Game-by-game predictions for Arkansas basketball in 2023-24
Arkansas has an adventurous schedule in 2023-24, so predicting their record may be fools’ gold, especially after last year’s bunch finished 19-12 and in a tie for 10th in the SEC despite having conference and national title aspirations.
The expectations are the same this year, except this bunch is more veteran-laden and isn’t relying on 5-star freshmen to carry the load night in, night out.
Here is one contributor’s take on how the season will play out:
Non-conference
Nov. 6 Alcorn State W
Nov. 10 Gardner-Webb W
Nov. 13 Old Dominion W
Nov. 17 UNC Greensboro W
Nov. 22 Stanford (Battle 4 Atlantis quarterfinal) W
Nov. 23 Memphis (Battle 4 Atlantis semifinal) W
Nov. 24 Villanova (Battle 4 Atlantis championship) L
A 2-1 trip to the Bahamas would suffice, although picking who they might play is difficult. Pure guesswork.
Nov. 29 Duke W
This will be the most-hyped game most fans can remember for a non-conference tilt in Bud Walton Arena.
Dec. 4 Furman W
Dec. 9 Oklahoma (Tulsa, Okla.) W
Dec. 16 Lipscomb (NLR) W
Dec. 21 Abilene Christian W
Dec. 30 UNC Wilmington W
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12-1. Arkansas should vault into the top 10 by the time it heads to the Bahamas. If its only loss is to a ranked team there, or say to a top 10-15 Duke, the Razorbacks will likely still be in the top 10-15 headed into league play.
SEC
Jan. 6 Auburn W
Jan. 10 at Georgia W
Jan. 13 at Florida W
If the Razorbacks win here, it will be only the second victory in Gainesville since 1995, after they won there two years ago on their way to an Elite Eight appearance.
Jan. 16 Texas A&M W
Jan. 20 South Carolina W
Jan. 24 at Ole Miss L
Fans won’t take losing to Chris Beard well, but I feel like Arkansas will be due a loss here and he will take this game major serious after losing to Musselman in 2021 with the Red Raiders and his year spent in Arkansas with Little Rock.
Jan. 27 Kentucky W
Jan. 31 at Missouri W
Feb. 3 at LSU L
Feb. 10 Georgia W
Feb. 14 Tennessee W
Feb. 17 at Mississippi State L
Humphrey Coliseum has long been a house of horrors for Razorback teams. Chris Jans’ has been a thorn in the Razorbacks’ side, nearly beating them as a 12 seed in the 2022 tournament and winning in Bud Walton Arena last February.
Feb. 20 at Texas A&M W
Feb. 24 Missouri W
Feb. 27 Vanderbilt W
Mar. 2 at Kentucky L
Mar. 6 LSU W
Mar. 9 at Alabama W
Arkansas got hosed having to visit Coleman Coliseum yet again, but the thought here is that they’ll finally take one here.
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26-5 (14-4).
This record should have Arkansas in line for a SEC title and a possible 1 or 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Definitely going with a glass half-full approach here, and assuming no significant injuries (saw how that went a year ago).
