Arkansas Razorbacks vs. TCU Horned Frogs

On By Littum

FORT WORTH, Texas — The Arkansas Razorbacks are in Fort Worth to see if they can repeat last week’s surprising blowout win over No. 1 Kansas in exhibition play.

The thinking was that this would be the first opportunity for the Hogs to see how they hold together in front of a road crowd. But at 6:00 p.m., the line was in front of all the Razorbacks, and with half an hour left before the game, there are two purple shirts in a large number of reds.

Arkansas fans line up outside Dickies Arena an hour before an exhibition game against TCU.

Arkansas fans line up outside Dickies Arena an hour before an exhibition game against the TCU Horned Frogs on Nov. 1, 2024, in Fort Worth, Texas. / Kent Smith | Hogs on SI images

A fan in the arena will get to ask Arkansas coach John Calipari a question by scanning a QR code on the video board. They were supposed to do that for TCU too, but there didn’t seem to be any TCU fans in the building when that promo ran.

STARTING LINE-UP

Arkansas starting lineup

Arkansas starting lineup / Statbroadcast.com

TCU starting lineup

TCU starting lineup / Statbroadcast.com

Five minutes to tip and the official count is 18 TCU fans and maybe 1,000 Razorbacks fans. The crowd is now treated to the Razorbacks’ home arena hype video just with less sound quality than Bud Walton as they try to keep it down so the Horned Frogs don’t feel too bad a few miles from their campus.

First quarter

Boogie Fland is already going as he nearly comes up with the steal and a fast break before knocking it out of bounds near midfield on the Horned Frogs’ opening possession. Ivisic then blocked TCU’s opening shot.

However, it is the Hogs who give up the first turnover leading to an Ally-oop before Ivisic gives the Razorbacks the lead by knocking down a three from the top of the key. Arkansas leads it 3-2 with 8:19 to play in the first quarter.

Thiero then takes the fast break down the right side to the rim for the dunk to make it 5-3. He then continues his hot streak by blowing past two horned frogs before laying it off the glass while getting fouled by Noah Reynolds. Arkansas had a lane violation, but it didn’t matter because the free throw was missed anyway, leaving the Hogs up 7-2.

Menste knocks down a three for TCU, then Allette hits another and it’s now a 9-8 game as the outside shots aren’t falling for the Hogs. Punch then hits a reverse layup over Ivisic and TCU is back in the lead 10-9.

Collins hits another three for the Horned Frogs, and the Arkansas perimeter game has disappeared on both ends of the floor. Thiero is able to roll a jumper in the paint through the net to keep the Hogs close at 13-11.

During the timeout, the arena put the TCU coach on the video board showing all his plays and blasting everything he tells his players to do as much as possible. It won’t be more of an exhibition than that.

Arkansas is finally back in the lead. Theiro, who has eight of the Hogs’ 15 points, knocks down a three. He then misses a tomahawk jam that goes out to Fland, who feeds it to Davis in the corner for three, and Arkansas leads 19-17 with 19.9 left in the corner, giving what is now a somewhat significant Razorbacks crowd, the chance to call the Hogs.

By the end of the first quarter, the Arkansas crowd had grown, but the TCU fans had not.

By the end of the first quarter, the Arkansas crowd had grown, but the TCU fans had not. / Kent Smith | Hogs on SI images

Second Quarter

• Arkansas looks to play as positionless as possible

• Swine have “Special Team” character even when stars are not producing

• The Razorbacks have a huge opportunity against Ole Miss on Saturday

• Reasons Razorback fans have to hate Ole Miss | Locked on the Razorbacks

• Hogs will be without a major contributor against Ole Miss

• Subscribe and follow us further YouTube
• Follow HogsSI further X and Facebook