Exactly What ‘Finishing’ Means to Hogs’ Gus Argenal

By Andy Hodges,

2023-01-26

Razorbacks heading to matchup with No. 17 Baylor on Saturday afternoon.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — We've heard this season, Arkansas needs to finish games.

After some second-half collapses, Razorbacks coach Eric Musselman said it, but a lot of the Hogs' faithful really don't understand what he meant.

"It means not having careless turnovers to end a game," assistant coach Gus Argenal said in a press conference Thursday. "Our last road game was Missouri. Getting a defensive rebound off a free throw then not turning it over, getting a shot on goal, getting the right shot and the right person the ball that’s playing the best that night.

"That’s part of our growth."

They seem to have improved it in a couple of recent home games against Ole Miss and LSU.

Of course, junior guard Davonte Davis took a timeout that stopped a late run by the Tigers in the second half. It worked.

But this is a Hogs' team that is playing with confidence again like they've developed the past couple of years at almost the same time.

"We’re not where we want to be, so I do think that’s an exciting piece, that we haven’t really gotten that done yet at the level we need to," Argenal said, filling in for coach Eric Musselman previewing Saturday's trip to Waco, Texas, to face No. 17 Baylor.

"We’re doing it better at home right now," Argenal said, "but, again, on the road it’s another level of focus, shot selection, game management, time management. Then defensively, digging your heels in and getting big, big defensive rebounds."

Hogs' Makhi Mitchell Previews Baylor Game (TV-G; 9:28)

That confidence, though, has filtered right down to the players, too.

"We are all ready for it as a team, as a unit," Makhi Mitchell said. "As we go into our personnel sheets and what we’re doing with defensive concepts, I feel pretty confident. It’s going to be definitely a big game for the SEC."