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Calipari vs. Sampson: Clash of Titans!
18 Dec
Summary
- Arkansas faces Houston in a top-15 battle Saturday.
- Rebounding and 3-point shooting are key factors.
- Freshman point guards Acuff and Flemings face off.
The No. 14 Arkansas Razorbacks are set to face the No. 8 Houston Cougars in a top-15 showdown this Saturday. This game pits longtime friends and coaching rivals John Calipari of Arkansas against Kelvin Sampson of Houston. Arkansas enters the contest aiming for their fifth consecutive win, having recently defeated strong opponents like Louisville and Texas Tech.
The Razorbacks will need to overcome significant challenges, particularly Houston's exceptional offensive rebounding. The Cougars rank 21st nationally in offensive rebounding rate, a stark contrast to Arkansas' 188th ranking in defensive rebounding. Furthermore, Arkansas' success from beyond the arc, where they shoot 38.2%, will be tested by Houston's defense, which holds opponents to 26.8% from three-point range.
A key individual matchup to watch is between freshman point guards Darius Acuff of Arkansas and Kingston Flemings of Houston, both projected NBA first-round picks. Acuff leads the Razorbacks with 18.2 points and 6.1 assists, while Flemings contributes 14.8 points and 4.9 assists for the Cougars. Turnovers are expected to be crucial, with Flemings averaging 2.1 turnovers and Acuff maintaining a 3.4 assist-to-turnover ratio.
