No. 18 Arkansas (1-1) will host Troy (2-0) of the Sun Belt Conference on Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. in the Basketball Palace of Mid-America. The Hogs are 5-1 all-time against Troy, winning the last four matchups between the programs.
Associate head coach Kenny Payne spoke to the media as the Hogs look to bounce back after a 72-67 loss to No. 12 Baylor on Nov. 9 in a neutral-site game in Dallas.
“They [Troy] got 11 players, I think, back from last year’s team,” Payne said. “They’ve got four guys in double figures. They are a very good basketball team. We know we have to play well to beat them.”
Previewing Troy
Troy is 2-0 on the season, winning both of its games by more than 10 points each. In two games, they are averaging 81 points per game while shooting 47.7% from the field and 30.4% from three-point range. On the defensive end, they cause chaos, averaging 10 steals and 4.5 blocks per game.
“They shoot the ball well, they’re physical. They create a situation defensively where they create turnovers,” Payne said. “Our length and athleticism better be in play. Our attention to detail better be in play, because this team is a very good team, and Cal has done a great job explaining to our guys that you have to be the aggressor no matter what they throw at us.”
Troy’s leading scorer is 6-foot-8 junior forward Jackson Fields, who is in his third season with the program. In their last game against the New Orleans Privateers, Fields put up 15 points, shooting 4 of 8 from the field, but was able to draw fouls and get to the free throw line, where he shot 7 of 8. He also grabbed five offensive and defensive rebounds in his double-double performance.
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Previewing Arkansas
In the loss to Baylor, the Hogs struggled against their zone defense, and Payne commented on the type of defense he expects to see from Troy.
“I think we want them to play zone so that we show people that we can handle the zone, and that the goal is to get teams not to play a zone,” Payne said. “We expect them to do that. Coach Cal has spent the last couple of days working on the zone, so we’re ready for it. At the end of the day, it’s how the players digest it, react to it, and do it with confidence.
Against Baylor, the Razorbacks allowed 38 points in the paint, and their defensive presence down low needs improvement. Jonas Aidoo was a key transfer for the Hogs in the offseason but has not been fully healthy. The big man transfer from Tennessee, once fully healthy, should be a defensive anchor for Arkansas, which has struggled at times with interior protection and rebounding.
“Jonas is going to help us,” Payne said. “He’s going to bring a physicality to this team that we sorely need. He’s going to bring rebounding to this team that we sorely need. He’s a big guy that sets great screens. We just got to continue to allow him to get healthy so that he can help us.”
Broadcast Information
Time: 7 p.m.
Date: Nov. 13
Location: Bud Walton Arena, Fayetteville, Ark.
TV: SECN+/ESPN+
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