For the first time since its inception in 1995, Arkansas basketball will play in ESPN’s annual Jimmy V Classic on Tuesday against Michigan. The Razorbacks (7-2) and Wolverines (8-1) will get a night in the spotlight of New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
Arkansas is coming off a 75-60 victory over UTSA that was more difficult than anticipated. The Hogs fell behind by seven points in the first half and needed to rally for a victory over the Roadrunners. Overall, it’s been a sluggish start to the John Calipari era in Fayetteville with just one win over a Power Four opponent.
The Wolverines are flying high after back-to-back conference wins over Wisconsin and Iowa. They’ve won seven straight games since an early loss to Wake Forest.
Here is a scouting report and prediction for Tuesday night’s game between Arkansas and Michigan (8 p.m., ESPN).
How does Arkansas basketball defend Michigan’s two bigs?
The Wolverines star a pair of 7-footers in Vladislav Goldin and Danny Wolf. They’re both averaging more than 12 points per game and shooting better than 55% from the field.
The Hogs have played two of Trevon Brazile, Zvonimir Ivišić and Jonas Aidoo together for 24:35 this season. That number will likely go up after Tuesday, but it could be an intriguing wrinkle for the Razorbacks to go small and try to exploit some matchup issues on the offensive end. Goldin and Wolf would both struggle defending Adou Thiero.
Can the Hogs get off to a good start?
Arkansas has fallen behind by 10 points in each of its three games against a Power Four opponent this season. The early deficits were too much to overcome against Baylor and Illinois, but the Razorbacks found a way to rally past Miami.
The Wolverines are closer to Illinois and Baylor in terms of pedigree. A sizable early hole will likely result in another loss for Arkansas.
What does Johnell Davis have for his former coach?
“He’s definitely going to have a chip on his shoulder, I’m just going to keep it at that.”
That’s what Aidoo said Saturday about Davis facing Michigan head coach Dusty May. The duo helped Florida Atlantic reach the 2023 Final Four but are now trying to lift bigger programs to similar heights.
May has revitalized Michigan. The Wolverines have already matched their win-total from last year’s 8-24 campaign. Davis hasn’t experienced the same success at Arkansas, but he’s slowly finding his legs with at least 12 points in three of the past four games.
Prediction
Arkansas desperately needs to win this game. It’s the last chance to secure a nonconference victory against a potential tournament team, but the Razorbacks haven’t looked like a team built for March through five weeks. The wait for a quality win will drag into SEC play. Michigan 75, Arkansas 72.
