FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas senior guard Manny Watkins has hit four three-point baskets in the past two games, which are four more than Watkins hit in his first 92 games with the Razorbacks.
Watkins was 0 of 8 on three-pointers for his college career coming into this season. Then he hit one against Missouri last Saturday.
Watkins finished 1 of 4 on three-pointers in the Razorbacks' 92-73 victory over the Tigers, but the one he made got plenty of attention.
"I was speechless when it went in," Arkansas guard Daryl Macon said. "I didn't even know he had shot a three. I thought it was a two."
Watkins was just getting warmed up.
In Arkansas' 62-60 victory at Texas A&M on Tuesday night, he went 3 of 3 on three-pointers.
Watkins said he made the decision to shoot three-pointers after he had two turnovers in a 23-second span in the first half when the Aggies left him open on the perimeter. He made his first three-pointer late in the first half, then hit two more in the second half.
"The Missouri game I'd been shooting that one a lot in practice and it just kind of happened," Watkins said. "I just took it and it went in. But the A&M game, when I came down and had the turnovers ... I was like, 'If I don't make them try to respect me, we're going to lose the game.'
"I always think about the team and winning. That's why I was like, 'I've got to shoot.' When your back's against the wall, the real you comes out. I just make plays to try to win the game."
So Watkins is going to keep shooting threes when Arkansas plays LSU tonight in Walton Arena, right?
Watkins said he will if the Tigers don't respect him on the perimeter. He's a career 51.7 percent shooter and has hit 54.7 percent of his field goal attempts (47 of 86) this season.
"I've never been a bad shot-taker," Watkins said. "That's not what I do. If it's a good look, it's going in the air."
Watkins has heard jokes about how he's now shooting three-pointers better than Dusty Hannahs, the Razorbacks' senior guard who has hit 199 of 510 three-pointers (39.0 percent) in two seasons each at Texas Tech and Arkansas.
"In class they're saying, 'Well, you're a sharpshooter now,' " Watkins said. "Some of my friends that are friends with Dusty say, 'Hey, you need to teach Dusty how to shoot. Put him in one of your shooting classes.'
"It's been fun, but I let everybody know that three-point shooting comes and goes, and that's not my game at all. Never will be."
Watkins' game is based on playing tenacious defense, rebounding and driving hard to the basket on offense. He's averaging 6.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 22.1 minutes.
"I'm still going to do what I do," he said. "I'm always going to be Manny."
Watkins isn't the Razorbacks' only surprise perimeter threat.
Senior center Moses Kingsley -- who was 1 of 2 on three-pointers as a freshman and didn't attempt one as a sophomore or junior -- is 4 of 7 this season.
In SEC play, Watkins and Kingsley have hit a combined 7 of 11 three-pointers.
"Yeah, I know," Watkins said. "I hit one, he's got to hit one."
Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson sounded like he was afraid of jinxing Watkins and Kingsley when asked about their three-point shooting.
"I don't even want to talk about it," Anderson said. "Just keep doing what they're doing, that's all.
"They're just playing with confidence. The shots are available and they're knocking them down. They work on it, so it doesn't surprise me. Maybe the percentage they're shooting it, but it doesn't surprise me that they're making them because they work at it."
Hannahs and Macon remain the Razorbacks' top perimeter threats with a combined 67 three-point makes this season, but getting unexpected help from Watkins and Kingsley is a boost.
"Any time someone can hit shots, it's going to help your team," Watkins said. "If I'm hitting them -- or at least showing that I'll take them -- they'll have to come out on me, and then I can use my body to get around them and shoot the floater.
"I know if I'm able to hit them and it spaces the floor better, it opens up things for other guys."
Watkins said he was reading something on the Internet recently about how he and Kingsley both had hit three-pointers in SEC games and that Hannahs -- known more for his shooting than passing -- was second on the team with three assists against Missouri.
"Someone said that's just seniors doing whatever it takes to win," Watkins said. "That really stuck with me, because that's what it is.
"It's our last year. The sense of urgency is through the roof. In order to win, you've got to do things and it has to be from your seniors."
Watkins said the seniors are determined to make winning plays.
"We don't care what plays we have to make," he said. "We don't care how they're made. All we're doing is trying to make plays to win games. It's our last go-around, and we've got to do whatever we can."
Arkansas men vs. LSU
WHEN 7:30 p.m. WHERE Walton Arena, Fayetteville RECORDS Arkansas 14-4, 3-3 SEC; LSU 9-8, 1-5 SERIES Arkansas leads 33-28 RADIO Razorback Sports Network TELEVISION SEC Network
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS
LSU POS. NAME, HT, YR PPG RPG G Antonio Blakeney 6-4, So. 16.8 5.1 G Jalyn Patterson, 6-1, Jr. 6.2 3.6 G Brandon Simpson, 6-5, So. 10.6 3.0 F Duop Reath, 6-10, Jr. 13.6 6.2 F Aaron Epps, 6-10, Jr. 6.7 5.1 COACH Johnny Jones (89-59 in five seasons at LSU, 294-221 overall in 17 seasons)
ARKANSAS POS. NAME, HT, YR PPG RPG G Jaylen Barford, 6-3, Jr. 10.0 3.6 G Daryl Macon, 6-3, Jr. 14.0 2.9 G Anton Beard, 6-0, Sr. 9.0 2.4 F Dustin Thomas, 6-8, Jr. 6.0 4.0 C Moses Kingsley, 6-10, Sr. 11.7 8.1 COACH Mike Anderson (116-68 in six seasons at Arkansas, 316-166 overall in 15 seasons)
TEAM COMPARISON
LSU Arkansas 75.5 Points for 81.1 78.4 Points against 72.6 +1.0 Rebound margin +2.4 -1.8 Turnover margin +1.1 45.5 FG pct. 46.3 34.4 3-pt pct. 37.2 65.3 FT pct. 76.0 CHALK TALK Moses Kingsley is 23 points shy of becoming the 40th Arkansas player to score 1,000 for his career … The Razorbacks are 4-0 in games decided by four or fewer points … Arkansas senior guard Dusty Hannahs, who has played off the bench the previous three games, is averaging 13.9 points … The Razorbacks are 18-6 against LSU in Fayetteville and have won four of their last five at home in the series … LSU last won in Walton Arena 81-78 in 2015 on Keith Hornby’s last-second three-point basket … The Tigers have lost four consecutive SEC games (Mississippi State, Texas A&M, Alabama and Auburn) for the first time since Johnny Jones’ first season as coach in 2013. They rallied to finish 9-9 in the conference that season … LSU’s lone SEC victory was at Missouri.
— Bob Holt
Sports on 01/21/2017