Arkansas @ Western Kentucky preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 8, 2018 ) Western Kentucky 78, Arkansas 77

Arkansas looks to stay perfect on the season when it travels to face non-conference foe Western Kentucky on Saturday night. The Razorbacks have won their first eight games this season, including a 69-61 victory over Austin Peay on Tuesday, while the Hilltoppers are on a two-game losing streak, falling to No. 1 Louisville and Wright State in the last week.

Charles Bassey, a 6-11 sophomore center, leads four double-figure scorers for coach Rick Stansbury's club, averaging 15.9 points as well as team-high averages in rebounds (9.6) and blocks (1.6). Senior guard Camron Justice provides outside shooting, averaging 13.4 points and hitting a team-best 24 3-pointers, while junior guard Taveion Hollingsworth is averaging 12.4 points and a team-best 3 assists per game. The Razorbacks have a new identity under first-year coach Eric Musselman, focusing on defense, and they've excelled so far, ranking No. 1 in the country in 3-point defense (.199) and fifth in scoring defense (52.6 points). Offensively, junior guard Mason Jones is leading the way with 18.1 points per game, while sophomore guard Isaiah Joe is contributing 15.8 points, including a team-high 25 3-pointers, and 2.8 assists per game.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network.

ABOUT ARKANSAS (8-0): The defense of the Razorbacks isn't one to just sit back and make sure to stay in front of the opponent to stop them from scoring. Arkansas wants to be disruptive to opposing offenses, ranking sixth in the country in turnovers per game with 20.25 per game, which includes double-digit steals in five games this season. Arkansas has had more points off turnovers than its opponent in seven of eight games this season and has recorded more fast-break points than its opponents in all eight contests.

ABOUT WESTERN KENTUCKY (6-3): While the Razorbacks are aggressive defensively, the Hilltoppers bring their aggression to the offensive end of the floor, already making 27 more free throws (149) than their opponents have attempted (122). Western Kentucky ranks 15th in the country in field-goal percentage (.505), which is helped by the presence of Bassey, who is hitting 52.5 percent of his shots, but also forward Carson Williams (.641) and guard Jordan Rawls (.574). The Hilltoppers work for good shots, as shown by the fact that they have assists on nearly 50 percent of their field goals and the seven players that have played in every game are each averaging at least one assist per game.

TIP-INS

1. Arkansas has been in the lead for most of the 2019-20 season, trailing for just 25:17 through its first eight games, 16:16 of which was in its win over Northern Kentucky.

2. Justice leads Conference USA in 3-point percentage, hitting 42.9 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc.

3. Arkansas leads the all-time series 4-3, but the Razorbacks won the first four in the series - their last win coming in 1945 - with the Hilltoppers winning three straight, including last season's meeting in Fayetteville.

PREDICTION: Arkansas 75, Western Kentucky 73