Arkansas begins SEC Tournament
NASHVILLE — The regular season has come to a close and the Razorbacks now turn their attention to the Southeastern Conference Tournament where they must face the Georgia Bulldogs in the first round beginning at 8:45 p.m. at Bridgestone Arena. The first two rounds of the conference championship will air on the SEC Network with the semifinals and finals on ABC.
The Razorbacks’ game with Georgia will air on KHBS, KHOG, KAIT and KATV in the state of Arkansas as well as 50 other stations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
Arkansas (14-17, 7-9 SEC) improved upon the expectations of the league coaches by finishing third in the conference’s western division this season. The Razorbacks had been picked to finish fifth in the annual coaches’ poll. Arkansas enters the tournament on a sour note having lost its regular season finale in the closing moments, but has had some success against its first round opponent giving the Razorbacks optimism as they enter the tournament.
The Razorbacks did receive good news from the SEC late Monday and Tuesday as the conference office released its post-season awards. Sophomore Rotnei Clarke was named Arkansas’ Community Service Award honoree on Monday night and Tuesday morning saw sophomore Courtney Fortson named second-team All-SEC and freshman Marshawn Powell named to the All-Freshman team.
Georgia (13-16, 5-11 SEC) is coming off a loss to LSU to end the regular season, but is widely regarded as one of the toughest teams in the SEC despite its record. The Bulldogs have defeated some of the best teams in the NCAA and are led by first-team All-SEC forward Trey Thompkins who averages 17.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game.
During the regular season Arkansas defeated the Georgia Bulldogs in Athens, Ga., by four points, 72-68, after trailing the home team by 15 at the break. Courtney Fortson led the way for the Razorbacks with 27 points.
The Arkansas-Georgia game will be broadcast on the SEC Network at 8:45 p.m. on Thursday evening. The contest can also be heard on radio across the state of Arkansas on the Razorback Sports Network from ISP with Mike Nail and Rick Schaeffer giving the calls. Nail is in his 29th and final season as the play-by-play voice of the Razorbacks.
The SEC Tournament continues on Friday with the winner of the Arkansas-Georgia game playing the Vanderbilt Commodores at 8:45 p.m. on Friday, March 12.
