FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas basketball is serving up a top-25 clash with a national power as one dessert options Thanksgiving.
The No. 22 Razorbacks (5-1) will face No. 4 Duke (7-0) inside the United Center, home of the Chicago Bulls, on Thursday, Nov. 27 (7 p.m., CBS).
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This is the second top-25 matchup of the season for Arkansas, who went on the road and lost to Michigan State during the opening weekend. Since then, the Hogs have rattled off four consecutive home wins, but there were unconvincing performances against Samford and Winthrop.
“Coach (John Calipari)has definitely turned it up these last days,” Trevon Brazile said. “He’s making sure as far as being mentally ready and physically ready.”
The Blue Devils already have victories over Texas and Kansas. This contest starts grueling runs for both teams. Duke has games against Florida, Michigan State and Texas Tech on the horizon. The Hogs also have an upcoming game against the Red Raiders, complementing meetings with Houston and Louisville.
Here are three things to watch and a score prediction for the Thanksgiving showdown in Chicago.
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Can Arkansas basketball hang in the frontcourt?
The Blue Devils’ two leading scorers this season are Cameron Boozer (21.1 ppg) and Patrick Ngongba II (13.0 ppg). That duo makes up a productive Duke frontcourt that swarms opponents with physicality on both ends of the floor.
Trevon Brazile will likely get the Boozer assignment, and Arkansas must hope Brazile’s length at 6-foot-10 causes issues for the dynamic freshman. Boozer is shooting 54.9% from the field and averaging 9.9 rebounds per game.
“When (Boozer) is driving, he’s trying to bulldoze his way in and gets his own rebounds,” Brazile said.
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Nick Pringle and Malique Ewin will combine to try and slow down Ngongba.
But Duke’s size is prevalent throughout the roster. The Blue Devils don’t have a player shorter than 6-foot-4.
Will Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas be efficient?
Arkansas’ star freshmen have been consistent forces on offense, but despite leading the team in scoring, they both struggled in their first marquee test against Michigan State.
Acuff and Thomas combined to shoot 10 for 31 from the field and 4 for 17 on 3-pointers in a 69-66 loss to the Spartans. John Calipari hoped that night would turn into a learning moment for the first-year players.
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Now, they get their second chance at impressing on a national stage. They’ll have to find success against a Duke defense that ranks seventh nationally in KenPom’s defensive rating metric.
Can Karter Knox assert himself?
For this Arkansas team to reach its ceiling, Knox has to be a reliable offensive threat, just like he was toward the end of last year when the Hogs made a surprise run to the Sweet 16.
So far, Knox has been inconsistent. He missed opening night with an injury and has failed to score double-digit points in three games. In the other two contests, Knox has double-doubles.
The key stat for the sophomore is free-throw attempts. When he’s getting to the charity stripe, Knox is one of the better offensive players in the league. He made five free throws in both of his double-double performances and must be aggressive against the Blue Devils.
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Arkansas vs Duke prediction
By the end of the season, it wouldn’t be a surprise if both of these teams are in the Elite Eight. But right now, Duke is a well-oiled machine, and Arkansas is till trying to figure out its offensive pecking order while developing a defensive identity. The Blue Devils will pull away after a back-and-forth first half. Duke 78, Arkansas 70.
Jackson Fuller covers Arkansas football, basketball and baseball for the Southwest Times Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at jfuller@usatodayco.com or follow him @jacksonfuller16 on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Arkansas basketball vs Duke scouting report, score prediction
