Arkansas To Travel to Providence in NIT

The Hogs’ basketball season isn’t done yet. After a short trip to the SEC Tournament, the NIT was in a bit of doubt for the Hogs, but they were part of the field of 32 that will get a chance to play in Madison Square Garden. They’re the 5-seed and will travel all the way to Rhode Island to face Providence.

That game will be this Tuesday, 8 p.m. CT on ESPN2.

You can see the entire NIT field here. The Hogs and Alabama were the only two SEC teams added to the tournament, meaning the SEC got nine teams in the postseason. If Arkansas were to win, it would set up a likely rematch from earlier in the season against Indiana, a game the Hogs won early in the season.

Providence had a season a lot like the Hogs, they finished 18-15 and 7-11 in Big East play. The two common opponents Arkansas and the Friars played were South Carolina and Texas. The Friars won both of those games away from home.

Providence has a solid post presence in their leading scorer Alpha Diallo. He’s started every game this year and averages 16 points and eight rebounds per game and was named second team All-Big East this season. Nate Watson doesn’t score as much as Diallo, but at 6’10” and 250 lbs. it will be battle inside the paint for this one.

While it’s not the tournament fans want, it’s still postseason experience for a team with a lot of young players and likely one more chance to win some games with Daniel Gafford on the court. So even with the season bringing some rough moments, tune in and enjoy what is almost certainly the last games of Gafford in a Razorback uniform, it’s going to be an interesting matchup for him and the Hogs.