FAYETTEVILLE -- University of Arkansas coach Eric Musselman exchanges plenty of text messages with his players, but he said there was something different about the one he received from junior guard Mason Jones at 7:08 a.m. Friday.
"I got a real interesting text this morning from Mason about how I needed to bring energy today," Musselman said before Friday's practice. "I don't know if I've ever had a player text me as I'm waking up that I need to bring energy.
"But I'm going to bring energy as soon as I'm done with [talking to the media] because Mason Jones told me to."
Watching Musselman coach in a game or during practice, it doesn't appear he ever lacks energy, but he didn't sound as if he took offense to Jones' text.
"I think I gave him the thumb's up," Musselman said of his reply. "I think he just sensed that I was not real happy yesterday."
Down in the dumps?
"I don't know about that," Musselman said. "More angry."
Musselman's anger is understandable considering Arkansas (14-4, 3-3 Southeastern Conference) has lost its last two games.
Kentucky rallied to beat the Razorbacks 73-66 in Bud Walton Arena last Saturday -- their first home loss this season -- with a 17-2 run after Wildcats coach John Calipari drew two technicals and was ejected with 8:19 left. Then Arkansas lost at Mississippi State 77-70 on Wednesday night.
In four-plus seasons as a college head coach at Nevada and Arkansas, Musselman never has lost three consecutive games. He also never has lost back-to-back home games as a college head coach.
The Razorbacks hope to continue those trends when they play TCU (13-5) at 3 p.m. today in Walton Arena in the Big 12/SEC Challenge.
"I think the mindset is this gives us the opportunity to show who we are," Arkansas senior guard Jimmy Whitt said. "As individuals, as men and as a team.
"When you drop two in a row -- two tough ones -- you can show who you are and fight through adversity.
"You can bring it back around and get back on the winning side of things. Or some teams start to come apart. I don't think that's who we are."
Arkansas has started the same lineup in 17 of 18 games. The only change was when Jones had a shoulder injury and didn't play against Northern Kentucky and Jeantal Cylla joined Whitt, Isaiah Joe, Desi Sills and Adrio Bailey.
"I think certainly there's a thought process," Musselman said when asked if he anticipated changing the lineup for TCU. "I always take my dog, Swish, for the walk and on that walk [today] we'll probably discuss the starting lineup. I'll pretty much take his lead for what he says."
Musselman was joking about the dog, but not the lineup.
"In all seriousness, yes, they might have to do some new graphics for the starting five," he said.
One possible change might be inserting 6-8 Reggie Chaney for the 6-1 Sills.
Chaney is athletic enough to guard perimeter players -- such as TCU's 6-6 Desmond Bane, who is averaging a team-high 17.2 points -- and he's shooting 79.4% from the field (27 of 34) on the season, including 12 of 13 in the last three games.
"Reggie's done a great job hanging around the baseline and kind of ghosting himself," Musselman said. "Then finding open gaps and catching the ball and finishing in traffic. SEC length has not bothered Reggie around the rim finishing."
The Horned Frogs are 1-2 on the road with a 59-57 victory at Kansas State before they lost at No. 12 West Virginia 81-49 and at Oklahoma 83-63, but TCU bounced back to beat No. 18 Texas Tech 65-54 at home on Tuesday night.
Bane led the Horned Frogs with 27 points against Texas Tech and hit 10 of 15 shots, including 6 of 8 3-pointers. He also had 6 rebounds.
"One of my favorite players in the Big 12, a guy that'll make a living playing basketball, a guy that's worked on his game and developed over the years," Red Raiders coach Chris Beard said. "I have so much respect for Bane. He took the game over. He was the best player on the floor."
Chris Samuel, TCU's 6-11 sophomore center, had 11 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocked shots against Texas Tech.
"Samuel is always inside the lane and around the rim," Musselman said. "So we've got to keep him off the glass."
Today's game is the third of five consecutive Saturday home sellouts for Arkansas, but Musselman said he knows nothing likely will match the atmosphere for Kentucky when students began lining up before 6 a.m. on game day to get the best seats.
"The atmosphere in the home game against Kentucky, nobody in the country is going to be able to duplicate that, I don't think," Musselman said. "I think it was as good as any atmosphere that you could possibly ask for."
But Musselman said he expects fans will fill Walton Arena again today, including members of a sorority he visited on Friday after being invited.
"They seemed pretty fired up," he said. "They all said they're coming, so I think we'll have a great student section. I know they're not going to line up early, but as long as they get there before tipoff we're cool with that, too."
Whitt said the crowd can make a big difference today.
"We need it right now," Whitt said. "We need that support. Having a good crowd out there is definitely going to help us, especially after dropping two."
TCU (13-5, 4-2 Big 12)
Pos., Name, Ht., Yr., PPG, RPG
G Desmond Bane, 6-6, Senior, 17.2, 6.7
G RJ Nembhard, 6-5, Sophomore, 12.7, 3.8
G Edric Dennis, 6-3, Senior, 7.67, 1.6
G Jaire Grayer, 6-5, Senior, 7.1, 4.6
C Kevin Samuel, 6-11, Sophomore, 10.5, 8.5
Coach Jamie Dixon 81-46 in fourth season at TCU, 409-169 in 17 seasons overall).
Arkansas (14-4, 3-3 SEC)
Pos., Name, Ht., Yr., PPG, RPG
G Mason Jones, 6-5, Junior, 18.3, 6.2
G Isaiah Joe, 6-5, Sophomore, 16.8, 4.7
G Jimmy Whitt, 6-3, Senior, 15.1, 5.2
G Desi Sills, 6-2, Sophomore, 9.2, 3.1
F Adrio Bailey, 6-6, Senior, 6.4, 4.8
Coach Eric Musselman (14-4 in first season at Arkansas, 124-38 in five seasons overall)
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