NASHVILLE, TENN. — Don’t count the Razorbacks out.
It may seem cliche, but that’s the message Arkansas guard Dusty Hannahs had for the college basketball world in the moments following a 77-62 win against Vanderbilt in the SEC Tournament semifinals on Saturday afternoon.
“People had us counted out, look at us now,” Hannahs said. “This is the best part of the season in March. Spirits are high and everyone is out there playing their hearts out. That’s what we live for as a basketball player.”
The joy in the Razorbacks locker room was evident following a victory against a team that, quite frankly, embarrassed them on their home floor, 72-59,in the last meeting early this season. But there’s little time for celebration with a matchup against Kentucky looming just hours away with the SEC championship on the line.
“I thought Arkansas was outstanding today,” Vanderbilt coach Bryce Drew said. “The best I’ve seen them all year. Mike has done a great job. They’re on a great streak right now. Playing really, really good basketball.”
That compliment from Drew doesn’t run against what Arkansas coach Mike Anderson had to say after the game in any way.
“I have cautioned a fan, I’ve cautioned everybody,” the Hogs coach said. “They will change before your eyes and hopefully be playing some of the better basketball in late February and on into March. And I guess it’s starting to take place.”
Playing your best basketball in March is always a good thing, but are the Hogs really playing well enough to take down Kentucky for first time in over three years?
“It’s going to take everything we’ve got,” Razorbacks senior Manuale Watkins said. “Everybody’s got to do their part. Championship games just have a different feel to them. And you can’t win one unless you bring everything you’ve got. You’ve gotta bring your A-game for a full 40 minutes. You can’t win a championship in 30, 20 or 25… you’ve gotta play a whole 40.”
Watkins was a part of the 2015 team that failed to take down the Wildcats in this very championship game at this very venue, as Kentucky won that meeting 78-63. And he’s seen his share of losses to Kentucky during the last three seasons.
How does it get done? It starts with stopping the Cats’ high-powered offense led by Arkansas-native Malik Monk.
“We have to have five guys linked in as one,” Watkins said. “Talk, rotating. To beat a team that has a high-powered offense like that, the key is to have everybody engaged and talking.”
Arkansas is a stone-cold lock for the NCAA Tournament, and there’s long been a perception that the SEC Tournament being on Sunday hinders a team’s ability to sway the committee for seeding purposes due to the short period of time between the final horn in Nashville and the Selection Show on Sunday afternoon.
And that’s a shame, because a win against this Kentucky team in what’s likely to be a road-like environment would not only break a drought against the Wildcats and secure the first tournament championship for the Razorbacks since 2000, but it would also prove that this team is worthy of consideration for a higher tier of seeding within the big dance.
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