Beyond the Box: Arkansas vs Louisville – Anthony Black steals the show in dunkfest
Anthony Black’s scoring won’t be the main plus he brings to the Arkansas basketball team in 2022-23.
But on Monday against Louisville, in the quarterfinals of the Maui Invitational, Black didn’t just stuff the box score, he dominated it, and in points, too.
Black scored a career-high 26 points on 9 of 11 shooting while adding six assists in the Razorbacks’ 80-54 win. The Hogs advanced to play No. 10 Creighton on Tuesday night at 7 p.m.
Louisville trailed by just five points with 14:26 left before Arkansas went on a 24-4 run. At one point during the streak, the Razorbacks had scored on dunks on five straight possessions.
Let’s examine behind the basic statistics, though, to see just how Arkansas dominated what was, for a good 25 minutes, a close game.
Arkansas is Dunk City
LAHAINA, HI – NOVEMBER 21: Anthony Black #0 of the Arkansas Razorbacks dunks the ball in the first half of the game against the Louisville Cardinals during the Maui Invitational at Lahaina Civic Center on November 21, 2022 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images)
Announcers Jay Bilas and Dan Shulman both noted how Arkansas may be one of the most fun teams in college basketball to watch this year, largely in part because of their ability to play above the rim.
The Razorbacks had 29 points off turnovers, 15 on the fastbreak, 16 on layups and 22 on dunks. Nineteen of Arkansas’ 21 2-point field goals came off dunks and layups.
Arkansas has a literal Twin Towers
LAHAINA, HI – NOVEMBER 21: Makhi Mitchell #15 of the Arkansas Razorbacks lays the ball in ahead of JJ Traynor #12 of the Louisville Cardinals in the first half of the game during the Maui Invitational at Lahaina Civic Center on November 21, 2022 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images)
Makhi Mitchell and Makhel Mitchell, transfers from Rhode Island, have given the Razorbacks a legitimate old-school post presence. One of them was almost always on the court agianst the Cardinals.
The 6-foot-10 and 6-foot-9 brothers combined to score 17 points on 6 of 8 shooting, grab 12 rebounds and block 3 shots in their 38 minutes.
Musselman shortens Arkansas' bench
LAHAINA, HI – NOVEMBER 21: Head coach Eric Musselman of the Arkansas Razorbacks gestures to his players in the first half of the game against the Louisville Cardinals during the Maui Invitational at Lahaina Civic Center on November 21, 2022 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images)
Not that it mattered all that much against Louisville, but Arkansas had 25 points off the bench. Coach Eric Musselman, who played everyone on the roster last time out against South Dakota State, had only played three reserves with four minutes left.
