Beard Garners Freshman Of The Week Honors

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – After helping No. 18/17 Arkansas put together its third straight 2-0 week in SEC play with his second and third straight double figure scoring games, point guard Anton Beard was named the SEC Freshman of the Week, announced by the league office on Monday.

Beard is the third different Razorback to win a weekly SEC award this season. Sophomore Bobby Portis has been named Player of the Week twice, while junior Michael Qualls was the first to get the award on Dec. 1.

The North Little Rock product averaged 12.0 points, 3.5 assists and 2.0 rebounds during the two wins over Missouri and at Mississippi State. Against Missouri, Beard scored eight of his 13 points and passed out all five of his assists in the second half for his second-highest point total of the year. Beard was 6-for-6 at the free throw line at Mississippi State, including two with 12 seconds left that gave Arkansas a two-possession lead, en route to 11 points. Over the two games, Beard scored 24 points on just nine field goal attempts.

Since Beard entered the starting lineup seven games ago, Arkansas is 6-1 with six straight wins and one loss by one point. Over seven games as a starter, Beard is averaging 9.6 points and 3.0 assists. After reaching double figures once in non-conference action (12 games), Beard has done so seven times in SEC play (14 games).

Arkansas (22-5) extended its win streak to six games last Saturday at Mississippi State to remain in sole possession of second place in the SEC standings at 11-3. The 11 SEC wins, which is the program’s most since 1997-98, features a 6-2 mark in games decided by five points or less to equal a program record. Included in Arkansas’ current six-game SEC win streak is three straight road victories to run its SEC road record to 5-2.

With just four SEC regular season games remaining, the Razorbacks will host third place Texas A&M (19-7, 10-4) on ESPN Super Tuesday at Bud Walton Arena. Tip is slated for 8 p.m. with Naismith Hall of Fame coach Nolan Richardson to be honored at halftime with a tribute banner that will be hung from the rafters at Bud Walton Arena.