Arkansas basketball vs Louisville scouting report, prediction for top-25 clash

FAYETTEVILLE — A grueling four-week stretch for Arkansas basketball hits its second obstacle in the form of the ACC-SEC Challenge.

The No. 23 Razorbacks (5-2) will welcome No. 6 Louisville (7-0) to Bud Walton Arena on Wednesday, Dec. 3. This will be a second consecutive top-10 opponent for the Hogs, and it will be another showcase of talented true freshmen with Arkansas' Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas going against the Cardinals' Mikel Brown Jr.

This will be the ninth meeting between the two schools, with the series split at 4-4. Arkansas won the most recent clash with a rout during the 2022 Maui Invitational.

Below are three things to watch and a score prediction for the top-25 matchup between Arkansas and Louisville.

Is this a better matchup for Arkansas basketball?

Michigan State's power is in its frontcourt. Duke's Cameron Boozer scored 35 points and dominated Arkansas with interior physicality. Louisville presents a different challenge.

The Cardinals are led by a dynamic backcourt. Guards Ryan Conwell (20.1 ppg), Mikel Brown Jr. (17 ppg) and Isaac McKneely (12.3 ppg) are the three leading scorers. Louisville's leading rebounder is 6-foot-11 Sananda Fru, but he only averages 5.9 boards per contest.

The Cardinals and Razorbacks have similar rosters with similar strengths. Louisville has been more consistent on offense and averages 96.7 points per game. Arkansas will hope its guards are up to the challenge defensively.

It's time for Karter Knox to get going

John Calipari said he isn't concerned, but the Razorbacks won't reach their ceiling unless this talented sophomore finds his place within the offense.

Knox nearly bolted for the NBA draft after his freshman campaign. He returned to Fayetteville with the hopes of developing into a first-round draft pick, but it's been a bad start to his second college season. He's leading the team with two turnovers per game and failed to score more than two points in the losses to Michigan State and Duke.

Knox looks uncomfortable within the offense and is turning down 3-pointers for reckless drives to the basket. It's time for Calipari to maximize the sophomore as a '3-and-D' wing. A strong home performance against a top-10 opponent could be a necessary catalyst.

Can each team maintain its ball security?

Arkansas ranks 25th nationally with 9.6 turnovers per game. Louisville isn't far behind, sitting 63rd with 10.6.

The strong backcourts mentioned above help both teams maximize their possessions, but Arkansas coughed up 26 combined turnovers in its two previous ranked matchups. Louisville only had four in a rout over Kentucky.

If either backcourt gets sped up and loses a bit of control, the opponent gains a key advantage. The Hogs will hope homecourt advantage plays a role.

Prediction

Arkansas needs moral victories to turn into real victories. That's what will happen inside Bud Walton Arena on Wednesday night. The first great home crowd of the season will watch Arkansas pull off an upset and get the season on track. We expect Meleek Thomas to have a big game. Arkansas 84, Louisville 80.

Jackson Fuller covers Arkansas football, basketball and baseball for the Southwest Times Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at [email protected] or follow him @jacksonfuller16 on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Arkansas basketball vs Louisville scouting report, score prediction