The 14th-ranked Arkansas basketball program begins year five of the Eric Musselman era by hosting two–time defending SWAC regular season champion Alcorn State on Monday (Nov. 6). Tipoff is set for 7 pm at Bud Walton Arena.
Alcorn State heads into the 2023-2024 season on the heels of an 18-14 record. ASU went 15-3 in SWAC play.
Gone from last season’s squad is Dominic Brewton, who led the program in scoring with 12 points per game in 25.7 minutes per game. Both Jeremiah Kendall and Byron Joshua are back, though, as they averaged right at 11 points per game. Kendall also led the program with 6.7 rebounds and shot 49 percent from the field.
In terms of additions, one interesting new piece is Jalen Hawkins.
Hawkins started his career at Robert Morris back in 2019-2020 before hitting the transfer portal and landing at Norfolk State. He spent two seasons with NSU, helping the team win back-to-back MEAC titles during his time there. Hawkins averaged 12.6 points per game during the 2021-2022 seasons. He left NSU after that season, landing at Morehead State where he was limited to just six games.
Picked to finish third in the SEC, Arkansas basketball is 5-0 all time against Alcorn State, all in Fayetteville. It has an even more impressive record in openers as it has won 49 consecutive.
Arkansas basketball is a 24.5 favorite. The over/under is 144.5. The game is set for 8 PM EST and will be broadcast on the SEC Network.