Razorback junior guard Davonte Davis (#4) from Jacksonville, AR celebrates a three point basket against South Dakota State at

 Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville. Photo by Craven Whitlow.

By Otis Kirk

FAYETTEVILLE -- It will be the battle of ranked teams on Wednesday night in Bud Walton Arena when No. 13 Arkansas hosts No. 20 Missouri.

They are both entering the game after different results in each's SEC opener. While Arkansas dropped a 60-57 decision to LSU this past Wednesday night on the road, Missouri topped Kentucky 89-75 at home.

Eric Musselman saw his team drop to No. 13 in the AP Poll after being in the Top 10 the past four weeks. This is the lowest ranking for Arkansas this season as they were tied for No. 11 on Nov. 28, but then moved back into the Top 10 the very next week.

Arkansas is playing without freshman guard Nick Smith Jr., who remains sidelined, and sophomore forward Trevon Brazile officially out for the season. It will have been a week since the Hogs played when they take the court against the 12-1 Tigers.

"I think it is unique for sure to have a full week off when you’re used to the normal two games a week," Musselman said. "We’ve gotten a couple days off, Thursday, Sunday, then we’re able to have some good practices as well. We need two good practices today and tomorrow getting ready for a 12-1 Missouri team.

"But practices have been good. We’ve cleaned up some things both offensively and defensively. And we’ve gone more live than we probably ever have in the seven-and-a-half years I’ve been a college coach to try to clean up some areas that we want to improve on, both offensively and defensively. So we have been going live a lot more than what we normally would do."

Musselman went into more detail on the things he feels the team needs to clean up.

"I think there are a lot of areas," Musselman said. "I think we need to continue to do a good job defending the three, especially knowing the three-point shooting ability that guys like [D’Moi] Hodge, No. 5, and No. 10 [Nick Honor] and Kobe Brown and Noah Carter, those guys in particular that are really good three-point shooters.

"We’ve also got to continue, just like every team … You’re right around January first. You’ve got kind of a second half of a season where you’re got to try to figure out self scout. Not only do you prep for your next opponent, but you’ve got to kind of self scout areas to get better. Certainly our rotations have changed with the injuries."

While speaking of obvious changes to the rotations without Brazile and Smith the coach did provide an update on the Missouri transfer forward.

"On that note, TB had a good surgery," Musselman said. "One of the coolest things ever, he lifted weights last night. I don't know if I've ever had a player still on crutches right after surgery be a couple days after in the weightroom. That was really cool to talk with TB and find out he was already back in the weight room."

Musselman was correct in saying that Missouri has an outstanding team shooting the three. The Tigers have five players averaging double-figure scoring with four of them shooting 36.2 percent or better from deep.

Hodge leads the team in scoring 16.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 2.8 steals and 0.4 blocks. Hodge is knocking down 41.8 percent of his threes. Brown is averaging 15.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.4 blocks while shooting an amazing 45.7 from distance. Carter is scoring at a 10.6 points per game clip while also pulling down 4.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.5 blocks each game. He's shooting 36.2 from deep. Honor is at 10 points per game, 2.0 rebounds. 3.6 assists and 1.7 steals while hitting 44.6 from three.

Arkansas will have to defend on its defense to try and stop, or at least slow down the Tigers offense. Which can be easier said than done.

"They create a lot of turnovers, and their turnovers are live-ball turnovers where you can get out in transition much like our defense tries to ignite our offense," Musselman said. "We can't have any turnover shots, meaning ill-advised shots. We have to have a high quality of shots. They thrive off turnover shots, and they jump in passing lanes and create disruption with their defense and that allows for the offensive numbers that you see. But they have a lot of really good offensive players."

Brown is a 6-foot-8, 250-pound senior who has taken his game to a new level this season. Musselman has taken notice.

"Well, I thought he was a great player offensively," Musselman said. "I think he’s elevated his game, which you want. Obviously the experience I just mentioned, the fact that he’s a veteran player in this league. He scored 61 points, when you look at who he scored them against — Illinois and Kentucky — two really good teams, two physical teams, two teams with size. But he can score the ball from 3-point land, he can score the ball off the bounce. They’re running him handling the ball as a pick-and-roll player, which is a new dimension to his game. To have a 4-man or if they go small ball and he plays 5, to have that guy be a ball handler in an angle/elbow pick-and-roll, there’s a lot of different things that … he’s a movable piece that you can put in scoring positions in different spots on the court."

The Razorbacks have had good three-point defense the majority of the season including against LSU. Musselman was asked if they can take that into this game?

"We’ve done a pretty good job defending the three all year," Musselman said. "Missouri is a little bit different because Hodge will get some leak-out threes where he’ll shoot those in transition. He’s got great confidence. Brown and Carter, two guys that can play the 4 or the 5. Those guys are really good trail three-point shooters, so I think every team’s got a different identity. But you’ve got to locate those guys quickly in transition, and they’re really good at getting loose balls, so that’s a big part of the game, as well."

Arkansas (11-2) and Missouri will tip at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday night and televised on the SEC Network.