Men's Basketball Set for SEC Home Opener Tuesday
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas men’s basketball team (6-7, 0-1) is set for its SEC home opener Tuesday evening, welcoming Vanderbilt (8-5, 0-1) to Bud Walton Arena for an 8:05 p.m. tip-off on SEC Network.
Tip-off: Tuesday, Jan. 5 at 8 p.m. CT
Location: Bud Walton Arena (Fayetteville, Ark.)
TV: SEC Network | WatchESPN
Tickets: Click Here
The Opponent
• Vanderbilt enters Tuesday’s matchup at 8-5 overall and 0-1 in SEC play. The Commodores lost 90-82 to LSU on Saturday in their first conference action of the year. After beginning the season 5-0, Vandy has gone 3-5 in its last eight contests. In terms of common opponents, both Arkansas and Vandy have lost to Dayton, while the Commodores defeated Wake Forest at the Maui Jim Maui Invitational, while the Razorbacks lost to the Demon Deacons in Winston-Salem, N.C.
• Even though Vandy only has two players averaging double figures, the Commodores have the 63rd-best scoring offense in the country and fifth-best in the SEC at 79.8 points per game. They have six players contributing at least 8.5 points per contest, led by sophomore guard Wade Baldwin IV at 14.8 and junior center Damian Jones with 12.5. The Commodores rank in the top 35 nationally in blocks per game (5.4), defensive rebounds per game (29.1), field goal defense (36.8 percent) and three-point field goal defense (27.4).
• Head coach Kevin Stallings is in his 17th season at Vanderbilt, with a record of 321-212 (.602) in 16-plus seasons. He’s the all-time winningest coach in Commodore history, with 43 victories more than Roy Skinner’s second-place mark of 278. In 33 seasons as a player, assistant coach and head coach, Stallings’ clubs have made 26 NCAA Tournament appearances.
#Fastest40 Facts
• In the last 15 years, Arkansas has dropped its SEC opener eight times. In those eight years, the Razorbacks have won their second league game twice, including in 2013 against Vanderbilt.
• Over the last 25 SEC regular season games dating back to 2013-14, Arkansas has a record of 18-7, the second-best mark in the SEC behind Kentucky (22-3). Vanderbilt is 10-15 over the same stretch.
• Arkansas is 20-11 all-time against Vanderbilt, including a 10-2 mark in BWA.
• Mike Anderson has posted a record of 28-7 (.800) against SEC opponents in Bud Walton Arena.
• Jabril Durham is one of six players in the country with four double-digit assist games this season. He has four of the 10 double-digit assist performances in the SEC this year and ranks No. 5 in the nation with 7.3 assists per game.
Kinglsey’s Corner
• Moses Kingsley is the only power five conference player in the country averaging at least 15 points, 10 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game.
• Kingsley is the first Razorback in 30 years with eight double-doubles through the first 12 games.
• He is one of 22 players in the country averaging a double-double, including one of 10 individuals from a power five conference.
• His eight double-doubles is tied for the eighth-most in the country and second-most in the SEC behind LSU’s Ben Simmons (10).
• Kingsley is one of 11 players in the nation with five-plus blocks in three different games this year.
• The Abuja, Nigera native is one of two players in the country with multiple games of 20 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks.
Up Next
Arkansas welcomes Mississippi State to town Saturday afternoon for a 2:30 p.m. tip-off on SEC Network.
For more information on Arkansas men’s basketball, follow @RazorbackMBB on Twitter.
