On paper, Arkansas basketball is clearly superior to Auburn, but this sets up as a trap for the Hogs on the road. They have to be ruthless on The Plains.
We can all put two and two together and see that Arkansas has a much better basketball team than Auburn does. Arkansas is 2-0 in the SEC, Auburn 0-2. Auburn lost at home to Texas A&M earlier this week. The Tigers are going through a predictably bumpy transition year under coach Steven Pearl, a transition made more difficult by the departure of Chad Baker-Mazara in the portal.
How weak is Auburn at the defensive end of the floor? Try this fact on for size: Auburn has allowed at least 88 points in four of its last six games. That's ugly. Arkansas put 94 on Ole Miss and has scored in the 90s or better on several occasions this season. The Hogs know how to put the ball in the bucket, led by their brilliant point guard, Darius Acuff. Arkansas should be able to score at least 90 in this game and make it hard for Auburn to keep pace. On paper, Arkansas has the advantage.
On paper, games aren't won. They're won on the hardwood when the ball is tipped, the cameras start rolling, and the lights shine.
Of course Arkansas is the better team, but Auburn is a wounded dog at home in what amounts to a must-win game, or something really close to it. Auburn will be desperate, and that's a very dangerous situation for Arkansas to walk into. Elite teams -- teams which win SEC basketball regular-season championships -- win this game. It's a proving-ground moment for UA, Calipari, Acuff, and the supporting cast. Every game is, because the SEC title is very attainable, more than it has been in a very long time for the Razorback program.
Arkansas does play Vanderbilt later this month, and there's no question that game will loom very large in the SEC championship chase. However, the path to a title also runs through these kinds of games. Finding the ability to beat a mid-level SEC opponent on the road, if done often enough, can offset one head-to-head loss against an SEC contender. Stacking these wins will give Arkansas a cushion if it does happen to lose to Vanderbilt. UA is already one game ahead of Alabama in the conference standings, so winning this game puts even more pressure on the Crimson Tide to keep up with the Hogs.
Arkansas is better, but college basketball is not about winning arguments. It's about being better in the 40 minutes allotted to two teams on game day. It's time for the Hogs to prove themselves all over again, and take a meaningful step toward an SEC championship.