With it being Nick Smith Jr’s first game starting, they werebound to have some chemistry issues. Issues that seemed to manifest themselves more on the defensive end of the floor. In fact, Smith’s emergence in the line-up seemed to boost Arkansas’s offensive game early.
In the first half, Arkansas and San Jose State went toe-to-toe for the first 17 minutes. In particular, it was Ibrahima Diallo early in the half and Omari Moore that gave the Hogs fits. Moore scored 16-points in the first half and shot 60%. Diallo had less of an impact in the box score with 6 points, but that was due to the foul trouble he found himself in early.