Familiar rivals meet at sold out Bud Walton

The University of Arkansas basketball team returns to Bud Walton Arena on Saturday, Feb. 16, to face a familiar opponent and new Southeastern Conference foe, Missouri, at 3 p.m., in a game televised by ESPN.

The first 10,000 patrons into the sold out arena will receive a Razorback basketball car decal.  University of Arkansas students are reminded that there are 3,000 students seats available for the game and access pass holders will be accommodated first, but if some students seats remain unused as game time approaches, those tickets will be made available to other UA students for $10 cash at the east entrance.

Arkansas (15-9, 6-5 SEC) picked up its first road win of the season on Wednesday night and looks to remain undefeated at home when the Tigers come to Bud Walton Arena.  The Razorbacks are 30-4 at home with Mike Anderson as the head coach and have just a single loss this year to No. 6/5 Syracuse who defeated the Razorbacks in late November.

One of the keys to Arkansas’ dominance at home has been its ability to make shots and get teams to play Anderson’s “Fastest 40 Minutes in Basketball” style.  Another factor in the Razorbacks’ confidence at home is the energy of the Arkansas crowd who have already sold out the arena for the Saturday clash.  Sophomore BJ Young continues to lead the Razorbacks in scoring at 16.5 points per game while junior Marshawn Powell average 14.9 and a team high 5.6 rebounds.

Missouri (18-6, 7-4 SEC) has been a top 25 team for most of the season and just recently slipped to the ranks of receiving votes in the poll.  Junior guard Phil Pressey leads the Tiger offense while sharpshooter Jabari Brown receives numerous passes from Pressey allowing him to hit 38.5 percent from beyond the arc.  Missouri’s Achilles heal this season has been true road games in which it is 1-5 with the one victory coming on Wednesday night at Mississippi State.

Arkansas leads the all-time series between the two programs, 19-18, which includes Razorback wins in nine of the last 10 meetings between the schools.  The last time Arkansas and Missouri played was during the 2007-08 season, a game the Razorbacks won 94-91 at Bud Walton Arena.

The Razorback game against Missouri will be broadcast on the radio across the Razorback Sports Network from IMG College with Chuck Barrett and Rick Schaeffer giving the call.  The game will also be carried live on ESPN with Mark Jones and Razorback alum Jimmy Dykes on air.