Meleek Thomas answered the call and helped Arkansas beat Missouri. It's the kind of performance the Razorbacks will need in March.
Darius Acuff was not on the court on Saturday for the Arkansas basketball team in Columbia, Missouri. The Razorbacks took on the Mizzou Tigers in their SEC basketball regular-season finale knowing their superstar player would not be in action. They were going to need something special in order to get a win. Missouri is not an elite team, but it is a decent team likely to make the NCAA Tournament. Given how much Arkansas has struggled on the road, it was easy to be skeptical of the Razorbacks without Acuff going into an enemy SEC lair.
Meleek Thomas was ready to change the conversation. He scored 28 points and pulled down 7 rebounds. He made 5 of 6 3-pointers. He helped Arkansas play solid defense, holding Missouri to 74 points in regulation and giving the Razorbacks the defensive improvement they need going into March Madness. Thomas created the kind of X-factor supporting cast performance Final Four and national championship teams need. It happens every March: Someone unexpected emerges from obscurity and either bails out the superstar player or provides the missing added piece for a team which was good during the regular season but needed that little something extra to take the next step.
It wasn't just Thomas who starred for the Razorbacks. Trevon Brazile, formerly of Missouri, defeated his old team and made clutch plays late, finishing with 19 points and 9 rebounds. Malique Ewin scored 17 points. Billy Richmond and DJ Wagner scored 10 points apiece. A lot of different players chipped in and did their part on a day when Arkansas was going to need a "win by committee" approach.
Arkansas showed a lot of character in this game. The Hogs struggled a lot on the road in January, as you know. They struggled to play good defense on the road. They struggled to be a complete and consistent team. They had their moments in Bud Walton Arena but would discard their good habits as soon as they left Fayetteville.
One other specific thing Arkansas did well in this game was defend the 3-point line. Missouri was just 6 of 20 from 3-point range, a key reason the Tigers weren't able to win this game. Arkansas didn't always defend the 3-point shot well this season, but against Missouri, the Hogs were clearly better. This ability to raise the level of play in a moment of considerable consequence bodes well for the SEC and NCAA Tournaments. We will see if the Razorbacks can continue to raise the standard.