As Florida still works out its offensive kinks, Mike Anderson’s Arkansas Razorbacks are quietly becoming a legitimate SEC contender. The Hogs are riding a seven-game winning streak that includes wins in the first two conference games for the first time in the Anderson era. We have already examined Arkansas’ up-tempo style this year, but it is now the defense that is giving the Razorbacks an edge in conference play.
In addition to 32 points on Saturday, Arkansas forward Bobby Portis finished with four steals too. (thesportsseer.com).
It is typically Arkansas’ full-court pressure that creates havoc for its opponents, but it was the Razorbacks’ half-court defense that gave Vanderbilt fits as Arkansas created 31 points off of 22 Vandy turnovers on its way to an 82-70 win. Arkansas has forced SEC opponents into a 30 percent or greater turnover percentage seven times since Anderson’s arrival (see table below), so it will be very difficult to beat the Razorbacks when the opponent turns the ball over on almost a third of its possessions. In this edition of Freeze Frame, we will review how the Hogs made scoring so difficult for the Commodores and how that performance fits historically in the Anderson era.
The Razorbacks best turnover percentages against conference opponents since Mike Anderson’s arrival.
To analyze Arkansas’ half-court pressure, let’s review a couple of plays from the Vanderbilt game. In the first play below, Commodores’ freshman Riley LaChance makes a simple backdoor cut to break free of Ky Madden. He comes up toward the ball-handler before quickly breaking toward the basket.
However, Madden is all over it, playing perfect denial defense. He stays with LaChance and cuts off the passing lane, creating an opportunity for transition.
Here is the play in full video so you can see how it unfolded.
In the second play, you can see how Arkansas preferred to force Vanderbilt toward the sidelines so as to use the sideline as a third defender. LaChance makes a freshman mistake by putting the ball right where the Razorbacks want it.
Arkansas defender Jabril Durham joins Madden and creates a double-team on the sideline and forcing the ball out for another easy takeaway.
Here is another video where it’s easy to see the play unfold in real time.
Arkansas uses good old-fashioned denial defense and a deliberative trapping system near the baseline to force opponents into half-court turnovers. The Razorbacks scored 31 points off of those turnovers on Saturday, and their attacking defense will continue to wreak havoc on SEC opponents all season long. If the Hogs’ defense continues to produce turnovers at this level, we could very well come to see Arkansas’ name next to Kentucky’s at the top of the regular season SEC standings.