Razorbacks Must Rebound, Avoid Vandy’s ‘Memorial Magic’

While Arkansas licks its wounds from Saturday’s Hog slaughter at South Carolina, their next opponent is resting comfortably and confidently.

Coach John Calipari’s roller-coaster Razorbacks travel to face the surging Vanderbilt Commodores in a 9 p.m. game Tuesday. The SEC Network will televise.

The Commodores have won three straight, including Saturday’s 97-93 overtime victory at home over No. 14 Missouri. Tyler Nickel hit a 3-pointer to force overtime when Missouri coach Dennis Gates chose not to foul.

Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington had a lot to say in his thoroughly enjoyable post-game press conference that capped a huge week for the Commodores.

The previous Saturday, Vandy won 77-72 at home against No. 24 Ole Miss, then edged No. 12 Texas A&M 86-84 in College Station, Texas.

Nickel hit a career-high seven 3-pointers on 13 attempts to spark the upset win over the Aggies and thrust Vanderbilt firmly into the NCAA Tournament. Nickel hit four early treys to push the ‘Dores to a 28-16 lead.

Asked about playing Arkansas in a quick-turnaround game and if rest was a priority, Byington said: “Yeah these Tuesday games, and so we go Wednesday, Saturday, Tuesday and we’ve done that before.

“Luckily we’re at home, 9:00 game. That’s not my favorite. I’m going to need extra coffee on Tuesday. But if the crowd’s like that (again), that’s going to give us energy, and it’s the last time we’ll play in this building, so I know we want to play well. I know we want to keep going.”

Vandy is counting on another large dose of “Memorial Magic” from their unusual arena that places team benches at opposite ends of the court instead of on the same sideline.

The Commodores are 14-2 in their building this season. Losses were Jan. 7 by 76-64 to Mississippi State and Feb. 11 by 86-68 to No. 1 Auburn.

That began a three-game losing streak for Vandy, followed by road losses to Tennessee, 81-76, and Kentucky, 82-61. Since then, the ‘Dores won three straight.

Benches on the ends of the court is just one reason Memorial Gym is one of the toughest road venues in the SEC. Fans, like most places, are loud and rowdy.

Arkansas faces another problem this time, though. It’s Senior Night for Vanderbilt, always an emotional setting to overcome.

Vanderbilt is 20-9 overall, 8-8 in the SEC, and according to The New York Times, “perhaps capable of a No. 6 or No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament after the Commodores went 9-23 last season in (previous coach Jerry) Stackhouse’s last shot. Wednesday’s win at Texas A&M was the program’s biggest in years. Saturday’s made this a week to remember.”

Arkansas had a week to remember just before the forgetful trip to Columbia, S.C., that began with an 16-2 deficit and got worse from there. The Razorbacks trailed 66-31with less than six minutes remaining and had been outscored by one player, the Gamecocks’ Collin Murray-Boyles, who had 32 at that point and finished with a career-best 35.

The Hogs shot 3-for-24 in the first half, missed their first 17 from 3-point land, and displayed the energy of a bear that just began hibernating.

While the Commodores are a lock for the NCAA Tournament, the Hogs — at 17-12 and 6-10 — will need to beat either Vandy or Mississippi State. The Hogs host the ‘Dogs in Bud Walton Arena Saturday, with an 11 a.m. tipoff on the SEC Network.

Calipari hopes his team — that same one which topped Missouri and Texas in overtime before getting clawed by the Gamecocks — can steal one from Vanderbilt.

The Hogs are capable. They won at Kentucky, at Texas, played tough at A&M and Auburn, while winning five of eight before Saturday.

Calipari has cautioned his players about Vandy’s leading scorer, 6-foot-1 guard Jason Edwards (17.2), burly 6-foot-7 forward Devin McGlockton (10.5 and team-best 8.0 rebounds), 6-foot-7 sharpshooter Nickel (10.3), and strong 6-foot-4 grad transfer guard A.J. Hoggard (10.0, team-high 4.5 assists).

Hoggard drove into the interior of Missouri’s defense to notch 21 points and six assists while 6-foot-5 grad transfer Chris Manon had 23, Edwards 17 and Nickel 12.

That’s a lot of offense to stop for Calipari’s weary warriors, who are just seven deep after injuries to their two leading scorers in Adou Thiero, who’s missed the last two games, and Boogie Fland, who last played Jan. 18 at Missouri.

It’s a big game for the Hogs, likely followed by a bigger one. They’ve got to at least go 1-1 in the final week or be forced to work their own magic at the SEC Tournament right back there in Nashville, Tenn.