Adding to his already storybook season, Arkansas superstar point guard Darius Acuff scored 91 points in his three SEC Tournament games as the Razorbacks took home the title in arguably the best league in the country this season.
It was perhaps a bit of an easy draw for Arkansas, getting Oklahoma and Ole Miss in their first two rounds. The two opponents were a combined 11-25 in SEC play. They also avoided top-seeded Florida with the Gators getting knocked out by Vanderbilt in the semifinals.
But Arkansas still had to take down those Commodores in the championship game, and they made it look easy. The Razorbacks shot a blistering 63% from beyond the arc including a 4-for-5 night from Trevon Brazile, and did an excellent job slowing down Vanderbilt star Tyler Tanner, who went just 3-of-15 from the field.
With the NCAA Tournament set to begin this week, there are now few teams that are riding a high as real as Arkansas'. With their top-end talent and a proven coach in John Calipari, the Razorbacks have the ceiling to make a very deep March Madness run, but there is also the chance that their inconsistent defense leads to an early loss.
All-Around Elite Offense
There may not be a more complete offense in the sport than Arkansas'. Led by the brilliance of Acuff, the team ranks No. 6 in offensive efficiency. But also ranks Top 20 in effective field goal percentage and 3-point percentage while also being the single-best turnover avoidant offense in the country. You cannot pressure this Arkansas group.
The consistency of this group is also remarkable. They have failed to top 1 point per possession just three times all season, and have fallen below 1.1 points per possession five times. That is the same amount of times below that number as Purdue, the top offense in the country.
Because the offensive unit is so elite, it is very hard for a non-elite opponent to take down the Razorbacks. While top teams will have slip ups every once and a while, Arkansas does not have a single loss to a team ranked below 40 on KenPom. They've taken care of all the inferior opponents on their schedule.
A part of that is because this group is not reliant on 3-point shooting, ranking just 311th in 3-point rate. With Acuff's penetration ability, the teams thrives off the bounce in the middle of the floor, a style of offense that most teams just aren't equipped to handle in modern hoops.
A Defensive Downside
How could Arkansas have eight losses despite being one of the most complete offenses in the country? That would be because the defense is average, at best.
Arkansas doesn't force many turnovers, they don't pressure the ball much, they are just fine on the boards, and they struggle to defend the interior even though they are one of the best shot blocking teams in the nation.
While the Razorbacks are tall and athletic down low, they are relatively easy to push off their spots, and they gamble for blocked shots which can leave them susceptible on the weak side. There was a particular stretch late in the season where they allowed seven straight opponents' 4-man or 5-man to score at least 20 points. Great frontcourt players can take full advantage in the paint.
Those defensive issues may also explain why the team is just average against the super elite teams they played this year. Arkansas went just 2-4 against Top 15 opponents this year, with both wins coming against Vanderbilt. They can score with any team in the country, but have struggled to overcome teams that can be steady on both ends of the floor.
Do Guards Win in March?
Inevitably, if the old adage that guards win in March holds true, then Arkansas has as good a chance as any to cut down the nets in Indianapolis, because they have the best guard in the country with Acuff.
We could do a whole article on how historically dominant Acuff has been this season, and the fact that he has seemingly seriously entered the No. 1 pick conversation in the NBA draft, with analysts starting to suggest he's the best guard noted NBA-guard whisperer Calipari has ever had should be saying something.
Acuff nearly willed a shorthanded Arkansas squad past Alabama with 49 points. His 30 points and 11 assists sealed the deal in the SEC title game. There is no bounds to what a big performance means for Acuff, and that in turn means there no bounds to what an NCAA Tournament run could look like for Arkansas.
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Tournament Index evaluation
Arkansas earned a No. 4 seed at the NCAA Tournament. In terms of seed strength, the Tournament Index grades the Razorbacks as the 13th-strongest No. 4 seed compared to the last 12 tournament fields. Ten of the 12 stronger teams won at least two games in the Big Dance. For Arkansas, The TI projects an average of 1.79 wins given its seed and team strength.
