Tulsa plays host to Razorbacks on Wednesday

<br>FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) _ After attempting 50 3-point shots in their first two games, the Arkansas Razorbacks tried seven against Oral Roberts and turned down 20 wide-open 3s. <br><br>``Now we want

Monday, November 26th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) _ After attempting 50 3-point shots in their first two games, the Arkansas Razorbacks tried seven against Oral Roberts and turned down 20 wide-open 3s.

``Now we want them to learn there's a time to attack and there's a time to shoot,'' Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson said Monday. ``It will not bother me if we shoot 20 to 25 3s in a game. Not only is this a physical game, it's a mental game. We have to try to correct that.

``To win on the road, you have to shoot the ball. It's tough to win on defense, totally, on the road.''

After 10 days off, Arkansas (2-1) plays its first road game of the year Wednesday night against Tulsa (2-0).

Richardson is still working on his team's rotation.

``We worked hard but there are some things that needed to be done,'' he said. ``I want to win more than anything but I want to see what I have. You may not have your key guy at some point and if you haven't given other guys a chance to play, it will come back to haunt you. We're settling on our core group of players.''

He said Tulsa has good guards including Antonio Reed, whom Richardson remembers as a child when he came Richardson's basketball camps.

``I'm also impressed with their inside game,'' he said. ``Big Kevin Johnson looked impressive against Grambling. They are an up-tempo team. They push it, have great quickness, they're playing hard, and they're free and loose.

``They aren't afraid to take a shot from anywhere. We have to guard them. I know it's a big game. In listening to the tape, they were talking about our game when they still had another game to play before us.''

He said Arkansas vs. Tulsa is big, whether it's football or basketball. ``It's just a natural,'' he said.

Richardson was the coach at Tulsa before he took the Arkansas job in 1986.

``It's been 17 years since I coached there and I've been removed by so many different coaches,'' he said. ``It just so happens I coached at Tulsa. Fifteen years ago it wouldn't be this way.

``That's the way I see it. It's not the same. When I was two years removed, I had a lot of fans, friends and family there.''