Their loss Saturday at Mississippi State dropped the Arkansas Razorbacks to two games behind the Bulldogs in the Southeastern Conference Western Division standings. But six games remain for both teams, and no Razorback is in the mood to simply hand the division title over to the Bulldogs.
Arkansas needs to pay attention to Pelphrey’s message, considering much-improved LSU comes to Fayetteville on Wednesday night. And if the Razorbacks do take care of the Tigers, they can put themselves in position to make a run at Mississippi State.
The Razorbacks (17-7, 6-4) and Bulldogs (17-7, 8-2) face quite similar SEC-finishing stretches. The combined SEC record of Arkansas’ final six opponents is 25-37. Mississippi State’s final six conference foes are a combined 25-34.
However, the Bulldogs travel for four of their final six games, while Arkansas plays three in Bud Walton Arena and three away from Fayetteville. Both teams will encounter Auburn and LSU on their home courts and Ole Miss in Oxford.
If Arkansas makes up the two-game gap to tie the Bulldogs, the determining tie-breaker will be division record because the teams split their season series. Right now, Arkansas is 5-1 against SEC Western Division teams, and Mississippi State is 6-1.
Pelphrey doesn’t want his team thinking about any of these scenarios. He wants the Razorbacks focusing on one game at a time, and he doesn’t care how much that sounds like coach-speak.
Arkansas senior Sonny Weems stood outside the Razorbacks’ locker room on Saturday in Starkville and insisted the Hogs were capable of concentrating on one contest at a time. Weems said the Razorbacks should worry more about constant effort than division standings.
WEDNESDAY’S TICKET
LSU AT ARKANSAS
WHEN: 8:00 p.m. TV: Raycom Sports
WHERE: Bud Walton Arena
RECORDS: LSU, 9-15, 2-8 Southeastern Conference; Arkansas, 17-7, 6-4
SERIES: Arkansas leads 28-17
LAST MEETING: Arkansas beat LSU 68-52 on Jan. 26 in Baton Rouge, La.
