Welcome Robert Morris

With finals over, the University of Arkansas basketball team can focus on its passion for the next few weeks before the spring semester and along the way takes on a very good Robert Morris team at Bud Walton Arena on Thursday night, Dec. 20, at 7 p.m.

University of Arkansas students who do not have a student-access pass and wish to attend the game may purchase a ticket for $1 and get up to two guest tickets for $5 each.  Junior Razorbacks will be granted free admission by showing their membership card and their guests may purchase $10 tickets at the East entrance to Bud Walton Arena.  Fans may also purchase $10 upper-level tickets online using the promo code HOLIDAY, up to game time.

The Razorbacks (5-4) picked up a lopsided win over Alcorn State last Saturday, its first competition in a week, 97-59, and did so thanks to a hot start and solid defense.  Arkansas was able to play a lot of players extended minutes to keep its core group off the floor and even added a player to the roster in 6-3 junior guard Fred Gulley who became eligible after the fall semester.  Arkansas, which has not won back-to-back games since the opening contests of the season, hopes to start a winning streak on Thursday.

Robert Morris (7-4) could be one of the best programs that people are not familiar with. A 26-win team a year ago, the Colonials last played in the NCAA Tournament in 2010 and last year advanced to the quarterfinals of the CIT Tournament.  Led by Velton Jones (12.5 ppg), the Colonials are a solid shooting team, but are apt to turn the ball over and are allowing teams to hit more than 45 percent of their shots.  Robert Morris already has two road and a neutral site win this year with solid victories over Cleveland State and Duquesne.

Thursday night’s game between Arkansas and Robert Morris is the first between the two programs.  In fact, the matchup serves as the Razorbacks first against a current member of the Northeastern Conference.  The two programs have shared time in the spotlight with five mutual appearances in the NCAA Tournament, but never in the same region.

The Razorback game against Robert Morris will be broadcast on the radio across the Razorback Sports Network from IMG College with Chuck Barrett and Rick Schaeffer giving the call.  The game will also be carried live on the Razorback Sports Network with Scott Inman and former Razorback Jimmy Dykes on air.