisconsin Badgers in an 83-82 thriller. Arkansas, a 4-seed, had no issues dispatching 13-seeded Hawai’i 97-78.

High Point was trailing 68-61 with less than eight minutes remaining before they staged their comeback. Chase Johnston’s three-pointer pulled them to within 82-81 with 55 seconds remaining. After the Badgers’ Nick Boyd missed on a shot inside, Johnston received a long pass and scored the go-ahead lay-up with 11 seconds left in the game. It was Johnston’s first two-point basket of the season. Wisconsin had one more chance, but Boyd’s attempt was blocked at the rim. High Point’s Cam’Ron Fletcher missed the front end of a 1-ad-1 with 1.8 seconds left but Wisconsin couldn’t get a shot off at the buzzer.

Wisconsin’s Boyd had no problem getting to the basket. He scored ten points in the last four minutes with his last two-pointer giving the Badgers an 82-78 lead. Boyd scored 27 points on 10-of-20 shooting with seven rebounds and six assists against only one turnover.  John Blackwell added 20 points and 10 assists but was charged with five turnovers. Point guard Rob Martin was impressive for the winners, scoring 23 points and dishing out 10 assists while committing only one turnover.  The hero of the game, Johnston, added 14 points on 4-of-6 three=pointers along with his lone layup. During this season Johnston connected on 68 three-pointers before making the deciding layup.

High Point connected on 15-of-40 3’s while the Badgers made 9-of-23. High Point has been particularly effective this season in not turning the ball over, raked No. 4 in the country with a 12.9% turnover rate. Today they only committed six turnovers against Wisconsin’s ten. They also took advantage of fast break opportunities, sconing 16 fast break points while Wisconsin had only five.

Arkansas had a wire-to-wire win in the nightcap over Hawai’i. The Razorbacks showcased their athleticism with multiple dunks from multiple players.  They raced out to an 11-0 lead and took a 54-36 advantage into halftime. Hawai’i could not make any serious runs in the second half and the game was never in doubt.

SEC Player of the Year, Darius Acuff led the winners with 24 points on 9-of-19 shooting (2-of-5 3’s) and added three rebounds and seven assists. Acuff has been moving up the draft boards as the season progressed with his strong overall play, shot making and point guard skills. He’s averaging 22.9 points per game while shooting 44.4% on 179 three-pointers and has almost a 3 to 1 assist to turnover ratio. Arkansas essentially played only six players. Meleek Thomas was impressive with 21 points and added eight rebounds and five assists as well as a few highlight dunks. Trevon Brazille added 19 points, sox rebounds and three blocks and Malique Ewin contributed 16 points and 12 rebounds (6 offensive).

Arkansas shot only 4-of-21 from deep but dominated inside (64-40 point advantage) and on the fast break (23-12 point advantage). High Point will try for another upset on Saturday but Arkansas looks too big and athletic for them.

This article was written by Carl Berman, Managing Partner of NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Instagram, or on twitter.

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Michigan State Tops Arkansas in Instant Classic

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

East Lansing, MI – The No. 22 Michigan State Spartans hosted the No.14 Arkansas Razorbacks Saturday night in a marquee top 25 showdown at the Breslin Center. The Spartans come in after earning their first home win of the 2025-26 season on Monday against Colgate, 80-69. Michigan State is coming off a 2024-25 season in which they went 30-7 overall and 17-3 in Big Ten conference play, losing in the Elite Eight to the top-ranked Auburn Tigers in last year’s NCAA Tournament. The Spartans lost four key players this year, two of whom are now in the NBA and NBA G League. They added 6’4 senior guard Trey Fort from Sanford to help at the two-guard position. They return a roster that contains a healthy balance of experience and youth, making for an intriguing 2025-26 team. 

There were stars on both sides as Michigan State’s 6’6 junior forward Coen Carr started the game scoring with a two-handed dunk off a drive in transition. Carr displayed his NBA-ready athleticism and vertical length all night, soaring for rebounds and challenging shots at the rim with his reach. Carr also showed his high level of motor and athleticism, flying in for a putback layup early in the game. Carr used his ball-handling and muscular frame to drive against defense pressure and finish strong around the rim. He impressed late in the contest, displaying his high motor, gathering an offensive rebound, and getting fouled on a dunk attempt. The junior was all over the floor all night for the Spartans.

6’2 Redshirt Sophomore Jeremy Fears Jr. did a stellar job handling the starting point guard duty for the Spartans as he used his quick burst to draw fouls on drives and convert at the free throw line. Fears Jr. controlled the ball against the Razorbacks’ full-court pressure and was a maestro, orchestrating for his teammates, leading the game with nine assists. He led the fastbreak well, finding Kohler for a transition layup in the second half to take a 45-42 lead. Defensively, he showed he is a strong pressure defender who forced a number of pickups above the three-point line, resulting in one steal on the evening.​

The Spartans’ 6’10 senior forward Jaxon Kohler also chipped in with a solid effort on both ends, contributing 10 points and seven rebounds. Kohler showcased his passing ability out of the low post, finding both Carr and Ward on basket cuts. He also used his big frame and footwork to carve out a low-post position, creating post-up opportunities. Kohler showed activity on the final possession of the first half as he tipped in a missed layup, trimming the Arkansas lead to 39-36 at halftime. Defensively, he moved his feet well, displaying activity in gap coverage, and showed he’s capable of contesting shots at the rim. The Spartans’ 6’11 senior center Carson Cooper is another large and physical big man who found himself in foul trouble in the first half. He played solid on both ends in the second, passing out of the high post and scoring in pick-and-roll situations. He demonstrated his athleticism, finishing two pick-and-roll lob passes from Fears Jr. with strong two-handed dunks. Both bigs move their feet well and cover enough space to play on the floor together on both ends of the floor.

​Michigan State’s best performance of the game came from 6’9 freshman forward Cam Ward, who came off the bench and had a huge impact, finishing with his first college career double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds, going an efficient 8-of-13 from the field. Ward was the spark plug that Tom Izzo and the Spartans needed off the bench in this close battle. Ward is a strong rebound-and-run forward who covers space on the floor well with his natural size and length. Ward scored a number of times off middle cuts in the half-court and off baseline out of bounds, finishing strong with two-hand dunks. Ward played with a relentless motor, always looking to get involved in the play. He scored in the low post off a baseline drop step and dunk in the second half. Ward’s impact was felt on both ends of the floor all game.​

For Arkansas, they were led by future lottery pick 6’3 freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr. and 6’5 freshman forward Meleek Thomas, who each finished with 16 points. They both displayed their natural speed inside to get to the free-throw line and shooting mechanics in the catch-and-shoot, both knocking down a pair of three-pointers in the game. In the second half, Acuff Jr. got a quick rebound and pushed in transition, finishing with speed and strength on a layup. He is very athletic and explosive in the open court.

Along with Acuff Jr. and Thomas were 6’10 senior forward Trevon Brazile and 6’4 junior guard D.J. Wagner. Brazile and Wagner both displayed quick, strong shot releases, making them threats from the perimeter in the catch-and-shoot. Wagner impressed early, coming up with a steal and converting a strong one-handed dunk in transition. The Razorbacks also have 6’10 graduate forward Nick Pringle, who brings veteran leadership and sneaky athleticism. Defensively, Pringle rotated over on a middle drive and used his outstanding length and strength to reject a layup in the paint. 

In a close battle, both teams shot poorly from the perimeter, and most points were scored in transition. Michigan State dominated with points in the paint 45-28 as Cam Ward and both bigs shined in the instant classic. Late in the game, Acuff Jr. found Pringle around the basket for an athletic dunk as Arkansas made it a one-point game at 66-65 with less than three minutes left in the game. Pringle later found himself at the free-throw line as he made a free throw to tie the game at 66 with 1:41 left in the game. Both teams exchanged fouls and free-throw opportunities late. On the final Michigan State possession, Fears Jr. would absorb a hard foul with 43.2 seconds left and make two of the three free throws to put the Spartans up 69-66. Arkansas would miss multiple three-point opportunities as the Spartans held on for the 69-66 win.

This article was written by Nate Koesel, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Instagram, or on twitter.

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