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Duke basketball vs. Arkansas: Scouting report, prediction – The Fayetteville Observer
Duke basketball will make its first trip to Arkansas as part of the first ACC/SEC Challenge.
The Blue Devils (5-1) and Razorbacks (4-3) play Wednesday at 9:15 p.m. (ESPN) inside Bud Walton Arena. The teams have split four games in the all-time series, but Duke won the most recent meeting — beating Arkansas in the Elite Eight of the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
The Blue Devils enter the new event after winning 20 of their 24 games in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Here’s a look at some things to know and a score prediction for Duke’s game against the Hogs.
On a team full of freshmen and sophomores, senior guard Jeremy Roach will need to be the steady hand for Duke in a rowdy, road environment. Roach had nine points and five turnovers in the Blue Devils’ 78-69 win against Arkansas in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. This is a good opportunity for a bounce-back performance against the Hogs after scoring a season-high 18 points against Southern Indiana.
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Arkansas guard Tramon Mark had 34 points in the loss to UNC at the Battle 4 Atlantis, but a scary fall at the end of that game could keep him sidelined Wednesday. Mark was taken to a local hospital in the Bahamas for evaluation and the school later said an MRI showed no significant damage to Mark’s back. If the Houston transfer can’t go against the Blue Devils, it’ll be a tougher climb for the Hogs.
Duke won 27 games in Jon Scheyer’s first season as head coach, including a perfect record at Cameron Indoor Stadium and an ACC Tournament championship. But the Blue Devils had a losing record (4-6) on the road last season. Duke’s trip to Arkansas will be the Blue Devils’ first road game against an SEC school since a win against Shaquille O’Neal and LSU in 1992. Buckle up for a wild experience.
Duke 78, Arkansas 73: The Blue Devils struggled on the road in Scheyer’s debut season and Bud Walton Arena might be the most electric atmosphere in the ACC/SEC Challenge this year. But Duke is playing better basketball than Arkansas right now.
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.