Arkansas vs. Robert Morris Preview: Starters, Odds and Where the Razorbacks Stand
NCAAB GAME PREVIEW · NOVEMBER 10, 2026
No. 19 Arkansas gets a home reset against an 0–2 Robert Morris team Wednesday night at Bud Walton Arena. Here is the starting-lineup comparison, the season read, and how to treat the college basketball odds.
The Razorbacks do not need a speech. They need a clean game.
Three days after No. 9 Virginia blew open a 19-point halftime hole in Washington, Arkansas is back in Bud Walton Arena to face Robert Morris. The Colonials are 0–2, scoring 52.5 points a game and giving the ball away 19.5 times. The Hogs are 1–1, still as talented as the preseason poll said, and already on notice that a top-tier roster does not cover a bad half.
This is the reset. It is also the last soft landing before the calendar turns. Central Arkansas is in the building Friday. Indiana waits at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 17. No. 5 Michigan State is the Thanksgiving assignment. North Carolina is Dec. 1 in Chapel Hill. Wednesday is for fixing the things Virginia exposed, not for treating a road-weary Horizon League team like a bye.
How to watch Arkansas vs. Robert Morris
Matchup. Robert Morris Colonials (0–2, Horizon League) at Arkansas Razorbacks (1–1, SEC).
Date and time. Wednesday, November 11, 2026. Tip is 7:00 p.m. Central, 8:00 p.m. Eastern. Robert Morris’s game notes list 8:00 p.m. ET. If you are walking up Nolan Richardson Drive, that is 7:00 local.
Where. Bud Walton Arena, Fayetteville. Capacity 19,368. The Pine Bluff opener drew 19,200.
TV and live stream. SEC Network+ (SECN+, or SEC Network Plus). You will need a provider login in the ESPN app. This is not a linear SEC Network window.
Rankings. Arkansas opened at No. 12 in the Oct. 19 AP poll and was No. 12/13 going into Virginia. After that loss the Razorbacks are listed at No. 19 in the AP poll and No. 20 in the coaches poll, reconfirmed early Tuesday, Nov. 10.
Injury report. No injuries listed for Arkansas or Robert Morris as of Tuesday, Nov. 10. Confirm it again Wednesday afternoon. November lineups move.
Series. These teams have played once. On Dec. 20, 2012, Arkansas won 79–74 in Fayetteville. The total pushed.
How Arkansas basketball looks in 2026–27
John Calipari is in Year 3 in Fayetteville. The first two ended in the Sweet 16. The 2025–26 team went 28–9 overall and 13–5 in the SEC, then watched the lineup walk into the league. Darius Acuff Jr., Meleek Thomas and Trevon Brazile were the headline departures. Arkansas’s preseason quick facts had Calipari at 50–33 at Arkansas before the first real game of this season.
What walked in is a Calipari roster in the usual shape. A freshman headliner. A transfer who can already score in this league. One veteran wing who knows Bud Walton. A big who has done it somewhere else. And a pile of first-year talent behind them. Nine freshmen and two transfers. The only significant returning starter is 6-foot-6 junior wing Billy Richmond III, who started 19 of 37 games last season at 11.2 points and 4.3 rebounds and was one of the better defenders in the SEC.
The opener looked like the sales pitch. On Nov. 3, No. 12 Arkansas hit Arkansas-Pine Bluff with a 25–0 run and won 106–61. Jeremiah Wilkinson, the Georgia transfer, scored 23 on 7-of-11 shooting, including 4-of-7 from three, and added six rebounds and five steals. Jordan Smith Jr. had 20 in his collegiate debut, with four rebounds and three steals. Twelve of the 13 Hogs who played scored. The freshmen accounted for 65 of the 106 points. Abdou Toure had 12. Miikka Muurinen had 10. Cooper Bowser had 8 and 7. Maper Maker had 6 and 8.
Then Sunday happened. At the Capital Showcase in Washington, Virginia led 46–27 at halftime and won 91–72. The Cavaliers grabbed 19 offensive rebounds and won points off turnovers 24–6. Wilkinson was scoreless in the first half and finished with 11 points in 20 minutes, all of it after the break. Muurinen played three minutes before halftime, then finished with 12. Smith, in his hometown, kept Arkansas honest: 19 points, four steals, and a rough 8-of-17 from the field. The Hogs shot 11-of-18 at the line in that game. For the season they are at 68.3 percent. That number will not survive the rest of November.
| Through 2 games | Arkansas | Robert Morris |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 1–1 | 0–2 |
| Points / game | 89.0 | 52.5 |
| Points allowed | 76.0 | 82.5 |
| Field-goal % | 50.4 | 33.0 |
| 3-point % | 35.1 | 26.2 |
| Free-throw % | 68.3 | 83.3 |
| Rebounds / game | 39.5 | 25.5 |
| Assists / game | 14.5 | 11.0 |
| Turnovers / game | 13.0 | 19.5 |
| ATS | 1–1 | 0–2 |
| Over / under | 1–1 | 0–2 |
Read the split, not the average. Against a SWAC opponent the Hogs shot 54.7 percent, assisted 19 baskets and got to the line 42 times. Against a ranked team that crashed the glass and didn’t hand the ball back, foul trouble and live-ball mistakes showed up before halftime. Robert Morris is the opponent you use to prove the correction stuck. Michigan State and North Carolina are the opponents that tell you whether this is another second-weekend team.
The bench has already been used, which is new for some Calipari seasons. Toure scored 12 and then 10. Davion Thompson had 7 and 6, with four assists in the opener. Maker blocked three shots in 22 minutes against Virginia and did not score. JJ Andrews is still looking for a second-game bucket. Depth is on the roster. Trust is still being handed out one shift at a time.
Robert Morris is not the preseason poll
Do not scout the logo. Scout the two games.
Andy Toole is in his 17th season, and this program just lived in March. Robert Morris went 22–11 overall and 13–7 in the Horizon League in 2025–26 and reached the conference semifinals for a second straight year. The league’s preseason poll put the Colonials second, behind defending champion Wright State.
The roster that earned that vote is mostly gone. DeSean Goode transferred to Miami, Ryan Prather to Iowa State, Nikolaos Chitikoudis to Xavier. Albert Vargas graduated. Toole kept sophomore guard Darius Livingston, a Horizon All-Freshman pick who averaged 10.1 points last season, and brought in UMBC transfer Ace Valentine, who averaged 11.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists. Senior forward KC Ugwuakazi and sophomore KJ Garris Jr. were supposed to steady the new group.
None of that has reached the box score. On Nov. 2 in Reno, Nevada won 86–49. Robert Morris shot 13-of-49, 27 percent, and committed 19 turnovers. On Nov. 6 in Chicago, UIC won 79–56. The Colonials shot 19-of-48, scored 20 points in the paint, scored zero fast-break points, and scored three points off turnovers. Valentine, the veteran point guard, had eight turnovers by himself. Two games, 105 points, 39 turnovers. Nobody is on the injury report. They are just not making shots, and they are not keeping the ball.
Wednesday is the third game of a road swing that started in Reno and ran through Chicago. That is a long way to come to play in a building that just held 19,200 for a November opener, on a night when the home team would like to remind itself what a lead feels like.
Starting lineup comparison
Calipari has used the same first five since the Memphis exhibition on Oct. 28: Smith, Wilkinson, Richmond, Muurinen, Bowser. That five started against Virginia. Toole changed his five after the Nevada loss. The group that started at UIC is the best public projection for Wednesday. Livingston, the Colonials’ best returning guard, came off the bench in Chicago and went 3-of-11 from three.
| Spot | Arkansas | The read | Robert Morris | The read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PG | Jordan Smith Jr. 6-2 · Fr · #23 | 19.5 PPG, 3.5 SPG 15-of-28 FG | Ace Valentine Sr · UMBC · #1 | 4.5 PPG, 3.5 APG 11 turnovers |
| SG | Jeremiah Wilkinson 6-1 · Jr · #5 | 17.0 PPG 7-of-13 from 3 | KJ Garris Jr. #22 | 13.5 PPG 13-of-13 FT |
| Wing | Billy Richmond III 6-6 · Jr · #24 | 9.5 / 4.5 / 3.0 2.5 blocks | Ta’Zir Smith #3 | 7.5 PPG 4-of-15 FG |
| F | Miikka Muurinen 7-0 · Fr · #3 | 11.0 PPG Face-up shooter | KC Ugwuakazi #23 | 6.0 PPG 5-of-9 FG |
| C | Cooper Bowser 6-11 · Sr · #21 | 7.0 RPG, 5.5 PPG Furman transfer | Eddie Cooke III #5 | 5.0 RPG Team’s glass guy |
Point guard: Smith against a point guard who can’t hold it
Jordan Smith Jr. is the best player on the floor, and it is not close. The 6-foot-2 freshman from Paul VI in Washington, D.C., is a consensus top-five recruit and the player Arkansas’s own recap called a preseason Player of the Year candidate. Through two games: 19.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 3.5 steals, 15-of-28 from the field. He also turned it over three times in each game and is 8-of-13 at the line.
Ace Valentine was imported to run Robert Morris. Through two games he has 9 points on 3-of-14 shooting, 7 assists and 11 turnovers, in 29.5 minutes a night. If Smith pressures the ball the way he did against Virginia — four steals in that game — Valentine’s night can get ugly before the under-8 media timeout. The Hog watch-item is the other end of that gamble. When Smith hunts steals and doesn’t get back, a team this sloppy can still find a cheap bucket.
Shooting guard: Wilkinson has to play both halves
Wilkinson is the cleanest veteran scorer on the roster, a Georgia transfer who already looks comfortable letting it fly. He is at 17.0 points a game and 7-of-13 from three. The 23-point opener, with five steals, is the player Calipari recruited. The scoreless first half in Washington is the player this roster cannot afford once Michigan State is on the other bench. KJ Garris Jr. is Robert Morris’s leading scorer at 13.5 a game, and he is a perfect 13-of-13 at the free-throw line. He is a shot-maker on a team that does not have enough of them. He is not a matchup problem.
Wing: Richmond is the adult
Billy Richmond III is the holdover, the one Hog who already knows what a March Saturday in this jersey feels like. This season he is at 9.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.5 blocks, and he tied a career high with three blocks against Virginia while adding four assists. Ta’Zir Smith started the UIC game and is at 7.5 points on 4-of-15 shooting. Richmond’s job on Wednesday is not to win a jump-shot contest. It is to defend, rebound, and keep a young lineup from playing hero ball once the lead hits 20.
Forward: Muurinen has to stay on the floor
Miikka Muurinen, the Finnish freshman who came in as one of the top international prospects in the class, is at 11.0 points and 3.5 rebounds in about 18.5 minutes. He can face up and shoot it. He was 2-of-4 from three against Virginia, and he opened that game at the free-throw line. He also fouled, turned it over three times, and sat most of the first half. KC Ugwuakazi is the Colonial who has actually finished at the rim: 5-of-9 from the field, 6.0 points, one block. He will not out-athlete Muurinen for 30 minutes. He will try to make a freshman play big, on the block, without reaching.
Center: Bowser should own the glass
Cooper Bowser is the only experienced interior player on the Arkansas roster, a 6-foot-11 senior who averaged 13.8 points and 5.9 rebounds at Furman. The scoring has not followed him to Fayetteville yet — 5.5 points, on a very efficient 5-of-7 from the field — but the glass has. He has 14 rebounds in two games, 7.0 a night, plus three blocks. Eddie Cooke III is Robert Morris’s leading rebounder at 5.0 a game in a wing’s body. If Bowser does not control the paint, the next men up are Maker, Caleb Ourigou and Ilia Frolov. Maker has already shown he can block a shot. He has not shown he can score one against a real front line.
Three things that decide Arkansas vs. Robert Morris
1. The first 10 minutes. Arkansas cannot spot a Horizon League road team the kind of hole Virginia dug. A 25–0 run against Pine Bluff and a 19-point halftime deficit five days later is not a personality. It is a choice. Tip the game, get a stop, and make Robert Morris play from behind in a building that will be loud if the Hogs look like themselves.
2. Turnovers, both ways. The Colonials give it away 19.5 times a game. Valentine alone has 11 in two nights. That is a layup line if Smith and Richmond gamble without losing the glass. The other side of the scouting report is just as simple: Virginia turned Arkansas mistakes into 24 points. A sloppy Hog team can keep a bad offense in the game, and a bad offense that hangs around is how a big spread dies.
3. Free throws and fouls. Arkansas is at 68.3 percent at the line. Muurinen and Wilkinson both fought foul trouble in D.C. Robert Morris is the opposite at the stripe — 83.3 percent as a team, Garris perfect from the line. Don’t put them there. Make them shoot twos over Bowser.
Odds, prediction and where to bet
As of Tuesday, Nov. 10, the major odds-comparison boards still had blank cells on the Arkansas–Robert Morris spread, total and moneyline. Do not trust a number you saw in a group text. A Kalshi market, updated Monday night, had Arkansas at 97 percent to win the game outright. That price is a tell, not a bet. You do not need a ridiculous moneyline on a team that just lost by 19 to a peer.
What the profile says, before a consensus NCAAB line is even up:
Straight up. Arkansas. The talent gap, the building, and a visitor shooting 33 percent with 19.5 turnovers are too much. Robert Morris has lost by 37 and by 23, both on the road, both to teams that are not in the SEC.
Point spread. Wait, then shop it. A young Hog team that trailed by 22 in the second half on Sunday can stop covering once the lead feels safe, especially with Central Arkansas due in Friday. If Arkansas is laying a number in the high 20s, the smarter college basketball pick is often the other side, or a pass. If the spread opens shorter because books just watched the Virginia film, the Razorbacks are the side.
Over/under. Robert Morris has scored 49 and 56. Arkansas has scored 106 and 72. Averaging those four numbers is not analysis. The useful fact is that the Colonials have not proved they can reach 65 on the road. If the posted total sits at 155 or higher, The Hog Call leans under. If it sits in the low 140s, leave it alone. Arkansas can hang 95 and still watch an under cash if Robert Morris stays in the 50s.
The lean, labeled as opinion. Arkansas 88, Robert Morris 58. We would not bet the Arkansas moneyline at a short price. We would not lay a huge spread with a team that still fouls its best freshman and bricks free throws. We would look at the under if the total is posted at 155 or above, and we would take whichever book has the better number.
| Predicted score | Spread | Total | Moneyline | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Morris | — | — | — | — |
| Arkansas | — | — | — | — |
Lines move. Injuries move them faster. This is The Hog Call’s editorial opinion, not a guarantee, not a tout, and not an instruction to bet more than you can afford to lose. You must be 21 or older. Offers and markets vary by location. If sports betting is not legal where you live, do not wager. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER.
Injury report
Clean, as of Nov. 10. Covers listed no injuries for Robert Morris and no injuries for Arkansas. That does not mean Calipari will start the same five if someone picks up a knock in shootaround. The names to refresh before you bet, or before you publish: Smith, Wilkinson, Richmond, Muurinen, Bowser on the Arkansas side; Valentine, Garris, Ta’Zir Smith, Cooke and Ugwuakazi on the Robert Morris side. Livingston is the first man off the Colonial bench who can change the spacing.
FAQ: time, channel, lineups, odds
What time is Arkansas vs. Robert Morris?
Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. Central and 8:00 p.m. Eastern, at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville.
What channel is Arkansas vs. Robert Morris on?
SEC Network+. Stream it in the ESPN app with a TV provider login. It is not scheduled for the linear SEC Network.
Who is starting for Arkansas basketball?
Jordan Smith Jr., Jeremiah Wilkinson, Billy Richmond III, Miikka Muurinen and Cooper Bowser. That is the five that started against Virginia and in the Memphis exhibition. Calipari had not announced a change as of Tuesday.
Who is favored, and what is the spread?
Arkansas is a heavy favorite to win outright. A Kalshi market had the Razorbacks at 97 percent on Monday night. A consensus point spread was not posted on the major odds boards checked Tuesday, Nov. 10. Shop BetOnline and Bovada for the live spread, total and moneyline, and expect the number to move.
Is anyone hurt?
No injuries were listed for either team as of Nov. 10, 2026. Check again on game day.
The Hog Call bottom line
This Arkansas team can score with anybody when the shots are clean and the fouls stay down. It cannot afford another half like the first one in Washington, not with the November it just printed. Robert Morris is the right opponent for a correction and the wrong opponent to treat like a walkthrough. Get Smith downhill. Let Wilkinson play 30 minutes instead of 20. Let Bowser rebound. Make a team that turns it over 20 times a night do it again, in front of a full Bud Walton.
Win the game. Cover only if the number is fair. And get ready for Friday, because Central Arkansas will not care what the scoreboard said against Robert Morris.
Woo Pig. Then go to work.
Sources used for this preview. Arkansas official recap of the Virginia game (Nov. 8, 2026); ESPN and official box scores for Arkansas–Pine Bluff (Nov. 3), Virginia (Nov. 8), Robert Morris at Nevada (Nov. 2) and Robert Morris at UIC (Nov. 6); Robert Morris 2026–27 cumulative statistics PDF and game notes; Sports-Reference 2026–27 Arkansas schedule; Covers matchup page (records, ATS, injuries, starter lines, team percentiles); FOX Sports team leaders; CBS Sports schedules; Kalshi outright market as of Nov. 9; Associated Press season preview (Richmond, Bowser, roster shape); Sports Illustrated Arkansas rotation projection; RotoWire preseason preview; Mid-Major Basketball Robert Morris season outlook (Oct. 29, 2026); University of Central Arkansas Week 2 notes for the two-game Hog shooting line. Fact-checked and filed the night of Nov. 10, 2026. Reconfirm ranking, injuries and the betting number before the article goes live.