No. 21 Arkansas survived its second mid-major near-ambush when power forward Nick Pringle’s layup capped a late 6-0 run to beat Winthrop on Tuesday.
But even the 6-foot-10 Pringle’s play — a season-high 13 points, seven rebounds — did little to assuage coach John Calipari’s concerns about the physicality of his frontline as the Razorbacks (4-1) conclude the cupcake portion of their schedule against Jackson State on Friday in Fayetteville, Ark.
Jackson State (0-4) may not provide much of a barometer. The Tigers, who fell to No. 22 Auburn 112-66 Wednesday, also have lost by 36-plus at No. 8 Illinois and No. 6 Louisville.
Arkansas had a slim 33-30 rebounding edge in the 84-83 win over smaller Winthrop, which made 15 of 31 3-point attempts. The Eagles started one player taller than 6-foot-5.
“No one’s afraid of us,” said Calipari, whose team held a 38-37 rebounding edge in a 79-75 victory over Samford last Friday. “Push them, shove them, go rebound. They’re not going to rebound on you if you’re bodying them.”
Many of the Eagles’ threes were open looks in transition or after quick ball reversals, which Calipari attributed to a lack of communication.
“They (Arkansas defenders) just point and then say, ‘I didn’t hear,'” Calipari said of Winthrop’s open looks. “We don’t talk. So what happens is you have two guys go with one, and the other guy is wide open.”
Pringle, whose basket with 11.9 seconds left beat Winthrop, played 28 minutes while coming off the bench for the first time this season. Florida State transfer Malique Ewin got his first start, finishing with two points and three rebounds in seven minutes.
Pringle also was involved in a late-game skirmish that could have ended poorly. He and Winthrop’s Logan Duncomb tangled when Duncomb tried to take the ball out of the net following Pringle’s go-ahead basket and both went to the floor.
After a replay review, officials called a double technical that meant no free throws. Arkansas’ Isaiah Sealy and D.J. Wagner were ejected for leaving the bench during the mix-up.
“All I could do was just go to the huddle and apologize for the situation,” said Pringle, who made two baskets in the Razorbacks’ late run. “I can’t have my team in those types of scenarios, no matter what happens. I shouldn’t have reacted. In big games, that can cost us.”
Arkansas freshman wing Meleek Thomas, who came off the bench after starting the previous two, had a career-high 26 points. His steal set up the winning score. Trevon Brazile had 14 points, eight rebounds and four blocks.
Jackson State is led by returning starters Jayme Mitchell Jr. (16.0 points per game), Daeshun Ruffin (15.0 ppg) and Dorian McMillian (11.3 ppg). Mitchell had 24 at Auburn.
Ruffin, the SWAC preseason player of the year in a vote of coaches and sports information directors, is the league’s reigning player of the week after scoring 12 points against Illinois and 22 against Louisville.
Jackson State was 14-4 in the SWAC last season, but was upset by No. 5 seed Alabama State in the finals of the conference tournament.
–Field Level Media
