By Otis Kirk

FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas moved up to No. 9 in the latest AP Poll today as they are set to open SEC play on Wednesday night in Baton Rouge against LSU. 

Both teams will bring 11-1 marks into the game. Arkansas will be playing without forward Trevon Brazile and guard Nick Smith Jr. Eric Musselman was asked about Smith's status on Monday.

"Nick’s status has not changed at all," Musselman said. "Out indefinitely and there’s no updates on him at all."

At least, Musselman is going to be able to make the trip. The last time Arkansas played at LSU he didn't make the trip due to shoulder surgery.

"Should is great, but obviously last year was pretty weird coming out of surgery," Musselman said. "I remember sitting at my kitchen table writing some notes. Got dizzy on Friday night. Was able to watch the game and was extremely sick afterwards, to the point that Dr. (Wesley) Cox had to come over to my house because I got off the pain medicine without being instructed to and got slammed pretty good right after the game. 

"But I remember… I’ve never really can remember celebrating a game like that with my wife, being so excited. I thought Coach (Keith) Smart did a great job. The team played in a tough environment. They had a great crowd. They were a ranked team at the time and it was a huge win for our program last year at that juncture of time."

This game will be the first true road game for Arkansas, but they have played in Europe, Maui, North Little Rock and Tulsa so it's not like all the games have been in Bud Walton Arena.

"I think for sure the fact we played the three games in Maui helps," Musselman said. "We certainly feel like that game in Tulsa, even leaving Bud Walton and playing in North Little Rock, we've got a pretty good sample size of five games where we are out of our own element, so to speak. We've had to travel and check into hotels, but certainly a road game is different when it's a true road game. Certainly, a league game is different than a non-conference game, and certainly a league road game is much, much different than a normal road game."

Arkansas started the season with 11 new players among its 13 scholarship players. LSU has also turned its roster something Musselman commented on Monday.

"LSU's coaching staff has done a great job," Musselman said. "Bringing some guys that have played for them in the past has really helped continuity-wise. (Justice) Hill does a really good job for them at the point. He's a great assist-to-turnover player. KJ Williams, player of the year in their conference, has played at an elite, elite level through non-conference play. A guy like (Adam) Miller that was there last year and rehabbed. Obviously, (Mwani) Wilkinson, No. 5, is a returning player. 

"Obviously, you have transfers that have done a good job. (Derek) Fountain is a guy that played at Mississippi State, so he has SEC league experience. (Trae) Hannibal had played in the SEC, and he's a tough-minded guy. (Cam) Hayes, a transfer from NC State. All those guys have done a great job. I really like how they've played and how he's implemented his system and guys have bought into what they're teaching."

Hill is the son of former Arkansas assistant football coach Fitz Hill and is from Little Rock. He actually started his career at Arkansas, but then left for Murray State. 

"Obviously he had a great career at Murray State," Musselman said. "Continues to play at a high, high level. Continues to take care of the basketball. Makes threes. Tough competitor. Again, I love how they've kind of incorporated some of the guys that had played in that system and how they've carried on with their winning ways because they won a lot of games the last couple years and obviously with their record right now continue to win at a high, high level."

Hill has averaged 8.7 points per game, 1.9 rebounds and 1.3 steals, but where he has been excellent is his assist-to-turnover ratio 4.2 assists and 1.3 turnovers. But Arkansas has had a lot of success turning over point guards. Is that something Musselman feels they can do to Hill on the road?

"I think that once you get into SEC play, for the most part it’s — at least for us — people take a little bit better care of the ball," Musselman said. "Their structure and the way they play and Hill having such a comfortability within the system and then Hannibal also, with the experience of him playing in this league, those are two really good ball handlers. And then Hayes becomes another ball handler and a guy that can score the basketball, as well. So three really good guards. They’re all a little bit different, but obviously getting shots on goal and limiting turnovers, they’ve done a really good job, especially Hill has done a really good job."

Without both Smith and Brazile, Musselman needs someone to have a big game. Against, UNC Asheville that person was Jalen Graham. In 19 minutes, Graham scored 16 points (8 of 10 from field), pulled down three rebounds, had two steals, one assist and blocked a shot. 

"So we need somebody to step up, for sure," Musselman said. "Just like we have had people step up. New opportunity… Who that is, we don’t really know. Last game, it was Jalen Graham. (He) came in, we threw the ball to him on one of his post-up plays and he went to work. But yeah, certainly with the makeup of our roster, with Nick and TB not playing, somebody’s kinda got to step up and have a big game for us, for sure."

Others have stepped up at various times to help win games. Anthony Black did it a few times, Kamani Johnson was able to provide the difference against San Diego State. Musselman talked about the team's depth.

"Yeah, we like our roster a ton," Musselman said. "Different guys have stepped up at different moments, whether you go back to the San Diego State game in Maui when Kamani really stepped up, or Jalen Graham last game really stepped up. Devo Davis has continued to play at a really, really high level. And Anthony Black, when we’ve been down scorers, Anthony has proven that he can step up and score the basketball. 

"Yeah, we’re kind of changing our identity as the season is progressing because of the injuries, but I think our ball club is a confident team, and I think that we understand that we only have so many limited opportunities to play on the road, and this is one of those opportunities. We’re playing against a team that’s 8-0 at home, playing against a star player, an All-League type player in No. 12, Williams. We’re trying to study Williams and break his game down for our guys. For instance, he’s made 93 field goals and taken a total of 27 dribbles, so we’re trying to break down bits and pieces of their top seven guys so that we can try to gameplan as best as we possibly can."

Arkansas and LSU will tip at 8 p.m. on ESPN2.