Arkansas basketball begins its March Madness journey against South Carolina in a game that could determine whether the Hogs get an invite to the NCAA Tournament.
The Razorbacks (19-12) are the No. 9 seed in the SEC Tournament, opening the postseason against the No. 16 Gamecocks (12-19). Arkansas currently sits on the right side of the bubble, but another loss to South Carolina could open the door to bid-stealers spoiling a late-season turnaround.
Arkansas will be searching for revenge Wednesday (noon, SEC Network) after losing to the Gamecocks by 19 points just two weeks prior. That loss hurt the Razorbacks’ résumé, but they’ve bounced back with back-to-back wins over Vanderbilt and Mississippi State.
Here is a scouting report and prediction for the Razorbacks’ postseason opener against the Gamecocks.
More:
USA TODAY Sports Network 2025 All-SEC men’s basketball awards, coach and player of the year
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
More: Billy Richmond III saves Arkansas basketball with key block in win over Mississippi State
Does Arkansas basketball have an answer for Collin Murray-Boyles?
South Carolina’s top offensive option erupted for a career-high 35 points in the teams’ previous meeting. None of the Razorbacks’ bigs could match Murray-Boyles’ combination of speed, power and touch. The athletic big man got to the paint at will in the Gamecocks’ win.
All three bigs — Zvonimir Ivisic, Trevon Brazile and Jonas Aidoo — must defend better on Wednesday. This could be a game where Aidoo racks up big minutes, and the Tennessee transfer is coming off his best game in an Arkansas uniform with 21 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Mississippi State.
Can Johnell Davis make three 3-pointers?
Since Feb. 1, the Razorbacks are 4-0 in the SEC when Davis hits this clip. His 3-point success isn’t just about solo production. When Davis is making shots from the outside, opposing defenses get stretched further to the perimeter.
That opens up driving lanes for D.J. Wagner and creates interior space for Ivisic and Aidoo. The entire roster plays better when Davis is a long-range threat, and Arkansas needs to maximize all seven rotation players with Boogie Fland and Adou Thiero likely out for the tournament.
Trevon Brazile is the X-Factor
It’s been a simple formula for Arkansas in the four games since Thiero’s injury. Brazile has averaged 13 points and 11 rebounds in three wins and fouled out while being held to just two free throws in the lone loss to South Carolina.
If Brazile plays well, Arkansas is difficult to beat. The Hogs are 6-0 when he scores at least 10 points and 7-1 when he grabs at least seven rebounds.
Arkansas basketball vs South Carolina prediction
The Razorbacks have one game against the last place team in the league to leave no doubts that they deserve to be an NCAA Tournament team. Murray-Boyles presents a difficult matchup, but Arkansas will find a way, primarily by shooting much better than it did in the blowout lost earlier this month. Arkansas 73, South Carolina 68.
Jackson Fuller covers Arkansas football, basketball and baseball for the Southwest Times Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at [email protected] or follow him@jacksonfuller16 on X, formerly known as Twitter.
