FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The college basketball season won’t start till Nov. 6, but the high-profile exhibition between No. 14 Arkansas and No. 3 Purdue brought a mid-season feel to Bud Walton Arena Saturday.
The Razorbacks edged the Boilermakers 81-77 behind a dominant finishing stretch from Tramon Mark. A sold-out crowd stayed on its feet throughout the dying stages of an unofficial game.
Here are four observations from the thrilling preseason exhibition.
Tramon Mark closes the show
Mark, a transfer from Houston, wasn’t having the best offensive game through the first 39 minutes, but he dealt the decisive punches in Arkansas’ slugfest victory.
Mark drained a three-pointer with just 22 seconds remaining in the second half that sent the game to overtime. In the extra period, Mark scored five points and had a game-sealing steal to secure the Arkansas win.
The Razorbacks have no shortage of options in closing out games. On Saturday, it was Mark who made sure the Razorbacks treated a raucous home crowd to a satisfying victory.
Battle and Brazile lead Arkansas’ offense
Khalif Battle has come off the bench in each of the Razorbacks’ two exhibitions. He’s also scored more points than any other Razorback throughout the preseason. Against Purdue, the hyper-efficient Temple transfer scored 12 points on 5-for-11 shooting.
Trevon Brazile, along with Mark, led the Razorbacks in scoring Saturday. Brazile did most of his damage from three-point range and the free throw line, finishing with 15 points.
Battle can score at all three levels, and whether he comes off the bench or eventually works his way into a starting role, he and Brazile will be key cogs for the Arkansas offense.
Razorbacks show off depth in backcourt
The three Razorbacks who did start in the backcourt Saturday were El Ellis, Davonte Davis and Mark. All three players recorded at least three assists and were terrific facilitators.
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Freshman Layden Blocker was an explosive spark off the bench, too, scoring six points in limited minutes.
The backcourt rotation will be an interesting storyline to follow all season, but it might not matter who starts and who comes off the bench. Davis and Mark have experience in big moments, but the other three guards showed they were just as capable Saturday against one of the best teams in the country.
Purdue offense comes to life in second half
Zach Edey and Fletcher Loyer combined four just four points in the first 20 minutes. In the second half, Purdue’s ignitable duo scored 22 points and kept the Boilermakers within striking distance. Both players finished with 15 as Edey battled foul trouble and committed his fifth foul in overtime.
But Purdue also received significant contributions up and down the roster. Mason Gillis had 13 points, while Trey Renn-Kauffman and Lance Jones had nine. Braden Smith was his reliable self with 12 points and four assists, and he helped keep the Boilermakers afloat in the first half.
Once Purdue settled down Saturday, it looked like the dominant offense that won the Big 10 last season. The final 20 minutes were great building blocks for the start of the season.
Both teams were cold from three
Purdue was 290th in the country last year with a 32.2 shooting percentage from behind the arc. The pieces around big man Zach Edey should lead to better numbers from three, but the Boilermakers struggled again in this exhibition.
Purdue was 8-for-27 from three against an aggressive and physical Arkansas defense. The Razorbacks put Purdue’s offense in the mud, and the Boilermakers had zero assists at halftime.
Arkansas, who was even worse from three-point range last season (31.3%) went 8-for-23 on Saturday. This category remains a work in progress for both sides.