Game Primer: How to Watch, Key Players and Important Information for Arkansas at Kansas
The Kansas Jayhawks have had a pretty impressive trip through the WNIT so far, with a double-digit pull-away victory in the first round over the Western Kentucky Lady Toppers, a dominating win in the second round over the Missouri Tigers, and huge second half push in the Super 16 against the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Up next is a recent postseason nemesis for the Jayhawks, the Arkansas Razorbacks. Fans might be a bit nervous after the football team ended their season with a tough loss in the Liberty Bowl and the men's basketball team fell in the NCAA Tournament in the Round of 32. Today will be a test of the old saying "third time's the charm."
The Razorbacks are led by head coach Mike Neighbors, who is in his 6th season in Fayetteville. He has a 120-76 record at the school, and is 0-1 against the Jayhawks in his time there. Head Coach Brandon Schneider is 1-0 against the Razorbacks.
The record in this series is tied at four wins each, and this will be the first meeting since a December 3rd, 2017 matchup in Lawrence as part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge. Kansas also has a win over Arkansas in the 2009 WNIT, which is also the last time that they appeared in the WNIT Championship.
Kansas is 12-5 all-time in the WNIT, including a 1-0 record in the quarterfinals.
Before today's important matchup, here are the essentials:
The Numbers
Editor's Note: Unless otherwise noted, all stats are provided by CBB Analytics. CBB Analytics is a new stats website in college hoops, covering both men and women's basketball in D-I, D-II and D-III. You can follow them on Twitter @CBBAnalytics
Kansas: 22-11 (9-9 Big 12): CBB Analytics Net Rating - 48th overall, 56th offense, 65th defense
Arkansas: 24-12 (7-9 SEC): Net Rating - 71st overall, 89th offense, 84th defense
Line: TBD
O/U: TBD
How to Watch
Sunday, March 26th, 2:00 p.m. CST
Lawrence, KS: Allen Fieldhouse
TV: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
- Josh Klingler (Play-by-Play), Wayne Simien (Analyst)
Radio: IMG Jayhawk Radio Network
- Steven Davis (Play-by-Play), David Lawrence (Analyst)
Webcast: Kansas Online Radio
Game Coverage
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Opponent Team Form
The Razorbacks are skewed heavily towards the perimeter, taking more than 50% of their shots from long range in the last 5 games. They play at an even slower pace than the last few opponents, fueled by a very good track record of taking care of the ball. They share the ball well, with an assist percentage among the best in the nation. However, their offensive rebounding is very poor, even though they are good at turning the few second chances they get into points. They don't score well in the paint, and they have struggled to turn fast break opportunities into points consistently. The key to stopping them has been to prevent good shots on the first look.
At a glance, the defensive profile is a bit strange, with a good defensive rebounding percentage and a high block rate, but a very poor steal rate. In practice however, the defensive ball pressure they provide creates less than ideal shots on the perimeter that allow the quick-handed guards to affect shots. And with a focus on keeping teams out of the paint, they are able to force long rebounds that the guards are pretty good at hunting. But if a team can get inside consistently, they have struggled to stop that this season.
Players to Watch
Erynn Barnum - 6'2" Senior Forward
15.1 pts, 6.4 rebs, 1.8 asts, 1.3 stls, 1.0 blks, 56.3% FG%
The senior is the main interior threat, and she does a bit of everything. She is the best shooter on the team and an integral part of keeping opponents out of the paint.
Saylor Poffenbarger - 6'2" Freshman Guard
8.7 pts, 6.9 rebs, 2.4 asts, 0.6 stls, 1.1 blks, 33.6% FG%
Size-wise, she would fit right in down in the post. She plays more of a hybrid position than a true guard, but has the ability to defend both inside and outside. Her height and length is a big mismatch for most guards, and she uses that to her full advantage.
Samara Spencer - 5'7" Sophomore Guard
14.4 pts, 3.8 rebs, 4.3 asts, 1.1 stls, 0.3 blks, 39.8% FG%
The second-leading scorer, Spencer also does plenty to get her teammates involved, leading the team in assists. She also has a knack for putting the player she is defending in difficult positions, leading to poor shots or setting up a potential turnover.
Others of note: The other two starters see significant minutes, with a big drop off when they get to the bench. Makayla Daniels averages 13 points per game and leads the team in steals, while Chrissy Carr leads the team in three point shooting (at only 33.9%) while averaging 11.8 points per game.
Matchups to Watch
The interior has always been important for the Jayhawks, but much like Nebraska did in the last matchup, Arkansas will look to take away the inside. Taiyanna Jackson did an exceptional job finding holes and identifying the open player when help came, and it will be important to do that to open up opportunities for the perimeter.
On the perimeter, Chandler Prater will need to continue her hybrid play and take any opportunities she finds to drive into the lane. If she can successful crash the paint, it will open up driving opportunities for the rest of the perimeter players.
Wyvette Mayberry struggled due to foul trouble against the Cornhuskers, and while the Jayhawks were able to overcome that, the offense didn't really click and impose it's will until the fourth quarter when she was able to provide a steady ball-handling presence to compliment the attack of the rest of the team.
Prediction
Arkansas shoots way too many three-pointers, especially with the percentages that they actually have made on the season. While they have been better from the field in the last few games, they haven't exactly faced difficult defenses. The pressure that Kansas provides, especially from Zakiyah Franklin on the perimeter, should do a lot to disrupt their shooting.
And Holly Kersgieter should continue to be a big beneficiary of good post play from Jackson. If Kansas gets hot from the perimeter, this should be a blowout for the home team. If not, the Jayhawks have a big enough edge in the post to pull away late. Either way, this Kansas team should be able to get a measure of revenge for their fans.
Kansas 73, Arkansas 62.
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