FAYETTEVILLE -- The University of Arkansas men's basketball team has shown a clear improvement in rebounding and ball security to help assist its three-game winning streak heading into today's 7:30 p.m. rematch against Texas A&M.
Arkansas has outrebounded its past four opponents 169-130, for an average of 42.3 to 32.5 per game. The big board differential streak started in the Hogs' 86-81 loss at Texas A&M on Jan. 8 in which Arkansas held a 46-32 advantage on the glass.
Another key department for Arkansas has been fewer turnovers. The Razorbacks have 38 turnovers in their past three games, after racking up 49 in their first three SEC games. Arkansas opponents have 57 turnovers the past three games, giving the Razorbacks a plus 6.3 in the turnover department during their three-game winning streak.
Asked for keys to Saturday's game, Arkansas assistant coach Gus Argenal said, "Take care of the ball for sure. That's probably the No. 1 thing for us.
"Take care of the ball and limit their second-chance points. Just rebound it and make sure we handle the pressure the right way."
Texas A&M leads the SEC and is sixth nationally with a plus 5.6 turnover margin, while the Razorbacks are seventh in the SEC and 56th in the country at plus 2.7.
3-point stats
Per HogStats.com, Arkansas is 7-0 in games in which it did not make a three-point shot, including Tuesday's 75-59 win over South Carolina. The Razorbacks shot 0 for 11 from three-point range against the Gamecocks, snapping a string of 1,092 games with a made three-pointer.
That streak trailed only UNLV (now with 1,147 consecutive games) and Duke (1,131). UNLV and Princeton remain the only Division I schools who have made a three pointer in every game since the scoring rule was adopted for the 1986-87 season.
Arkansas ranks 328th among the 350 Division I schools with 28.8% shooting from three-point range this season. That figure is ahead of only Missouri (25.8%) in the SEC.
By contrast, Texas A&M leads the SEC and ranks 94th nationally with 35.4% shooting from beyond the arc.
Ring around Muss
The Arkansas coaching staff was very observant about action that took place near the Razorbacks' bench in Tuesday's win over South Carolina.
Coach Eric Musselman was wearing a left shoulder harness to protect himself following rotator cuff surgery last Thursday, but the coaches were aware a loose ball scramble could always extend into the bench area.
Assistant coach Gus Argenal was asked about he and assistant Keith Smart looking like secret service agents in looking out for Musselman.
"Are you really trying to put that much pressure on me?" Argenal replied. "We needed a foxhole back there to protect him. Somebody had said ... that Ronnie Brewer should have been up there to be the real wall.
"But yeah, Coach Smart and I were like, 'Hey, we've got to be careful here. If anybody comes through ...' We can't tackle another player, so hopefully it's one of our guys flying over here."
The 6-7 Brewer, a Razorback legacy and 11-year NBA veteran, is clearly the largest staff member on the bench as the first-year recruiting coordinator.
Need for Notae
Guard JD Notae enters tonight's game with 318 points this season and is trailing Vanderbilt guard Scottie Pippen Jr. by one point for the SEC scoring lead.
Notae leads the SEC with 2.47 steals per game, is fifth with 2.18 three-pointers per game, 13th with 3.35 assists per game and 15th with 74.6% free-throw shooting.
Notae and Tennessee's Santiago Vescovi and Kennedy Chandler are the only SEC players to rank in the top 15 in all three categories. Notae has been the team scoring leader in eight games this year.
"You could tell the last game that I think everyone that watched him offensively how hard he was driving the basketball," assistant coach Gus Argenal said. "Not just finding his teammates in pick-and-roll situations but also trying to drive the ball, mix up his offensive game, try to get his efficiency up."
Under 60
Arkansas is 16-0 under Coach Eric Musselman when holding opponents to 59 points or fewer, as the Razorbacks have done in three consecutive games and four times this season.
Musselman has a 36-1 record as a college coach when holding teams to fewer than 60 points. The only loss was a 57-54 home setback for his Nevada team against San Diego State on Jan. 26, 2016.
Bench might
Texas A&M is riding a streak of 17 consecutive games in which its bench has outscored the opposition's, including a 27-24 edge in Wednesday's home loss to Kentucky.
Helping the Aggies in that department is leading scorer Quenton Jackson, who averages 12.6 points per game but has not started all season. Wade Taylor IV, who also has not started a game, averages 7.6 points, while Hassan Diarra, who has made two starts, is at 6.4 points per game.
Inside the series
Arkansas has played more games against the Aggies than any other opponent and the Razorbacks lead the series 104-58.
Since Texas A&M joined the SEC for the 2012-13 season, Arkansas has a 9-7 edge, including a 7-1 mark at Walton Arena. The Aggies' only win at Walton Arena in the SEC came in an 87-80 decision on Feb. 23, 2019, during Coach Mike Anderson's final season at Arkansas.
Arkansas is 59-15 in home games against the Aggies, 38-39 on the road and 7-4 at neutral sites.