FAYETTEVILLE — The atmosphere was worthy of a postseason game, but the execution resembled the early season affair that it was during the University of Arkansas’ 81-77 exhibition win over Purdue in overtime on Saturday.
The Boilermakers, the preseason No. 3 by The Associated Press, lamented 20 turnovers and shooting 38.8% from the field in the rugged affair.
Arkansas, ranked No. 14 by the AP, got off to a very sluggish start, was outrebounded 42-28 and did not get to the free-throw line until midway through the second half.
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But the sellout crowd of 19,200 brought an electric feel to Walton Arena that could be heard and felt.
“Twenty-thousand people before Halloween. I don’t know many places that can do that,” Arkansas Coach Eric Musselman said.
“It had a Big Ten road game feel,” Purdue Coach Matt Painter said. “That’s what it had. … That’s a Big Ten environment right there.
“Obviously I know Arkansas through the tales of Coach [Gene] Keady because Coach Keady was here with Eddie Sutton, so he always loved the people of Arkansas, always loved the fans and how passionate they were and I know the fans here love their basketball.”
The exhibition raised money through the United Way for victims of tornadoes in Central Arkansas this year.
Musselman was highly complimentary of the way the Boilermakers competed and how they showed concern for guard Davonte “Devo” Davis, who had to come out after being involved in a loose-ball collision with 7-4 Zach Edey with less than three minutes left in the game.
“The professionalism of the Purdue guys,” Musselman said. “Nobody was talking to each other. Coach Painter came over and was asking about Devo. I was trying to help up Edey. What an incredible performance by both teams for our crowd.
“Who gets to watch that in October? It just doesn’t happen. That game was incredible for anybody that got to witness it. It really was. Almost as good as any game I’ve participated in and it’s an exhibition game.”
Painter said the game will be of huge benefit to his team with the season about to start for real.
“Without question,” he said. “Obviously there was a lot of purpose, right? To help the people of Arkansas who have been affected by the tornadoes. This was good through the United Way that we could raise money and help people out.
“This is ten-fold compared to a regular exhibition game. Like this is big time … that big hornet’s nest that we just walked into. They had to prepare for someone [Edey] who’s pretty unique.
“This is great for our team, because it’s real, right? You see real problems with this box score. It’s not like you go and blast somebody by 40 points and you feel good about yourselves … and it means absolutely nothing. It’s fool’s gold. This isn’t fool’s gold. We got beat and it was a hostile crowd, and we were also in position to win the game and we didn’t.”
Designated boo-ey
Purdue guard Braden Smith was initially confused as to why the Razorback student section booed him every time he touched the ball after tipoff.
The students pick an opposing player to boo each game and they chose the 6-0 sophomore, who was born in Russellville to Ginny and Dustin Smith, who both played at Arkansas Tech.
“I don’t know,” Smith said when asked what he did to draw boos. “When I came out the first time I was like, ‘Why are they booing me?’ Then I was, ‘Oh, wait, maybe because I’m from here.’ It didn’t process right away but I got it.”
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Smith was the 2022 Mr. Basketball in Indiana and his mother Ginny was Arkansas’ Miss Basketball in 1997 at Caddo Hills High School in southwestern Arkansas near Glenwood. The family moved to Lafayette, Ind., when he was about five and a huge swath of them attended the game.
“My great grandparents, my grandparents, my aunts and uncles,” Smith said. “My mom’s high school team, high school players that she coached here. My mom and sad, my brother. Her brother’s sister and her family. So I mean just a lot of people. I think it was like 80 people here, just family friends too, like 80 or 90 people.”
Big-time jostling
Saturday’s game featured 24 fouls by the Razorbacks and 17 by Purdue, but the physicality level could have lent itself to even more whistles.
Talking specifically about how Trevon Brazile hung in as he continues to rehab from knee surgery, Coach Eric Musselman described the style of game.
“This was great for him because it was a physical game,” Musselman said. “It was a game where you’re getting bumped and dislodged. He hung in there and played great and stretched the defense out.”
Purdue guard Braden Smith said he had a few bad reads and the Boilermakers did not execute some plays properly in the hostile environment.
“I think at the end of the day whether you’re getting fouled or not you’ve just got to play through it,” Smith said. “I personally thought I was getting fouled more than should be allowed, I guess. But you’ve got to play through it.”
Added Purdue guard Mason Gillis, “We shouldn’t ever let the refs dictate how the game’s gonna go. We should dictate how the game’s going to go by taking care of the ball, our defensive pressure and rebounding the ball.”
Turnover trouble
Purdue Coach Matt said his team’s 20 turnovers were a difference maker.
“I thought Arkansas’ pressure was good,” Painter said. “I thought they got after us. We’ve got to do a better job of taking care of the basketball.”
Purdue outrebounded the Razorbacks 42-28 but could not take full advantage due to the turnovers.
“We’re a pretty good offensive rebounding team as you see,” Painter said. “We have 14 offensive rebounds and they have one. And so we keep having chances with offensive rebounds.
“You can’t rebound a turnover. You guys can use that line if you want.”
To the line
It took nearly 29 minutes, but the Razorbacks finally drew a shooting foul midway through the second half. Trevon Brazile was fouled by Caleb Furst while taking a three-point shot from the left wing at the 11:24 mark of the half.
Brazile sank all of the free throws to give the Hogs a 46-45 lead.
The Razorbacks wound up connecting on 13 of 17 shots from the line for 76.5%, with Brazile (5 for 5), Chandler Lawson (3 for 3) and and El Ellis (1 for 1) all perfect. Tramon Mark went 4 for 8, but made two big ones with the Hogs leading 77-75 with 22.5 seconds left.
Purdue made 17 of 25 (68%) free throws.
Three down
Arkansas guard Davonte Davis and Purdue players Zach Edey and Mason Gillis stayed down on the court for a while with 2:33 left in the game.
Davis dove headfirst for a loose ball after Hogs guard Tramon Mark missed a reverse layup against the 7-4 Edey. The loose ball squirted across the lane, where Davis plunged in with the Purdue players. Gillis wound up diverting the ball to guard Braden Smith before time was called. Edey and Gillis were able to get up after a few seconds, but Davis needed tending to by the training staff.
Davis did not return to the game, and Coach Eric Musselman said after the game he didn’t think Davis was in concussion protocol.
Euro-hoop
Arkansas took its first lead of the game on a strong individual play by guard Khalif Battle. The 6-5 senior tipped the ball away from Lance Jones at the top of the key and then won the battle for the loose ball.
The pair sped down the court in tandem before Battle shook Jones with a crossover and a Euro step to free himself for a layup and a 14-12 Arkansas lead at the 9:57 mark of the first half.
Battle tested
In the second half, Arkansas guard Khalif Battle got an assist, but not a statistical one. Battle borrowed the floor drying apparatus from an arena worker to help clear up an area of sweat on the Purdue end during a stoppage.
Delayed entry
The flight for the Purdue basketball team had to be diverted to Tulsa on Friday due to weather conditions around Fayetteville.
The Boilermakers’ plane refueled in Tulsa and was able to flight into Northwest Arkansas around 9 p.m.
Shirt talk
Pat McAfee, the ESPN personality and former West Virginia and Indianapolis Colts punter, made reference to Arkansas Coach Eric Musselman on the “College GameDay” football pregame show Saturday morning.
“I love talking ball,” McAfee said in response to a question from colleague Kirk Herbstriet about breaking down film. “Every once in a while I take my shirt off though, and I let Muss know that I’m with him.”
Musselman famously took his shirt off and celebrated with fans after the Razorbacks downed No. 1 Auburn two years at Walton Arena, then he repeated the move after Arkansas upset No. 1 seed Kansas last year in Des Moines, Iowa.
Tip ins
• Arkansas forward Jalen Graham missed his second consecutive exhibition game while dealing with back spasms.
• Arkansas went the entire first half without a free-throw attempt and Purdue went the first first 20 minutes without an assist.
• Former Razorback guard Dusty Hannahs was in attendance and was shown on the video boards and introduced to the crowd midway though the second half.