Hawai’i’s Tough Tourney Road begins with 4-Seed Arkansas

No. 13 Hawai’i vs No. 4 Arkansas

Thursday, March 19
1:25 pm PT, TBS
Portland, Oregon

Both Hawai’i and Arkansas are coming off conference tournament championships and enter the regional First-Round contest in Portland hot.

Arkansas plays fast and will score in bunches, as its 89.9 points per game are the fourth-most in the nation.

Despite the frantic pace, the Hogs are only turning the ball over on 12% of their possessions, the best mark in the nation. During their run to the SEC Tournament title last week, that figure fell to 11.7%.

The Warriors will present unique challenges for Arkansas’s high-octane offense. UH is one of the taller teams the Hogs have faced, and that length could make things difficult for the SEC outfit.

The ‘Bows have blocked 6.8% of opponents’ shots this season, ranking 79th in the nation, while rebounding at a rate of 54.1% to rank 24th in the nation.

Arkansas struggles to rebound efficiently, and Hawaii is especially adept on the defensive glass, ranking 10th nationally, collecting 77.2% of opponents’ missed shots.

When Arkansas misses shots, the Rainbow Warriors cannot allow second-chance opportunities.

The bugaboo for Hawaii this season has been turning the ball over. UH ranks 319th nationally, with a turnover on 18.5% of their possessions.

While the Arkansas defense has not been great this season, they have forced teams into errors at times. The Razorbacks are averaging 19.1 fast break points per outing, the second most in the country.

And with the offensive efficiency UA possesses, this is not a game Hawaii can compete in if they have too many empty possessions.

Collecting offensive boards will also be a key for Hawaii.

Isaac Johnson should be able to produce on both ends of the floor, but the big man is only averaging 21.1 minutes per game.

Will the Rainbow Warriors be able to get production against Arkansas when he is not on the floor?

This Hawaii team is good enough to make a run in the Tournament, but they got a tough draw in Arkansas.

Darius Acuff Jr. is the kind of electric player that can put a team on his back and shine in March.

If Hawaii can dominate the glass and limit the turnovers, they can keep this one tight.

I think Arkansas comes out of the west and plays in the Final Four, though, and that run starts with a win over Hawaii.