Hoop Hogs stock-risers following Arkansas’ 89-87 win over No. 14 Michigan

By Kevin McPherson

LITTLE ROCK — Can you believe we’re already one-third of the way through the 2024-25 season? The Arkansas Razorbacks (8-2, NCAA NET No. 40) will navigate the start of the second third of their campaign with added confidence following the team’s wild 89-87 come-from-behind, roller-coaster-ride win over No. 14 at Michigan in the Jimmy V Classic on Tuesday at Mdison Square Garden in New York City.

Arkansas has won three consecutive games, including two away from home, which has produced several Hoop Hog stock-risers worth highlighting.

- Cardiac Hogs turning second half success into multiple come-from-behind wins. There is no safe segment of a game for the faint-of-heart Hog fan, but there should be solace that finally the Razorbacks are finding ways to flip the scripts in so many games when they fall behind by double-digit margins early, trail at halftime, then ultimately dig themselves out of significant holes to reach the winner’s circle.

It was almost that exact pattern with only slight variations in Arkansas’ current three-game winning streak. At Miami, the Razorbacks trailed by 11 points in the first half and by 8 at halftime before pulling out a 76-73 road win. At home against Texas-San Antonio, they fell behind by 8 points in the first half and trailed by 5 at halftime before running away in the second half in a 75-60 victory. Then against Michigan on a neutral court, the Hogs led by 3 points early, fell behind by 15 points midway through the first half, and trailed by 4 at halftime before a roller-coaster second-half that saw them lead by as many as 18 points before holding on for dear life for their first Quad-1 win and first away-from-home triumph.

After notching 32, 27, and 45 points in the first halves with the aforementioned 8-, 5-, and 4-point halftime deficits against Miami, UTSA, and Michigan, respectively, the Razorbacks responded with a plus-11 second-half scoring advantage against the Hurricanes (44-33), a plus-20 second-half scoring swell against the Road Runners (48-28), and a plus-6 second-half scoring edge against the Wolverines (44-38).

It’s becoming a treasure trove of come-from-behind-themed wins for Arkansas. From shooting better in second halves, especially from three-point range, to getting more stops / key stops on defense, the Razorbacks have been markedly better when comparing their final 20 minutes to their first 20 minutes of games.

Hoop Hogs’ second-half surges and comeback trends? Stock: UP

- Arkansas getting balance in more ways than one from its frontcourt producers. With the returns of injury-plagued big men Jonas Aidoo and Trevon Brazile roughly two weeks ago, Arkansas has had all nine top-rotation Hogs on the court for the same game twice in the past nine days — both coming in the aforementioned wins away from home (Michigan on Tuesday preceded by a 76-73 come-from-behind road win over Miami on Dec. 3). The effect has been an obvious and immediate surge in paint presence, physicality, and force that had been missing in the team’s first seven regular-season games when sophomore stretch-5 Zvonimir Ivisic was the Razorbacks’ primary 5-spot option. Prior to recent gains from having Aidoo and Brazile back, it was a steady diet of a more finesse game from Ivisic with the lone Hog playing with consistent physicality and force on the frontline being the team’s leader in scoring, rebounding, and steals — Adou Thiero.

Throw in a 75-60 come-from-behind home win over Texas-San Antonio that was sandwiched in between the Miami and Michigan wins, here’s the production balance from the Hogs frontline spanning their current three-game winning streak: Aidoo (15.3 points per game, 6.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2 total blocks, 30.0 minutes); Brazile (9.0 points per game, 5.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 2 total blocks, 20.3 minutes); Aidoo (6.3 points per game, 5.3 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, 1.3 steals, 21.7 minutes); and Ivisic (7.0 points per game, 1.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.0 block, 11.0 minutes, sat out the UTSA game and played reduced minutes in the other two games due to ankle injury).

With the exception of Ivisic’s playing time being limited due to injury AND Aidoo’s production expected to increase as he acclimates after being out for weeks due to injury, the individual and collective minutes and production spanning the last three games is more in line for this frontcourt in terms of what was envisioned when the top-nine rotation was assembled in the offseason.

From an eye test standpoint, we’ve seen Aidoo anchoring himself in the paint defensively with enough agility to infuse a combo of physicality and athleticism to snare rebounds and block or alter shots, taking up space and using his frame to dislodge opposing big men in the paint, and finishing around the basket offensively in what so far has been modest production. And we’ve seen Brazile playing above the rim — that’s not new — but he has increased his willingess to play through contact in mano-a-mano paint wars, a welcome sight that was beautifully underscored when he rose to not only block Michigan 7-footer Vlad Goldin’s shot attempt four feet in front of the rim but he came down with the rebound while physically being contacted by several Wolverines battling for the offensive rebound.

The Hogs still have issues defending high ball-screen action and switching, but the thrust in Aidoo’s and Brazile’s effectiveness combined with Thiero continuing to do Thiero things, the Hogs have looked their best in the physicality and frontline blance departments as those factors may be the catalysts for the current winning streak as well as SEC prospects looking more promising once the team begins conference play in three weeks. Stock: WAY UP

- December to remember. These Hogs are in contention to secure the men’s basketball program’s first unbeaten December in four years, needing just three more wins this month against mid-majors UCA on Saturday in North Little Rock, North Carolina A&T on Dec. 21, and Oakland on Dec. 30 (the latter two games will be played at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville).

Arkansas has won three consecutive games — ALL coming in December without a blemish, and the winning streak so far includes two victories away from BWA — as part of a 7-wins-in-its-last-8-contests stretch. The last time the Razorbacks went unbeaten in the month of December was during the covid-shortened 2020-21 campaign when they finished the month with a 7-0 record dominated by six home matchups against mid-major opponents after playing only two games in November.

This current Hogs’ December streak includes two wins over high-major opponents — one a true road tilt against Miami and the other the team’s first Q1 win over Michigan at a neutral site — with Saturday’s matchup in North Little Rock against in-state Division 1 foe UCA technically counting as a home game, but actually it’s a neutral-site tilt that historically has been tricky for Hog teams matching up against upset-minded mid-major foes.

If Arkansas can navigate these final three December games spanning the next 16 days with wins, it would put the Hogs at 11-2 to conclude non-conference play while on a six-game winning streak heading into a brutal 18-game SEC slate that will begin on the road against current No. 1-ranked Tennessee in early January.

Given the roller-coast, comeback nature of recent wins, it may not feel like a perfect month, but its trending that way for sure. December momentum riding high heading into SEC play in January? So far so good. Stock: UP

- Hogs’ backcourt has shot at being a top-shelf unit. Freshman guard Boogie Fland has been up-and-down in the team’s last four games (add a 90-77 neutral-site loss to Illinois to the aforementioned wins over Miami, UTSA, and Michigan) as he sluggishly battled through the Illini and Road Runner contests before following up each time with brilliant performances against the Hurricanes and Wolverines.

But overall through the team’s first 10 outings, Fland has been the most consistent backcourt performer while wearing a myriad of hats as the team’s best backcourt scorer (15.5 points per game), the team’s top facilitator (5.4 assists ranks second in the SEC), the team’s best backcourt three-point shooter (38.8%), and the team’s go-to playmaker at the end of games. His 20 points and 7 assists led Arkansas in its best win — ahem, it’s ony quality win so far — over Michigan on Tuesday. His clutch three-point shot with 1:47 to play gave the Hogs their first lead in the road win over Miami as he finished that game with a personal 7-2 run against the Hurricanes.

At this point, Fland looks more and more like a Razorbacks-Royalty-Lee-Mayberry-esque value at the lead guard spot as well as a one-and-done NBA Draft first-rounder.

Sophomore guard DJ Wagner was magnificent in the Miami and Michigan wins, totaling a combined 30 points and 10 assists with most of his production coming in those crucial second-half comebacks. The Kentucky transfer has been increasing his production and impact as the season has moved along, averaging 9.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.6 steals in a team-high 34.0 minutes while shooting career-highs overall from the field (45.1%) and from three-point range (37.5%).

Senior transfer guard Johnell “Nelly” Davis has not been as productive as a scorer relative to expectations based on his body of work at Florida Atlantic, but in Arkansas’ last five game’s he’s increased his scoring (10.0 points per game in that stretch) and three-point shooting efficiency (12-of-24 for 50%) while making unsung hustle plays at game-critical moments. His two deflections in the final minute in the triumph over Michigan won the Hogs: a) an extended offensive possession after a review awarded Arkansas possession; and b) the game as the Wolverines went from having an apparent layuo off a backdoor cut to having to scramble for a loose ball to launch a turnaround, off-balance, fading 15-footer that fell short as the final buzzer sounded with the Hogs holding on for a two-point win.

Freshmen wings Karter Knox and Billy Richmond III have both flashed qualities worthy of their incoming 5-star high school rankings, and both are continuing to factor into the team’s top nine rotation providing mostly 2/3-combo guard depth off the bench.

The Hogs’ backcourt has begun to come together in more cohesive expressions spanning the team’s last handful of games. Stock: UP.