Northern Kentucky @ Arkansas preview

Arkansas captured plenty of attention when Mason Jones’ desperation 3-pointer banked home at the buzzer to knock off Georgia Tech on Monday, but the real reason the Razorbacks are unbeaten entering Saturday’s home game against Northern Kentucky is their defense. Arkansas is limiting opponents to an average of 50 points and leads the nation in defending the 3-point shot, holding the opposition to 14.1 percent shooting.

Jones again led the offense in Monday’s 62-61 overtime victory, finishing with 24 points on 7-for-12 shooting from the field, and the junior guard ranks sixth in the SEC in scoring at 18.5 points. His approach on the game-winning shot was simple, as he told reporters postgame: “I dribbled three times. Stepped back. Backboard. God bless us.” It has been a strong start to the season for Jones, who leads the SEC in steals per game (2.67) and ranks third in free-throw shooting (91.9 percent) while shooting 50.7 percent from the field. The Norse have posted road victories at Coastal Carolina and Ball State and ran past NAIA foe Midway (Ky.) 86-56 on Monday.

TV: 5 p.m. ET, SEC Network Plus

ABOUT NORTHERN KENTUCKY (5-2): Senior forward Dantez Walton leads the Norse in scoring at 14.7 points and 6.6 rebounds, shooting 34.8 percent from 3-point range. Walton earned Horizon League player of the week honors last week after scoring 18 points against Ball State and a career-high 33 points with 10 rebounds in a loss to Texas Southern. Senior guard Tyler Sharpe is shooting 34 percent from 3-point range and averages 12.9 points while leading Northern Kentucky with 13 steals.

ABOUT ARKANSAS (6-0): The Razorbacks are third in the nation in scoring defense, fourth in average steals (11.7) and eighth in opponents field-goal percentage (35 percent). Sophomore guard Isaiah Joe averages 16.7 points and is shooting 36.4 percent from 3-point range, but he has scored just 18 points across his past two games on 6-for-24 shooting from the field. Transfer guard Jimmy Whitt Jr., who began his career at Arkansas before transferring to SMU, is shooting 52.3 percent from the field in his first season back with the Razorbacks and is averaging 12.7 points.

TIP-INS

1. Jones finished 7-for-10 from the free-throw line against Georgia Tech, his first three misses of the season, snapping a streak of 36 consecutive makes dating back to last season.

2. Arkansas first-year coach Eric Musselman is the first Razorbacks coach to start 6-0 since Eugene Lambert in 1942-43.

3. Northern Kentucky has faced one Power 5 school this season, losing 71-56 at Missouri on Nov. 8.

PREDICTION: Arkansas 72, Northern Kentucky 51