FAYETTEVILLE -- Anton Beard and KeVaughn Allen have shared the basketball court for a number of big games.
The duo led North Little Rock to the since-vacated Class 7A state championship in 2014, part of a 26-2 season. They combined for 57 points in the title game, with Beard taking home MVP honors for his 29-point performance.
Last year was a different story when they stepped on the court together. They were no longer on the same team, and it was no longer a big game.
Allen's Florida Gators were in the midst of a season that ended with them missing the NCAA Tournament for a second consecutive year after four consecutive seasons of making it to at least the Elite Eight, while the Razorbacks were struggling through a .500 season. The two meetings were far from high-stakes matchups.
That won't be the case tonight in Walton Arena when Arkansas (11-1) and No. 25 Florida (9-3) square off at 8 p.m. to open SEC play.
"Now the [race] for the conference championship in the SEC is on," Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson said. "... Being the first game, there'll be a lot of nerves and energy going on, a lot of excitement, a lot of enthusiasm. And then you've got to play basketball. That's our focus, to continue to play good basketball."
Arkansas has done that lately and enters the matchup with eight consecutive victories.
Florida enters league play with the No. 5 RPI in the nation, which is the best RPI in the league and five spots ahead of the Kentucky Wildcats. The Gators' losses are to No. 5 Duke, No. 7 Gonzaga and No. 20 Florida State by a combined 20 points.
Arkansas has the third-best RPI in the league, coming into the opener at No. 19. The Razorbacks are off to their best start in Mike Anderson's six-year tenure and enter conference play with one loss for only the second time since winning the 1993-94 national title.
"We wanted to go 12-0, but 11-1 was good," senior Manny Watkins said. "We took care of business. Our main thing every day is getting better. Wins and losses take care of themselves if you do what you're supposed to do. Our main focus in the nonconference is win every day, win every practice, even all the off days. We did that, and we're just ready for the SEC now."
Beard and Allen have been integral in their teams' starts.
Beard has been a playmaker off the bench for Arkansas, averaging 9.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists.
"I see an even better guy," said Anderson, comparing Beard to his All-SEC freshman self. "And those plays are not just offensively scoring. Here's a guy who started as a freshman, comes back last year and started some. Now he's coming off the bench, but he's playing some great, great minutes for us. Very efficient basketball. Winning basketball."
Arkansas' offense ranks 33rd in the nation in efficiency, averaging 114.8 points per 100 possessions. When Beard is in the game, the offensive rating jumps to 123.5.
He's done a little of everything, from hitting three-pointers to breaking down the defense off the dribble. He even ranks second on the team with 18 offensive rebounds, despite being the shortest player in the rotation at 6 feet tall.
"When you've got someone who can penetrate in there and make the defense collapse and then kick it out to the shooters and even get Moses and the other big guys easy buckets, that's nothing but helpful," Watkins said. "We've just got to get all of us doing that. [Beard's] been doing that a lot."
Allen is being asked to do more for Florida this year, both as a scorer and primary ballhandler.
Last season, he averaged 11.6 points on 9.3 shots a game. This year, he's averaging a team-best 13.6 points on 11.3 shots.
His efficiency is up across the board. He's shooting 45.1 percent from the floor after hitting just 39.9 percent a year ago; 36.7 percent from three-point range after hitting only 31.5 percent as a freshman; and 87.5 percent from the line, up from 84.6 percent.
"He's gotten better from the standpoint of handling the ball," Anderson said. "He's always been a scorer. His body has changed a little bit from a physical standpoint."
Allen and the Gators got the best of Beard and the Hogs in both meetings last year, continuing a one-sided trend in the series dating back to the turn of the century. Including 2000, Florida has won 18 of 22 meetings, including five consecutive and 10 of 11. Anderson won his first meeting against the Gators when the Razorbacks upset No. 2 Florida 80-69 in 2012, but the Hogs haven't won since.
Arkansas men vs. Florida
— Jimmy Carter
WHEN 8 p.m. WHERE Walton Arena, Fayetteville RECORDS Arkansas 11-1; Florida 9-3 SERIES Florida leads 20-11 RADIO Razorback Sports Network TELEVISION SEC Network TICKETS $15
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS
FLORIDA POS., NAME, HT., YR. PPG RPG G KeVaughn Allen, 6-2, So 13.6 2.3 G Kasey Hill, 6-1, Sr. 9.3 2.9 C John Egbunu, 6-11, So. 9.0 7.7 F Devin Robinson, 6-8, Jr. 12.4 5.8 F Justin Leon, 6-8, Sr. 6.5 3.3 COACH Mike White (30-18 in two seasons at Florida, 131-58 overall in six seasons) ARKANSAS POS., NAME, HT., YR. PPG RPG G Jaylen Barford, 6-3, Jr. 10.3 3.3 G Daryl Macon, 6-3, Jr. 13.3 3.2 G Manny Watkins, 6-3, Sr. 5.8 4.2 F Dustin Thomas, 6-8, Jr. 7.1 4.2 C Moses Kingsley, 6-10, Sr. 11.3 8.3 COACH Mike Anderson (113-65 in six seasons at Arkansas, 313-163 overall in 15 seasons)
TEAM COMPARISON
Florida Arkansas 79.1 Points for 83.6 66.1 Points against 69.4 +2.7 Rebound margin +6.0 +4.8 Turnover margin +1.5 45.9 FG pct. 46.6 34.6 3-PT pct. 36.7 74.4 FT pct. 77.9 CHALK TALK Arkansas has won eight consecutive games since losing 85-71 at Minnesota and is off to its best 12-game start in Mike Anderson’s six seasons as coach. The previous best was 9-2 … Florida’s three losses have been to No. 5 Duke, No. 7 Gonzaga and No. 20 Florida State by a combined 20 points. … The Gators’ 94-71 victory over Arkansas-Little Rock on Dec. 21 was their first game in Gainesville, Fla., this year because of renovations to the O’Connell Center. … The Gators have won five in a row in the series, 10 of 11 and 13 of 15, including two victories last season. … Arkansas is 2-3 in SEC openers under Mike Anderson.
Sports on 12/29/2016