FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas' basketball team has one more turnover than its opponents going into tonight's game against Mount St. Mary's.
That's not how it's supposed to be for the Razorbacks.
Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson's teams have thrived on winning the turnover-margin battle and converting their opponents' mistakes into easy baskets.
None of Anderson's previous 14 teams at Alabama-Birmingham, Missouri and Arkansas has finished a season with a minus-turnover margin.
Anderson's teams at UAB included a plus-7.0 turnover margin during the 2004-05 season and plus-6.7 during the 2002-03 season. His 2009-2010 Missouri team had a plus-6.6 in turnover margin and his 2008-09 team had a plus-6.2.
The Razorbacks (3-1) have a minus-0.2 turnover ratio -- 62 turnovers compared with 61 by their opponents -- after an 85-71 loss at Minnesota on Tuesday.
Arkansas committed 21 turnovers against the Golden Gophers, who had 14. Minnesota outscored Arkansas 26-11 in points off of turnovers.
"There you have the game," Anderson said.
Arkansas' turnover margin finishes under Anderson the previous five seasons have ranged from plus-5.9 to plus-3.1.
"We always value the ball," he said. "That's a stat that we take a lot of pride in. So we've got to clean it up, and I think we will. That's kind of an abnormality what took place at Minnesota."
Arkansas' seven newcomers have combined for 43 turnovers and 27 assists.
"It's just getting familiar with the speed of the game and what takes place here," Anderson said. "Some things you can get away with, whether it be in high school or junior college, you can't get away with here."
Starting guards Jaylen Barford and Daryl Macon, both junior college transfers, have averaged a combined 5.5 turnovers the first four games. Barford has 10 assists and 12 turnovers. Macon has 11 assists and 10 turnovers.
Anderson said he's confident Barford and Macon will improve their assist-to-turnover ratio.
"I believe so, I really do," Anderson said. "If not, they'll be over there sitting with me."
Macon had five turnovers at Minnesota.
"I think Daryl had a couple plays where he probably could have shot it, and he passed it off to guys that weren't ready to catch it," Anderson said. "Some of that's the newness.
"Sometimes you want to try to make something spectacular happen where it just needs to be simple."
Anderson said letting the 30-second shot clock run down has contributed to turnovers at times.
"I'd rather see a guy take a shot than turn it over," Anderson said. "Just making bad decisions, that's all. To me, that's fixable there."
Mount St. Mary's (1-6) has a plus-1.0 turnover ratio.
In the Mountaineers' 64-47 loss at No. 25 Michigan on Saturday night, they had 11 turnovers compared with 12 by the Wolverines and finished with a 10-9 edge in points off of turnovers.
"They have a good ball-handling team," Anderson said. "They want to attack you and get to the free-throw line. They like to press as well. If you're careless with the basketball, they'll take it."
Mount St. Mary's 5-5 guard Junior Robinson scored 21 points at Michigan. He hit 8 of 14 shots, including 5 of 6 three-pointers.
"The Robinson kid is one of the smallest guards in the country, but he's effective," Anderson said. "He's cat-quick."
The Mountaineers -- whose lone victory was 78-76 in overtime at George Mason -- are playing their eighth consecutive road game to open the season, including losing 87-59 at No. 19 West Virginia and 73-55 at No. 21 Iowa State.
Among common opponents with the Razorbacks, Mount St. Mary's lost 80-56 at Minnesota, 73-63 at Southern Illinois and 80-71 at Texas-Arlington.
"I think they're going to come play," Anderson said. "I think they're going to look forward to getting up tempo with us. It's a team that's not afraid. They've played some people. Coming in, they've got nothing to lose and everything to gain."
Arkansas junior guard Anton Beard, averaging 17.8 minutes off the bench, has a team-high 13 assists with 2 turnovers.
"I think he'll play more," Anderson said. "He's really playing well. You look at his assist-to-turnover ratio ... that's experience."
Anderson said the Razorbacks have responded well in practice since the Minnesota game, and he expects them to make better decisions with the ball tonight.
"We've cleaned it up in practice," he said. "I think we'll clean it up in the game."
Sports on 11/28/2016