{"id":84544,"date":"2025-12-07T02:37:32","date_gmt":"2025-12-07T02:37:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/84544\/"},"modified":"2025-12-07T02:37:32","modified_gmt":"2025-12-07T02:37:32","slug":"where-arkansas-backcourt-ranks-among-the-nations-best-as-it-takes-on-fresno-state","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/84544\/","title":{"rendered":"Where Arkansas\u2019 Backcourt Ranks Among The Nation\u2019s Best as It Takes on Fresno State"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n \"Where
\n Photo Credit: Craven Whitlow <\/p>\n

\"Add<\/a> Smash That \u201cFollow\u201d Button<\/p>\n

Heading into a Saturday afternoon matchup with Fresno State, Arkansas basketball is still riding the high from its triumphant home win over No. 6 Louisville in the midweek.<\/p>\n

After losing nail-biters to Michigan State and Duke, the Razorbacks finally put it all together with a convincing win over the Cardinals in which they never trailed.<\/p>\n

Prior to Wednesday\u2019s contest, CBS hoops guru Jon Rothstein<\/a> dubbed it a matchup between the nation\u2019s best backcourt (Louisville) and the nation\u2019s most electrifying backcourt (Arkansas). Yet it was the Hogs\u2019 guards who got the better of the Cardinals\u2019 backcourt.<\/p>\n

Meleek Thomas and Darius Acuff Jr. each scored 17 points, with the latter dishing out a game-high 10 assists. Billy Richmond III added 10 points, 4 rebounds and his usual injection of relentless defense. Louisville\u2019s sharpshooting trio of Mikel Brown Jr., Ryan Conwell and Isaac McKneely, meanwhile, combined to shoot a paltry 6 of 27 from behind the arc. Brown only dished out 3 assists, and Conwell had more turnovers (5) than dimes (4).<\/p>\n

Given that Arkansas just outplayed the supposed best backcourt in the country, a worthwhile question emerges: do the Razorbacks have the best guards in the nation?<\/p>\n

Introducing the Contenders<\/p>\n

Best of Arkansas Sports narrowed things down to eight elite backcourts, including Arkansas and Louisville, with a legitimate argument for being the best in the nation.<\/p>\n

Poll<\/p>\n

Want to Get Paid for Following Arkansas Sports?<\/p>\n

Purdue, the current No. 1 team in the land, has an elite floor general in Braden Smith and a veteran sharpshooter in Fletcher Loyer, who scores a team-leading 15.6 points per game. Smith is second in the nation with 8.9 assists per game.<\/p>\n

Houston, who Arkansas will face later this month, boasts a deadly combination of youth and experience. Freshman Kingston Flemings is averaging 15.3 points and 5.0 assists, and senior Emanuel Sharp is one of the best shooters in the country after returning from last year\u2019s national runner-up squad. As is typical with a Kelvin Sampson squad, both guards play great defense.<\/p>\n

Alabama sophomore Labaron Philon Jr. is 11th nationally in scoring (21.6 points per game) while still averaging 5.4 assists. Auburn turncoat Aden Holloway is putting up 18.2 points and 4.3 assists per game in his own right.<\/p>\n

BYU is all about projected No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa, a dominant combo forward, but the Cougars boast an elite backcourt this year, as well. Point guard Rob Wright III is dishing out 6.3 assists per game, and sharpshooting senior Richie Saunders is pouring in 18.9 points per game.<\/p>\n

Vanderbilt\u2026surprise! The Commodores\u2019 tandem of Duke Miles and Tyler Tanner have both put up eye-popping offensive numbers to fuel Vandy\u2019s undefeated start, but their defensive prowess can\u2019t be overlooked, either. The two tenacious guards total 5.5 stocks (steals and blocks combined) per game.<\/p>\n

Vanderbilt\u2019s had an unbelievable start to the college season and arguably having the most exciting offense in the nation. <\/p>\n

A big part to their 9-0 start has been the breakout of Tyler Tanner who\u2019s placing himself as one of the best guards in the nation <\/p>\n

Tanner is averaging\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/63zpd66ZIo<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Arman Jovic (@PDTScouting) December 4, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

USC is last but certainly not least, with Eric Musselman\u2019s second-year squad cracking the list. Super senior Chad Baker-Mazara and Maryland transfer Rodney Rice are both scoring north of 20 points per game, with the latter averaging 6.0 assists to boot. It\u2019s no wonder why the Trojans ran away with first place at this year\u2019s Maui Invitational.<\/p>\n

Of course, simple counting stats don\u2019t often tell the whole story. To add some seasoning, we factored in some catch-all advanced stats. True shooting percentage weights the differing values of two-point, three-point and free throw attempts to better measure scoring. Player efficiency rating<\/a> (PER) measures a player\u2019s all-around performance, adjusted to a league-average value of 15.00. Win shares<\/a> measure a player\u2019s contribution to their team\u2019s success.<\/p>\n

Alright, now it\u2019s time to shut the encyclopaedia and crunch some numbers.<\/p>\n

Numbers Never Lie\u2026<\/p>\n

Without further ado, here\u2019s how these eight backcourts rank when it comes to PER and win shares. For the sake of consistency, the top two guards from each team were used. That excludes players like Richmond and McKneely.<\/p>\n

Team \u2013 Combined PERTeam \u2013 Combined Win SharesVanderbilt \u2013 55.2Vanderbilt \u2013 3.6BYU \u2013 49.8T-2) Houston \u2013 3.2Houston \u2013 47.5T-2) BYU \u2013 3.2Alabama \u2013 46.84) Louisville \u2013 2.9Louisville \u2013 45.85) Purdue \u2013 2.7USC \u2013 43.76) USC \u2013 2.4Arkansas \u2013 41.07) Arkansas \u2013 2.3Purdue \u2013 39.58) Alabama \u2013 2.0<\/p>\n

The difference-maker in these advanced metrics is often defensive production, a less common strength for guards. That\u2019s what pushes Vanderbilt, BYU and Houston towards the top while high-octane Alabama guard duo has the fewest win shares.<\/p>\n

These numbers obviously put a damper on Arkansas\u2019 claim of having the nation\u2019s best backcourt. But these stats deserve a bit more scrutiny, particularly given the sample size is less than 10 games for all these teams.<\/p>\n

\u2026But They Do Need Context<\/p>\n

Strength of schedule matters a lot, not just for Selection Sunday but also for statistical production. Players are obviously going to put up better production against weaker teams, which certainly helps Arkansas\u2019 case when you consider the level of competition the Hogs have already faced. Here are the aforementioned eight teams\u2019 strengths of schedule and their three toughest opponents thus far, according to KenPom<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Team (Non-Conference Strength of Schedule) \u2013 Opponent (KenPom ranking)<\/p>\n

Alabama (2nd) \u2013 Purdue (2nd), Gonzaga (5th) and Illinois (17th)<\/p>\n

BYU (26th) \u2013 UConn (6th), Wisconsin (27th) and Miami (38th)<\/p>\n

Purdue (63rd) \u2013 Alabama (14th), Texas Tech (31st) and Akron (54th)<\/p>\n

Houston (74th) \u2013 Tennessee (16th), Auburn (20th) and Syracuse (63rd)<\/p>\n

Arkansas (106th) \u2013 Duke (3rd), Michigan State (10th) and Louisville (13th)<\/p>\n

Vanderbilt (136th) \u2013 Saint Mary\u2019s (34th), VCU (41st) and SMU (42nd)<\/p>\n

USC (143rd) \u2013 Boise State (60th), Seton Hall (65th) and Arizona State (83rd)<\/p>\n

Louisville (278th) \u2013 Kentucky (15th), Arkansas (30th) and Cincinnati (72nd)<\/p>\n

Not only is Arkansas the only team to have faced three top-15 teams already, only Alabama has even had to face two of them.<\/p>\n

The youth of Arkansas\u2019 backcourt is another vital piece of context. Of the eight teams mentioned, only the Razorbacks boast two freshmen as their top guards. Louisville\u2019s Mikel Brown Jr. and Houston\u2019s Kingston Flemings are the only other diaper dandies, and they each have a senior partner alongside them.<\/p>\n

All things considered, it\u2019s remarkable for Arkansas to have one of the nation\u2019s elite backcourts this early in the season with two freshmen steering the wheel. Richmond and DJ Wagner provide energy and a steadying veteran presence, with the former being a potential first-round pick in his own right<\/a>, but it\u2019s the two five-star freshmen running the show.<\/p>\n

Thomas is one of just three freshmen since the 2010-2011 season to play 70% or more minutes, have an assist rate of 20% or higher and a turnover rate of less than 10%. On the other hand, Acuff is one of just five freshmen in that same span to play 75% or more minutes, have an assist rate higher than 25% and a turnover rate of less than 15%.<\/p>\n

Given their youth, the trajectory for growth over the course of the season is close to exponential for Acuff and Thomas. The same can\u2019t be said for the veteran backcourts elsewhere.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to see Arkansas having a clear-cut case for the nation\u2019s best backcourt once the heat of conference play comes around. The next step on that path lies against Fresno State on Saturday afternoon.<\/p>\n

Scouting Fresno State<\/p>\n

Arkansas should be well-prepared to take on 5-3 Fresno State\u00a0 \u2014 which is exactly what could make this game dangerous. The Bulldogs have only faced one team in the NET top 100, a five-point loss to UC-San Diego, and they lost their only game away from home thus far to Pepperdine (No. 228 in NET).<\/p>\n

Through nine games, Fresno State is averaging only 77.3 points per game while shooting 47.8% from the field and 31.5% from distance. This is not nearly the same level of threat that Arkansas has already become accustomed to playing against, but as Samford and Winthrop both proved: a confident mid-major opponent can become a problem in a hurry.<\/p>\n

The Bulldogs lean heavily on guard play to drive their offense, and that starts with Clemson transfer Jake Heidbreder. The 6-foot-5 senior is pouring in a team-high 20.0 points per game, carrying a quarter of Fresno State\u2019s total offensive output. Expect a heavy dosage of Billy Richmond on Heidbreder. Junior guard Zaon Collins is averaging 14.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and a team-best 5.7 assists, giving the Bulldogs a true initiator outside of Heidbreder who can create for both himself and others.<\/p>\n

On the interior, Fresno State features a true 7-footer in Wilson Jacques. The French prospect leads the team in rebounding at 6.3 boards per game and offers some rim protection despite limited offensive usage. DeShawn Gory (10.0 PPG) adds another versatile, athletic frontcourt option at 6-foot-6.<\/p>\n

The Bulldogs average 8.6 offensive rebounds while allowing its opponents to grab nearly 10 per game. Despite also having a negative offensive rebound margin, the Hogs did a fantastic job outrebounding Louisville by 10 the last time out.<\/p>\n

Predicting Arkansas vs Fresno State<\/p>\n

Fresno State\u2019s formula is clear: if Heidbreder and Collins are cooking in the backcourt and the Bulldogs find a way to compete on the glass, they can hang around \u2014 especially with a team still riding the emotional high of a huge home win.<\/p>\n

Regardless, Arkansas should be able to entirely control this game from the opening tip. There are few backcourts in the country that can hang with Arkansas\u2019, and Fresno State\u2019s is certainly not one of them.<\/p>\n

Even if the Hogs have to rest a couple banged-up players like Trevon Brazile and Karter Knox, Arkansas will come out on top relatively easily.<\/p>\n

Arkansas wins, 89-68.<\/p>\n

How to Watch Arkansas vs Fresno State<\/p>\n

Date: Saturday, Dec. 6<\/p>\n

Location: Simmons Bank Arena (North Little Rock, Ark.)<\/p>\n

Tipoff Time\/TV: 3 p.m. CT (SECN+)<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Full table breaking down Arkansas\u2019 backcourt production compared to the rest of the nation\u2019s best:<\/p>\n

SchoolPlayerCounting Stats (per game)True Shooting PercentagePlayer Efficiency RatingWin SharesArkansasDarius Acuff Jr. (Fr.)17.4 ppg, 5.1 apg, 2.8 rpg, 1.2 stocks55.5%18.21.0Meleek Thomas (Fr.)17.5 ppg, 3.5 apg, 4.6 rpg, 1.5 stocks55.3%22.81.3PurdueBraden Smith (Sr.)13.4 ppg, 8.9 apg, 3.5 rpg, 1.0 stocks51.1%19.41.4Foster Loyer (Sr.)15.6 ppg, 1.5 apg, 2.4 rpg, 0.9 stocks69.2%20.11.3LouisvilleRyan Conwell (Sr.)19.5 ppg, 2.6 apg, 4.9 rpg, 1.3 stocks63.5%25.11.6Mikel Brown Jr. (Fr.)17.6 ppg, 5.6 apg, 3.5 rpg, 0.9 stocks55.7%20.71.3HoustonEmanuel Sharp (Sr.)16.4 ppg, 2.0 apg, 3.6 rpg, 1.5 stocks56.4%21.91.5Kingston Flemings (Fr.)15.3 ppg, 5.0 apg, 3.6 rpg, 1.7 stocks68.6%25.61.7AlabamaLabaron Philon (So.)21.6 ppg, 5.4 apg, 2.6 rpg, 1.4 stocks64.3%25.41.1Aden Holloway (Jr.)18.2 ppg, 4.3 apg, 2.8 rpg, 0.5 stocks63.2%21.40.9VanderbiltDuke Miles (Sr.)17.8 ppg, 4.4 apg, 3.0 rpg, 2.5 stocks67.1%27.41.9Tyler Tanner (So.)16.2 ppg, 4.3 apg, 2.6 rpg, 3.0 stocks71.1%27.81.7BYURichie Saunders (Sr.)18.9 ppg, 2.3 apg, 5.8 rpg, 2.4 stocks65%27.71.8Rob Wright III (So.)16.9 ppg, 6.3 apg, 4.0 rpg, 1.6 stocks57.7%22.11.4USCChad Baker-Mazara (Sr.)20.9 ppg, 2.4 apg, 5.3 rpg, 2.3 stocks61.5%22.71.4Rodney Rice (Jr.)20.3 ppg, 6.0 apg, 3.3 rpg, 1.4 stocks53.7%21.01.0<\/p>\n

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More coverage of Arkansas basketball from BoAS:<\/p>\n


\n \"\"\"\" <\/a><\/p>\n

Michael Main is a Fayetteville native who, like both of his older brothers, attended the University of Arkansas. Main graduated in 2025 with a double major in journalism and political science and a minor in legal studies. He spent his childhood following the Razorbacks closely and attending as many games as possible, witnessing iconic moments like the Michael Qualls put-back dunk, the Henry Heave and a number of field stormings. Main was a member of the Razorback Marching Band and Hogwild Pep Band, attending every home football and basketball game while he was a student and traveling to San Francisco, Providence, Tampa and elsewhere for postseason play. After freelancing for BoAS for a year and a half, the 22-year-old made the transition to a full-time role as senior writer following his graduation. In his free time, Main is likely spending time outdoors, enjoying the company of friends or feeding his obsession with Liverpool FC and European football as a whole.<\/p>\n

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