The first round of March Madness kicks off on Thursday. Arkansas will be making a cross-country trip to play in Oregon, facing off against the 13-seed Hawai'i.
After winning the SEC tournament, the Razorbacks will have a bigger test than just Hawai'i on Thursday, according to Curtis Wilkerson of Inside Arkansas.
According to the initial player availability report, Nick Pringle is questionable to play in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Pringle participated lightly in the open practice on Wednesday, but was not fully available.
If Pringle is not able to go, this could be a major issue for Arkansas. Only eight players average over ten minutes per game. Karter Knox is still out of the lineup, leaving them with just seven players in the rotation. The senior forward has started 33 of 34 games this year, averaging 4.6 points per game, with 3.9 rebounds. If Pringle does not make the start, it is likely going to be Malique Ewin in the lineup. He got the start against Winthrop in November when Pringle was out of the lineup.
Ewin is averaging 9.6 points per game, while adding 5.4 rebounds and a block. Still, a shorthanded frontcourt for the Razorbacks could play into the gameplay of Hawai'i, according to head coach John Calipari, per Anthony Kristensen of Whole Hog Sports.
“They're not only big, they can shoot it,” Razorbacks coach John Calipari said. “Now you've got bigs that can shoot the ball that are long, that are 7-foot tall. It's also our guards understanding how they play. I watched a lot of tape. They're really good. They play their way. Offensively they run great stuff. They play through bigs.”
Arkansas and Hawai'i tip off at 4:25 pm ET on Thursday in Portland, Oregon.
