PREVIEW: Hogs head to College Station looking for second road SEC win

The Hogs are back on the road for what seems like a must-win matchup in College Station, Texas, tonight. After sustaining a conference-winning streak, Arkansas lost a game to Mississippi State inside Bud Walton Arena on Saturday. The Hogs now have a hole to dig out of, beginning with tonight’s rematch with the Aggies.

Date: Wednesday, Feb. 15. 2023

Time: 8 pm

Place: Reed Arena - College Station, TX

TV/Streaming: ESPN2

Line: A&M -3.5

Arkansas:

The Hogs were on fire during last week’s win against Kentucky. However, Saturday’s performance against Mississippi State looked like a hangover performance. Arkansas beat themselves in many ways, while Mississippi State shot 60 percent from deep. Ultimately, the combination allowed the Bulldogs to escape Bud Walton with a victory. Now the Hogs have to utilize every opportunity to build their resume as March knocks on the door.

Nick Smith Jr. scored just five points in his return on Saturday. Additionally, Devo Davis submitted a less-than-desirable performance, turning the ball over three times and missing two key layups. However, I’d expect a solid performance from both Smith and Davis tonight as the Hogs look to bounce back.

Arkansas shot an impressive 50 percent from the floor in the last matchup with Texas A&M but struggled from the free-throw line. However, the Hogs finished the game with 13 blocks. The Razorbacks need to capitalize on their length on both ends tonight.

Texas A&M:

The Aggies are on a winning streak of their own. Entering tonight, A&M has won consecutive games against Georgia, Auburn, and LSU. Guards Wade Taylor and Tyreece Radford will try to penetrate and get to the line against the Razorbacks tonight. The Aggies are shooting 75 percent from the stripe but just 32 percent from deep. To secure a road victory, the Hogs must be challenging in the paint tonight.

Storylines:

• Tonight presents a quad-one opportunity for both teams
• The Hogs currently hover around the 8-9 seed line in most projections
• In his second game back, Nick Smith Jr. will be itching to submit a solid performance
• Tonight’s starting lineup and rotation will be interesting to see based on Smith’s minutes