Arkansas’ Biggest Preseason Concern Is Finishing at the Rim, Here’s the Best Available Fix

FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas coach John Calipari has once again assembled one of the most talented rosters in the country this season, but Saturday’s exhibition 76-72 victory over Gonzaga showed a glaring weakness that must be fixed quickly and not let it linger into the regular season.

For a team loaded with efficient veterans, athleticism, length and highly regarded freshmen, finishing around the basket shouldn’t be nearly as difficult as it was against the Bulldogs.

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Arkansas made just 36.9% of its field goal attempts and were only 5-of-16 on layups and dunks, which is an alarmingly high number for a team that’s expected to make attacking the basket off the dribble a big part of the offense.

As easy as some of the shots at the rim can be, Gonzaga did present a size advantage near the rim, resulting in the Razorbacks shooting beyond the arc at an efficient rate. Arkansas connected on 11-of-24 attempts (45.8%.), but perimeter shooting will vary each night and cannot be relied on every night.

That was a major red for last season’s Sweet 16 team that was blasted by several teams such as Houston, Duke, Florida and Arizona due to their elite big man play. The Razorbacks struggles could of simply been caused by first-game jitters because of so many new players gelling together in their first live action against legitimate competition.

Feed Cooper Bowser

Known as the most efficient offensive player in the country last season at Furman, Cooper Bowser surprised many for his ability to battle inside, fighting for rebounds and becoming a lob threat in the post.

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Perhaps the most encouraging development from Saturday’s exhibition was the performance of Bowser. The 6-foot-11 center finished with nine points, 10 rebounds and a team-best plus-12 rating in just 20 minutes.

Bowser converted four of his six field-goal attempts and provided the type of interior presence Arkansas desperately needed against Gonzaga’s frontcourt.

While three of his made baskets came off dunks,…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/arkansas-biggest-preseason-concern-finishing-160007873.html

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Publish date : 2026-10-28 16:00:00

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