AUBURN, Ala. – Everything went right for Auburn in its first meeting with No. 21 Arkansas, a 95-73 victory Jan. 10 after which Razorbacks coach John Calipari said, “We had no chance today.”
Five weeks later, Auburn goes for the season sweep against the red-hot Razorbacks, who have won five of their past six games and who are 12-1 this season at Bud Walton Arena.
“Our guys are ready to go,” Auburn coach Steven Pearl said. “Another great opportunity to continue to improve a resume that we’ve put a lot of really good work into.”
In the first matchup, KeShawn Murphy recorded his first double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
“Attention to details, drive and effort. That’s all it was. We came out the more aggressive team, started early and we kept that the whole 40 minutes. That’s why we won that game,” said Murphy, who needs four rebounds to reach 500 in his career. “I feel very comfortable where we are in the team and the script. We’ve got to go out there and get it done.”
Six-time SEC Freshman of the Week Darius Acuff Jr. leads Arkansas and ranks No. 3 in the SEC in scoring, averaging 20.8 points per game, while leading the league in assists with 6.3 per game.
“He’s such a special player and does so many good things for them,” Pearl said. “It’s going to require another great effort as far as our one-on-one defense. He’s shown an ability to make contested shots at a high level. He’s special, he’s elite, and I know our guys are excited about the opportunity to go up against him again.”
Auburn sophomore Tahaad Pettiford is averaging 19 points and six assists over Auburn’s past three games.
“I try to value possessions as much as I can,” Pettiford said. “Try to feed guys when they’re open and make the right decision.”
Seeking to sweep the season series while ending a three-game losing streak, Auburn (14-10, 5-6) plays at No. 21 Arkansas (18-6, 8-3) Saturday at 7:30 p.m. CT on ESPN and the Auburn Sports Network from Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville.
“They’ve been really intentional about driving and getting paint touches since our game,” Pearl said. “When you win a game like that, there’s obviously a little bit of a revenge factor on their side. They’re playing on their home floor where they’re really good. They’ll be fired up and excited about the game.”
The Tigers return to Neville Arena for the AUTLIVE Cancer game Saturday, Feb. 21 vs. Kentucky at 7:30 p.m. CT with free AUTLIVE T-shirts for Auburn University students.
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer