Razorbacks to play Syracuse in Challenge

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas Men’s Basketball Team will host Syracuse in the SEC-Big East Challenge on Friday, Nov. 30, it was announced on Friday by the league office in Birmingham, Ala.

The game time for the Arkansas-Syracuse matchup will be determined at a later date.

“Hosting Syracuse at Bud Walton Arena gives us a chance to showcase our basketball team and fans to the nation,” Arkansas Head Coach Mike Anderson said.  “Syracuse has great tradition and will be a highly-ranked team next season.  We look forward to the challenge that this team presents.”

The Razorbacks were 18-14 last season with victories over three ranked teams, including No. 20 Michigan, No. 15 Mississippi State and No. 25 Vanderbilt.  Arkansas returns each of its top four scorers from last season, 69 percent of its offense and 55 percent of its rebounding.  All-SEC guard BJ Young, junior Marshawn Powell, the SEC leader in three point field goal percentage Mardracus Wade and Arkansas school record holder for blocks by a first-year player Hunter Mickelson are just some of the pieces that Anderson and his staff have to work with as they enter the 2012-13 season.

Syracuse is coming off a 34-3 season in 2011-12 which included a trip to the NCAA Regional Finals where it lost to Ohio State.  The Orange return three of their top seven scorers from last season including 6-4 guard, Brandon Triche (9.4, 2.5), 6-8 forward C.J. Fair and 6-8 forward James Southerland.

Arkansas is playing in its third SEC-Big East Challenge game and has a 1-1 record in those contests.  The Razorbacks defeated Seton Hall, 71-62, in Louisville, Ky., during the 2010-11 season and lost a road game at Connecticut, 75-62, last year.

The Razorbacks and Orange will meet on the hardwood for just the second time in program history with the first coming during Arkansas’ run to the NCAA Championship game in 1995. In that contest, Arkansas defeated the Orange, 96-94 in overtime, in the second round of the tournament.