PREVIEW: Hogs travel to Knoxville looking for Q1 win

Knoxville, Tennessee, is the sight tonight as the Hogs travel to face off with the Volunteers. Each team desperately seeks to take advantage of the last few regular season opportunities for a resume booster. While the Vols are tumbling of late, their senior night home game should prove difficult for the young group of Razorbacks. Nevertheless, it should be a fun matchup tonight.

Date: Tuesday, Feb. 28. 2023

Time: 8 pm

Place: Thompson-Boling Arena - Knoxville, TN

TV/Streaming: ESPN2

Line: TENN -5.5

Arkansas:

Arkansas’ comeback effort fell just short in Tuscaloosa after a missed three-point attempt at the buzzer. After playing a fantastic first half, the Hogs struggled to capitalize on decent looks during the second half. However, the last few minutes of the second half saw the Razorbacks roar back, running out of gas at the very end.

Tonight, the key for the Razorbacks is free throws. Nick Smith Jr. is settling nicely back into the rotation, opening up the floor for others to portray strengths. The Hogs are much longer than the Vols and should have an advantage in the paint. However, the Hogs must shoot free throws at a higher clip to turn this road matchup into a victory. Look for the Razorback guards to get to the line early and often.

Tennessee:

The Volunteers are skidding late, losing five of the last eight opportunities. It is now crunch time for both teams, and Tennessee is looking to prove its high NET ranking and widespread top-tier seeding projections in the NCAA Tournament. Altogether, the Vols play well as a unit, with no one player outshining the others. It will be critical for the Razorbacks to emphasize guards Santiago Vescovi and Zakai Zeigler tonight. Expect Devo Davis, Nick Smith, Ricky Council, and Anthony Black to be active on the defensive end in this matchup.

Storylines:

• Saturday’s narrow loss did not move Arkansas’ needle very far regarding seeding and projections for the NCAA Tournament
• Nick Smith Jr. earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors for his performances against Alabama and Georgia
• Two quad-1 opportunities remain for the Razorbacks this week before the SEC Tournament begins