FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The No. 12 Arkansas Razorbacks and third-year head coach opened up their first of two exhibition games Saturday afternoon as the Razorbacks welcomed the No. 15 Gonzaga Bulldogs into Bud Walton Arena as the Razorbacks won a close one by a final score of 76-72.
After a slow start on offense, the Razorback utilized an 18-0 midgame run to build an 11-point second half lead and rode it home the rest of the way.
Star-Studded Freshman Class
Coach Calipari once again proves why he is the greatest college basketball coach of all time as the Razorbacks saw production and potential from the loaded freshman class that he brought in this offseason, as the Razorbacks' freshman scored 43 of the Razorbacks' 76 points in the victory over the Bulldogs
The Link Academy product and reclass freshman Davion Thompson led the way for the freshmen, finishing with 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting and two 3-pointers for the Hogs.
The sharpshooting Thompson showed glimpses of promise for the Razorbacks, staying efficient throughout the game and hitting a clutch three to put the Hogs up five as the Razorbacks were looking to defend their slim lead.
Freshman Miikka Muurinen looked like a grown man during the close battle with the Bulldogs as he finished the game with 10 points shooting 4-of-11 from the field while also racking up six rebounds and also recording 2 blocks.
Arkansas Native JJ Andrews also had an impressive outing, scoring 10 points for the Razorbacks, going 4-for-9, and grabbing 9 rebounds.
Richmond is Epitome of "Ball is Life"
The junior guard from Memphis proved once again why he remains a fan favorite for Arkansas fans as he continued to do Billy Richmond things, providing a much-needed spark to Bud Walton Arena and getting fans back involved all night long as the Razorbacks used their home court advantage to pull out the win against Gonzaga.
Richmond finished his outing with 17 points for the Razorbacks, shooting 4-of-10 from the field and 3-of-5 from 3. Billy also tallied 7 rebounds and 5 assists for the Hogs.
Now in his third season with Coach Calipari, he plays the veteran role the Razorbacks need, as they have 8 freshmen on the roster this season.
Arkansas’ Defensive Masterclass
The Razorbacks have found a new identity under coach Calipari with having a dog mentality, and the Razorbacks proved why coach Calipari gave them the dog mentality as they forced the Bulldogs to take shots all night long, holding them to 36% from the field and 21% from 3.
The Hogs also wreaked havoc on the defensive end all night, forcing 10 turnovers against the Razorbacks and tallying 6 total blocks as a team, with the Finnish product finishing with a team-leading 2 blocks.
The Razorbacks and coach Calipari are poised to make a late push into the postseason as the Razorbacks proved that they have the needed depth and playmakers to win the elusive national championship, as the Razorbacks last won it back in 1994 under head coach Nolan Richardson.
The Razorbacks will play one more exhibition game against the Memphis Tigers on Wednesday at 7 pm before starting their season against the Arkansas Pine Bluff Golden Lions on November 3rd.
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