Arkansas Leads Memphis 48-34 at halftime in exhibition game

Arkansas Leads Memphis 48-34 at halftime in exhibition game

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Arkansas entered the halftime break of Wednesday’s exhibition game at Bud Walton Arena with a commanding 48-34 lead over Memphis.

Jordan Smith Jr. finds his rhythm

The narrative surrounding Jordan Smith Jr. shifted quickly on Wednesday. In a previous matchup against Gonzaga, Smith struggled significantly on the offensive end, managing only a single point on 0-9 shooting. While his defensive presence remained a constant, his inability to score created a void in the Razorbacks’ attack.

That struggle vanished in the first half against Memphis. Smith opened the game with four early points on 2-3 shooting, highlighted by a lob from Cooper Bowser that ended in a dunk. He didn’t stop at the offensive end; he remained a defensive catalyst, recording two blocks and a steal in the opening period.

Nemanja Popovic prevents a blowout

While Arkansas controlled the scoreboard, Memphis avoided a total collapse thanks to 24-year-old forward Nemanja Popovic. Popovic was the only Tiger who consistently challenged the Razorbacks’ interior defense, scoring 12 points on 4-5 shooting from the field. He was flawless from the charity stripe, hitting all four of his free-throw attempts, and added five rebounds to his tally.

The disparity in Memphis’ supporting cast was stark. Outside of Popovic and Luke Almodovar—who scored 10 points on 3-5 shooting—no other Tiger managed more than five points in the first half. This lack of secondary scoring left Popovic isolated as the primary engine for the Memphis offense, often appearing to overmatch the Arkansas big men defensively.

Maper Maker exceeds expectations

The most significant internal development for Arkansas may be the ascent of Maper Maker. The big man from Perth, Australia, has already earned praise from head coach John Calipari, who noted on September 30 that Maker was better than he had initially envisioned following a performance against Gonzaga.

Maker took that momentum into Wednesday, playing what was arguably his best half in a Razorback uniform. In just nine minutes of action, Maker tallied seven points on 3-4 shooting, including a catch-and-shoot three-pointer. His impact extended beyond the box score, as he proved highly effective on the defensive end and grabbed two rebounds.

Maker’s efficiency stood in contrast to the rest of the Arkansas frontcourt. While Miikka Muurinen contributed five points early on, other bigs had varying levels of impact:

Player Points Rebounds Minutes
Miikka Muurinen 5 – –
Cooper Bowser 4 4 13
Caleb Ourigou 0 0 4

Ilia Frolov also saw action after being absent from the Gonzaga game, though the half belonged to Maker in terms of sheer efficiency and defensive presence.

The gap between Arkansas and Memphis at the half wasn’t just a matter of points, but of depth. Arkansas is seeing multiple players—from the perimeter with Smith to the paint with Maker—hit their strides simultaneously. Memphis, conversely, is leaning heavily on a single veteran presence to keep the game within reach.

Worth a look

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