FAYETTEVILLE – The University of Arkansas women’s basketball team played one of the country’s toughest agendas this season, and it just got tougher.
Number 15 of the Razorbacks (11-5) will host No. 3 Connecticut (8-0) at Walton Arena next Thursday, the school announced Wednesday afternoon. The game will start at 4pm and will be broadcast on ESPN2.
Arkansas had its SEC game against Vanderbilt, originally scheduled for that date, canceled after the Commodores decided to end their season on Monday after a combination of secret problems with 19, opt-outs and injuries.
Arkansas coach Mike Neighbors said the players emphasized that they wanted to be challenged by the best teams in the country before the season. They reiterated that idea when he told them about Vanderbilt’s situation on Monday night after the South Carolina game.
“There was zero hesitation, zero setback,” said Neighbors. “Well, it’s hard to beat the UConn Huskies. It all came together. We couldn’t have asked for a better deal.
“The two administrations came together, worked fast, worked together, coordinated and did everything”.
Arkansas has played five ranked teams, including an 83-78 victory over then No. 4 Baylor at Walton Arena on December 6. Razorbacks fell 104-82 in fourth place in South Carolina on Monday and are not scheduled to play again until this Monday when they travel to Georgia.
The Huskies have faced problems with the covid-19, having four games postponed and another canceled in the last two weeks. Connecticut recently had a stretch in which he played just two matches in 27 days.
UConn coach Geno Auriemma overtook Pat Summitt for second place on the all-time winning list, with 1,099 in the Huskies’ 103-35 defeat of Butler on Tuesday. Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer tops that list with 1,105.
Facing another incredible opponent shows that your team’s conversation is more than bravado, neighbors said.
“We say this to our children all the time: control what you can control,” said Neighbors. “Well, we can’t control what Vanderbilt is doing down there. Now it comes back to us.
“We can control who we play this game with, and I think it sends a message of how dedicated our kids are to giving themselves the best possible chance of being really good in March.”
Razorbacks lead the country in games played, and neighbors say it means a lot to more people than just their players.
“Before Monday’s game, I was stopped by an assistant, an ESPN cameraman and a security officer who personally thanked us for doing everything we have done in terms of protocol – traveling on game day, doing all these things – to keep these games because that’s the payment for them “, said the neighbors. “If they don’t have games, they don’t get paid.
“I relayed this to our team. I think it’s a very, very important part that not everyone has a chance to see and hear. But for these people to stop me in person on the way to the court or when we were walking around when we got here 2 hours and a half before, we really made a big impact on our team and our kids. “
Connecticut has a connection from Arkansas to the guard Christyn Williams. The 5-11 junior who played at Central Arkansas Christian in North Little Rock was named Player of the Year in 2018 in national high school by Gatorade and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association as a senior. She also led CAC to a Class 4A state title that season.
She has averaged 14.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game this season.
With the addition of the Huskies to the lineup, Razorbacks this season will have faced all national champions since the turn of the century, except Notre Dame. They are Baylor (2019, 2012, 2005); South Carolina (2017); Connecticut (2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2010, 2009, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2000); Texas A&M (2011); Tennessee (2008, 2007); and Maryland (2006).
It won’t be the Huskies’ first trip to Fayetteville. They defeated the Razorbacks 100-64 on November 14, 1998, in their only other meeting. UConn was third at the time, while Arkansas was 18th.
AU women next week
Monday at No. 22 Georgia 6:00 pm
January 28 vs. No. 3 UConn 4:00 pm
January 31 – vs. Auburn 14h
Mike Neighbors leads the women’s basketball coach to win against Tennessee at Bud Walton Arena, Fayetteville, on Thursday, February 15, 2019. (Special for NWA Democrat Gazette / David Beach)
Paul Boyd can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @NWAPaulb.