Kentucky roared into Rupp Arena having won 12 of its last 13 games. Talk of winning the Southeastern Conference and gaining a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament abounded.
Arkansas limped into Rupp Arena on a five-game losing streak. An 87-80 home loss to Texas A&M on Saturday led to some soul searching.
“They’ve got to look in the mirror …,” Coach Mike Anderson said after that game. “Maybe some of these guys are hitting that wall. … They’re hurting. … We’re still in the hunt for something. I don’t know what it is.”
When asked how his team could compete with mighty Kentucky, Anderson said, “I think we just go play.