A Place Is Open...So Who Wants To Eat?

Okay...more Ferguson, McCurdy, McGowan and Hunter anyone?

It seems now that Stan Heath may want to shake up the lineup.

I really wish I was at the point where I thought that would make a difference. Maybe if he would have said it after his team choked in the Alabama game (instead of "the refs screwed us") and I might have taken the bait.

But right now I'm just not very hungry. And apparently, this basketball team isn't either...

Joe Ferguson Update

Back on Christmas Eve, we asked everyone to keep former Razorback great Joe Ferguson in your prayers. A month later, and the news continues to be hopeful.

To date, Joe has gained approximately 20 of the 40 pounds he lost and is walking, working out, and getting stronger every day. He takes very few naps now and has even done a little fishing!

We go back to M.D. Anderson in mid-March for a check-up and are expecting good reports.

Also, the family's update links to a very nice article about Joe by Buddy Davis of The Ruston Daily-Leader.

Damian Is Coming...

Just told by my "sources" that Damian Williams is definitely going to announce today for Arkansas.

I heard and blogged that Damian had pretty much decided last week.

Guess we will see at 5:30.

Update: It's official. Video over on the KFSM web site. Also:

AP: Williams to join Mustain, Malzahn at Arkansas

Updated 1/30/06 11:10 p.m. - Added additional links.

...The More Behind You Get

Clark Kellogg was talking late in the game about how “we’ve turned the corner.” I’m not sure that there is a “the corner.” I think there are lots of corners. After we go around each one we run into another brick wall.

We lose to Kentucky 78-76.

The quote from Pogo comes to mind: “We have met the enemy and he is us.”

When the game just ended and we lost by only 2, I immediately remembered the 4 on 1 fast break with 4:24 to go where Brewer decides to “be the man” and take the ball to the hole and picks up a charging foul. But there were probably 10+ examples I picked out of the tape that made 2 points difference.

This game changed at 5:22 remaining in the first half. With 13 seconds left on the shot clock, Kentucky in a 2-3 zone, Townes took a shot from a step inside the top of the key with no Arkansas players in position to rebound. The score was 28 to 12. He missed.

From 5:22 in the first half to 16:05 of the second half Kentucky outscored Arkansas 21-12. Kentucky had 11 points off of turnovers in the first 5 minutes of the second half. With our speeded up play we literally threw the game away.

At 6:03 remaining in the second half Kentucky takes the lead 60-59. In just under 20 minutes Kentucky outscored the Hogs 48-31. That’s amazing.

Arkansas gave up 55 points in the second half. Lost the second half by 14 points.

I replayed the game and watched every possession again. I saw Kentucky grow more patient on offense. I saw the Hogs pick up the tempo and make many mistakes in judgment. Quick shots, poor decisions, lazy defense at times -- this bunch does not know how to maintain a lead. They don’t really know how to win. They let the crowd back into the game and lost the momentum.

It is amazing how this team manages to play beneath its capabilities. All year we’ve been letting teams – even not so good teams – come back from being well behind.

All those times in the pre-conference season when Stan let them play stupid and didn’t call time out or get mad about it should haunt him tonight. We had seen this before.

I’m thinking we have to be a lot better than the other team to actually beat them. Okay, make that “a whole lot better.”

Kentucky 78, Arkansas 76

Hogwired.com: Kentucky Rallies to Edge Arkansas

Randolph Morris matched a season-high with 19 points and Kentucky overcame an 18-point deficit to defeat Arkansas 78-76 Sunday, pulling to within a game of first in the Southeastern Conference's Eastern Division.

Also:

Hogwired.com: Final Stats (PDF)
ESPN.com: Morris scores 19, helps Kentucky rally past Arkansas
HawgsIllustrated.com: Kentucky 78, Arkansas 76 (subscription)
Grant Hall: Wildcats' Wild Second Half Sinks Hogs
Ryan Aber: Foul Trouble Hurts Hogs Again
Jerry L. Reed: Arkansas Let's Another One Get Away
Nate Allen: Kentucky overcomes 18-point deficit to clip Hogs
Scott Cain: Giving it up at Rupp, In the Lane, Size advantage no help for Hogs and Ferguson steps up as Jefferson falters
Wally Hall: Below-average Wildcats tougher than Hogs
AP Photos: Ronnie Brewer, Stan Heath, Randolph Morris, Eric Ferguson, Tubby Smith, Ronnie Brewer
Lexington Herald-Leader: Cats snore, then roar, Cats far from whole with halves like these
Kentucky Sidelines (Blog): Arkansas pre-game, Arkansas in-game, Arkansas second half and Arkansas post-game
Louisville Courier-Journal: Lot of rally in Cats

Updated 1/30/06 8:45 a.m. - Added additional links.

Pre-Game Reports - Arkansas vs. Kentucky

Hogwired.com: Arkansas Game Notes - Kentucky

Kentucky leads the all-time series 19-7 and has won the last five meetings.

UK leads 8-2 in Lexington and 8-1 at neutral sites while UA leads 4-3 in Fayetteville.

Arkansas’ last win was an 82-78 home victory in 2001. UA’s last win at Kentucky was the 90-82 victory in 1994.

Also:

Hogwired.com: Game Notes (PDF), Stan Heath Press Conference - Kentucky
Grant Hall: Razorbacks Eye Different Ending In Rupp Arena
Harry King: Kentucky-Arkansas big for both sides
Nate Allen: Banking on big men, Ferguson's tough defense needed against Wildcats
Terry Wood: Hogs have their best shot at UK on the road in nearly a decade, Hill anchoring Razorbacks' defense
Scott Cain: Razorbacks victory at Rupp would be big leap up, Tubby sees lot of Kansas in Arkansas, Hill looms large as Hogs' eraser and Downsizing puts 'Cats in business
Rob Keys: No denying importance of Kentucky game
Wally Hall: Kentucky has no rival, even during down year
Lexington Herald-Leader: An echo of the glory days, Razorbacks are making big plans in the paint
Louisville Courier-Journal: Arkansas gets big lift from big men

Updated 1/29/06 10:05 a.m. - Added additional links.

Looking Better?

The Ole Miss game Wednesday night may have been the best basketball I've seen a Stan Heath Razorback team play. That may not be saying much - you can decide what you think that is worth.

The team played tough. Strong, for the most part, in the paint. The ball went to the post often. The days of choosing to ignore post people that are in good position to receive the ball - which was an attribute of Heath's teams to date - may be over. Hope so.

Hill, Townes, Thomas, Modica played tougher than their Ole Miss counterparts. Our guards were solid. Brewer had good intensity for the entire game. Everyone looked much tougher getting to the basket on offense.

Defense was as good as I've seen in Bud Walton in quite a while. The mix of zone and man was especially effective against Ole Miss.

If we can continue to play like we played Wednesday night I like our chances the rest of the way.

I still didn't have to sit in my assigned seat, but much more skill was required to sit at half-court than in the past few games.

Love the sign in the student section that said, "Old people make noise."

The student with the gray t-shirt that came on camera with the front saying "I hate Ole Miss" in blue letters was especially funny when he turned around and the back said, in burnt orange, "and I hate Texas too."

Arkansas 71, Ole Miss 58

Hogwired.com: Modica Scores 20 as Arkansas Bounces Ole Miss 71-58

Jonathon Modica scored 20 points, and Arkansas used a stifling zone defense to pull away from Mississippi for a 71-58 win Wednesday night.

The Razorbacks (14-5, 3-3 Southeastern Conference) trailed 19-17 with 9:25 remaining in the first half before scoring 16 straight points. Modica, Steven Hill and Charles Thomas each had four points during the run.

Also:

Hogwired.com: Post-Game Quotes, Final Stats (PDF)
ESPN.com: Arkansas 71, Mississippi 58
HawgsIllustrated.com: Arkansas 71, Mississippi 58 (subscription)
Grant Hall: Hogs Roll Over Rebels
Alex Abrams: Arkansas' Big Men Gain Control Inside
Ryan Aber: Thomas Helps Hogs Against Home State
Jerry L. Reed: Early Block Pumps Up Arkansas Effort
Nate Allen: All for one
Terry Wood: Hogs' first-half explosion levels Ole Miss
Scott Cain: A whole new ballgame
Bob Holt: Arkansas' defense too steep for Ole Miss
Democrat-Gazette: In the Lane
Rob Keys: Strange twist: Hogs turn to zone defense for spark
Wally Hall: Slowly, but surely, Razorbacks starting to roll
AP Photos: Steven Hill
The Clarion-Ledger: Hogs' D too much for Rebels to handle

Updated 1/26/06 8:15 a.m. - Added additional links.

Baseball Hogs Ranked 23rd In Preseason Coaches Poll

Sure is nice to have a Razorback team ranked in the top 25 for a change, isn't it?

And Then There Was One?

One member of the "Springdale 5," Bartley Webb, is definitely going to Notre Dame.

Although there hasn't been much positive buzz in the press and on the message boards coming out of Damian Williams' official visit this past weekend to the U of A, my little birdies fluttered in this morning with the news that he was a lock to attend Arkansas.

Wishful thinking on the part of the birdies? I don't know. Just saying...

Pre-Game Reports - Arkansas vs. Ole Miss

Hogwired.com: Game Day Central

Arkansas leads the all-time series 37-19 and won both meetings last year. The Razorbacks have a 9-6 series lead in Fayetteville and a 23-2 edge at neutral sites while Ole Miss leads 11-5 in Oxford.

Also:

Hogwired.com: Arkansas Game Notes - Ole Miss, Game Notes (PDF), Stan Heath Press Conference – Ole Miss
Grant Hall: Ole Miss-UA Rivalry Cuts Both Ways, Ferguson: Ole Miss 'Toughest' Team
Nate Allen: Surprising Rebels invade Walton Arena tonight, Hogs hope to pick up the tempo against Ole Miss
Scott Cain: Marksmanship matters to Hogs, Razorbacks Report
The Clarion-Ledger: Arkansan Doyne finds home in Rebs' lineup

USC To Be 2006 Football Season Opener

Hogwired.com: Arkansas-USC Game Moved to Sept. 2 for ESPN

"We are excited about the opportunity to open the season against USC on national television," Arkansas head coach Houston Nutt said. "We are obviously aware of the tradition and the tremendous success of the USC program, especially in the last few seasons. I know our players will use this game as motivation during the off-season and during spring practice. I am confident that Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium will be packed and our fans will make it one of the most exciting atmospheres in the country."

Also:

AP: Arkansas-USC game moved to season opener

Previously:

TipsterHog Blog: 2006 Football Schedule Announced, USC Could Be 2006 Season Opener and More USC Details

Updated 1/24/06 8:05 p.m. - Added additional links.

Stepping in the Right Direction?

Arkansas, in what Stan Heath described as a “must win game,” managed to hand the Auburn Tigers their fourth conference loss. Given the talent level and overall record of Auburn I’m not sure this is something to be particularly impressed with...but at least we took some steps in the right direction.

Here are the stats to take note of from the Auburn game:

• Free throws –- Arkansas had 25 attempts, making 21.
• Three point attempts –- Arkansas took only 13, making 5.
• Auburn shooting percentage -- .373.
• Three point attempts -- Auburn had 19, making 4.
• Townes and Hill ended the game with 1 foul each and combined for 3 blocked shots.
• Charles Thomas had 12 points, 12 rebounds (7 on the offensive glass), and shot 6-7 from the free throw line.
• Modica contributed 17 points and was 4-4 on free throws.

These stats tell you Arkansas was aggressive in taking the ball to the basket and played some pretty good defense. With our backs against the wall so to speak we proved, at least for one game, that we understand the fundamental starting points for winning basketball.

Arkansas lost the rebounding war by 2, but won the turnover war by 4. Both teams had a bunch of turnovers.

The formula for the Hogs winning games has these components: Big guys stay out of foul trouble so they can stay in the game; Brewer plays aggressive, gets to the free throw line, and contributes 20 plus points; Townes, Hill, and Thomas get a combined 20 points; Arkansas plays strong in the paint; Modica contributes 10-15 points and the combination of Ferguson and Jefferson contribute at least 10 points and limit turnovers.

Accomplishing these point totals will not be possible without good ball movement and aggressive defense. 65 total points requires that we defense play well enough to hold the opponent to under 65 points and/or get a few more points along the way.

The formula for losing has these components: Opponents go aggressive at the basket and get big guys in foul trouble; Arkansas offense plays passive and settles for 3 pointers; either Charles Thomas or Modica disappear for much of the game.

Stan Heath shortened his rotation for the Auburn game. That’s okay with me if the guys on the court are playing with intensity and attacking the basket. If they are standing around on offense then I want to see McCurdy and McGowan in the game to add some energy.

McGowan and Hunter will be important down the stretch if this team plans on making any type of tournament run, as foul trouble with our big men is pretty much unavoidable over the long run. Stan needs to take opportunities to get these guys some minutes. Remember that Nolan would have never made the Final Four without those two seven foot freshman playing some strong minutes at key times in the tournament.

Mississippi will be tough to beat in Bud Walton Wednesday night. Kentucky is bound to be pretty tough at their place considering how badly they’ve played lately.

The Hogs better bring their “A” game.

Arkansas 68, Auburn 52

Hogwired.com: Brewer's Career-High Scoring Output Helps Hogs Win at Auburn

Ronnie Brewer scored 18 of his 26 points in the second half, leading Arkansas to a 68-52 victory over Auburn on Saturday.

The Razorbacks (13-5, 2-3 Southeastern Conference) scored 11 consecutive points from the free throw line after Auburn whittled a 16-point deficit down to 52-46 midway through the second half.

Also:

Hogwired.com: Final Stats (PDF)
ESPN.com: Arkansas 68, Auburn 52
HawgsIllustrated.com: Arkansas 68, Auburn 52 (subscription)
Grant Hall: Hogs Stop Road Skid
Ryan Aber: Aggressive Play Helps Razorbacks Forget Road Woes, Double-Doubles Hard To Come By For Razorbacks
Terry Wood: Off the schneid, Razorbacks close out Auburn with defense
Scott Cain: UA finds inside attack, In the Lane
Wally Hall: Don't read too much into victory over Auburn
The Birmingham News: Turnovers, cold shooting kill Tigers
The Mobile Register: Frustrated Auburn hurt by turnovers, thrashed by Arkansas
The Huntsville Times: Song remains same at AU

Updated 1/22/06 2:10 p.m. - Added additional links.

Pre-Game Reports - Arkansas vs. Auburn

Hogwired.com: Arkansas Game Notes - Auburn

Arkansas leads the all-time series 18-12, but Auburn has won four of the last six.

The Tigers have a 9-5 series advantage at Auburn while UA leads 12-2 in Fayetteville. The series is 1-1 at neutral sites.

Arkansas’ last win at Auburn came in 2002, 83-77.

Also:

Hogwired.com: Stan Heath Press Conference - Auburn, Game Notes (PDF)
Grant Hall: Lebo's Tigers Seek Break-Through Win, Confidence Is A Process For Arkansas
Nate Allen: Hogs hope for stronger finish today at Auburn
Terry Wood: Heath challenges Hogs by drawing line in the sand
Scott Cain: UA inside plans go afoul on road
Chris Cocoles: Hogs struggling to win close ones
The Birmingham News: Tigers' single goal: Score more of'em
The Mobile Register: Rested Tigers try to change fortunes
The Huntsville Times: Auburn's problem is sizing up Hogs

Basic Knowledge Regarding Officials and Free Throws

As any true basketball follower knows, the responsibility for a team winning or losing lies with the officials. If a team doesn’t win, the officials should be blamed. Following any loss the head coach should defend his players for “doing all they could” under the circumstances and immediately change the conversation to the subject of playing "five against eight." After all, the players need to understand that it was not their play that caused the loss, but rather the calls, or lack thereof, made by the officials.

A true basketball follower also knows that it is not wise to take the ball aggressively to the basket. This would cause the probability of being fouled in the act of shooting to increase to an unacceptable level and result in shooting of many free throws. Free throws are a departure from the normal pace of basketball, serve to slow the game down, and are not at all desirable. A “safer” strategy is to take shots from outside of the lane, preferably from three-point range as those shots, as the name indicates, count for three points on the odd chance you should happen to make one of them.

When the offensive team takes free throws some feel it places the burden on the defensive team to “block-out” and attempt to secure any rebounds that might occur from missed free throw attempts. This, quite frankly, is a waste of effort. A free throw is a simple shot and the expectation is that the player taking the free throw and his teammates will not really care about the result of the attempt. Thus, no unnecessary effort should be made to “block-out” during free throw attempts. This is especially true in the case of playing while leading in the score. Whichever team gains possession of the basketball, the normal flow of the game will be continued.

In the event of leading in the score with less than a minute remaining in the game, do not make any effort to pass the ball if the other team desires to foul you. If the other team insists on fouling in an attempt to force you to take free throws it is better to get it over with quickly. Let them foul, then quickly take the free throw so that the normal flow of the game play can resume. No regard should be given to making the free throw, because, well...as noted above free throws are just a problem that disrupts the overall flow of the game.

If the case is such that late in the game the opposing team should be required to make a three point shot in order to tie the score, then the flow of the game should be disrupted by forcing the opposing team to take free throws. This can be accomplished by guarding the opposing player as closely as possible, even to the extent of positioning your body up against theirs, making it easier for the opposing player to create contact with you in an attempt to “draw a foul” in order to have the opportunity to take free throws. Obviously this player is misguided in his understanding of the game in determining that free throws are important.

If the opposing team fails to show the appropriate disregard for their free throws and should happen to make three free throws and force the game into overtime, ultimately leading to a loss for your team in the overtime period, it will only serve to reinforce the overarching point that the responsibility for a team winning or losing lies with the officials.

Any attempts to control the outcome of games via strategy or team performance should be recognized as being futile.

Alabama 78, Arkansas 75 (OT)

Hogwired.com: Alabama Gets by Arkansas in Overtime

Ronald Steele forced overtime with three free throws and converted another three-point play with 3.6 seconds left in overtime to lift Alabama to a 78-75 win over Arkansas Wednesday night.

Steele finished with a career-high 25 points and the Crimson Tide (10-6, 3-1 Southeastern Conference) won its third consecutive game since losing leading scorer Chuck Davis to a season-ending knee injury.

Also:

Hogwired.com: Final Stats (PDF)
ESPN.com: Alabama 78, Arkansas 75
HawgsIllustrated.com: Alabama 78, Arkansas 75 (OT) (subscription)
Grant Hall: Steele Steals It From Hogs
Ryan Aber: Foul Woes Derail Otherwise Solid Performance, Brewer Misses Chance To Be Hero
Scott Cain: Smack into Steele wall, In the Lane
Wally Hall: Arkansas buckles late instead of buckling down
David Showers: No lead safe
AP Photos: Steven Hill, Ronnie Brewer, Eric Ferguson, Stan Heath
The Birmingham News: Bama Steeles win
The Mobile Register: Bama rides Steele
The Huntsville Times: Tide solid as Steele

Updated 1/19/06 8:50 a.m. - Added additional links.

Pre-Game Reports - Arkansas vs. Alabama

Hogwired.com: Arkansas Game Notes - Alabama

Arkansas leads the all-time series 21-19, but Alabama has won the last four. The Crimson Tide has a 12-4 series lead in Tuscaloosa while Arkansas leads 9-5 in Fayetteville and 8-2 at neutral sites. Two of the last three games have been decided by four points or less with one going to overtime.

Arkansas’ last win was an 81-70 home victory in 2003. UA’s last win at Alabama was a 66-63 victory in 2001.

Also:

JP Sports: Live Game Video
Hogwired.com: Game Notes (PDF), Stan Heath Press Conference - Alabama
Ryan Aber: Razorbacks Hope To Put Road Struggles Behind Them
Grant Hall: History Is On Alabama's Side, Davis Moves To Top Of SEC Scoring Chart
Nate Allen: Hogs hope to put SEC road woes behind them, Hill draws long assignment in Davidson
Scott Cain: Bama has been bitter for Hogs
The Huntsville Times: Alabama has no time to spare

Mustain Commits Again To Razorbacks

After causing a major stir among Razorback fans just six weeks ago by re-opening his recruitment, consensus national player of the year Mitch Mustain told his former high school coach and new Hogs offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn on Monday afternoon that he was committed again to the Razorbacks.

Mustain's announcement comes almost exactly five months after he verbally committed last August. And it comes just one day after Mustain met with Malzahn and recently hired quarterbacks coach Alex Wood for an official in-home visit.

Also:

ESPN.com: Mustain commits to Arkansas
HawgSports.com: Mustain a Hog, again! (subscription)
Otis Kirk: Mustain reunites with UA, Malzahn

Updated 1/17/06 8:55 a.m. - Added additional links.

Who Those Guys?

I’m ok with being wrong about going "oh and three" to start the conference season.

A different team dressed out for the Vanderbilt game than the one we’ve seen for the last few games. The defensive intensity that we saw much earlier in the season was back. Today we owned the paint. This made all the difference in the world. Vanderbilt couldn’t get on track.

While we didn’t get to 40 minutes of intensity, the intensity level was about as good as it gets for almost all of the game.

With this team the defensive intensity feeds the offensive intensity. We aggressively attacked the basket and finished well and had gang rebounding always at the ready just in case. McCurdy entered the game early and promptly pushed the ball up the court and made a sweet left handed layup in traffic. Eric Ferguson got inspired and made a few more just as sweet as the game progressed.

Each trip to the free throw lines you see these guys taking things seriously. They all had their “game face” on.

Our half-court offense did a much better job of attacking the basket than in the previous two games. Townes decided to be a man about things. Charles Thomas came ready to play. Hill, when not in foul trouble, has been there all along from an intensity standpoint. Today he added playing well with 3 fouls to his list of things he can do. This guy will be something by the time he’s a senior.

Vanderbilt didn’t attack us in the paint early in the game as LSU and Mississippi State did. Not having our big guys in early foul trouble in the first half was good for us. Vandy made a big effort to attack the paint early in the second half. While our interior defense was excellent, both Townes and Hill had quick fouls during this stretch. Had Vanderbilt started the game with this strategy and created some foul trouble, things could have well been different.

Our intensity and momentum for much of the game led to a few favorable whistles. The calls go to the aggressor and the team that’s “in the flow.” Good for us.

We responded well after a bit of a let down that allowed Vandy to slowly cut our 10 point lead to eventually tie the game. I think the radio guys said a 23-11 run. We turned up the defense and decided not to miss any more free throws.

Today everyone on the team stepped up and refused to lose. That’s what it takes. You have to play with an attitude.

Hopefully the bad playing habits we demonstrated late in the non-conference season that bled over to the conference season are gone. We still struggled on a few half court possessions, but all in all were much improved. Vandy played man most of the game after we played pretty well against their zone in the first half.

Great crowd. Stayed strong even when Vandy tied the game. Best in a long, long time for the last 10 minutes of a game.

I upgraded my seats to half court, row 16 today. I’d really rather all those that are leaving really choice seats empty come to the game. But then I’d have to actually find my real seats.

Arkansas 78, Vanderbilt 66

Hogwired.com: Hogs Crash Boards, Knock off Vanderbilt

Jonathon Modica scored 19 points, and Arkansas pulled away late in the second half for a 78-66 win over Vanderbilt on Saturday.

Also:

Hogwired.com: Post-Game Quotes, Final Stats (PDF)
ESPN.com: Arkansas 78, Vanderbilt 66
HawgsIllustrated.com: Arkansas 78, Vanderbilt 66 (subscription)
Grant Hall: Hogs Hit On All Cylinders
Ryan Aber: Jefferson Comes Back Strong After Halftime
Jerry L. Reed: Reserves Play Major Role In Arkansas Victory
Alex Abrams: Vandy Can't Foster Enough Offense
Nate Allen: On the board
Joe West: Hogs' stripe work pays dividends against Vandy
Terry Wood: Hogs take care of details, do in Vandy, Modica, Townes team up to lead Hogs over Vandy
Scott Cain: Vaulting over Vandy
Bob Holt: Townes settles down for big game
Chris Cocoles: Rebounding repels Commodores
Democrat-Gazette: In the Lane
The Tennessean: Vandy's success hits a road block, Kentucky win distracted Vandy

Updated 1/15/06 1:00 p.m. - Added additional links.

Pre-Game Reports - Arkansas vs. Vanderbilt

Hogwired.com: Game Day Central

Arkansas leads the all-time series 10-7 and has won three of the last four meetings, but Vanderbilt won last year’s matchup, 79-65, in Nashville.

Arkansas has a 7-1 lead in Fayetteville and a 1-0 lead at neutral sites while Vandy leads 6-2 in Nashville.

Also:

Hogwired.com: Stan Heath Press Conference - Vanderbilt, Game Notes - Vanderbilt, Game Notes (PDF)
Grant Hall: Razorbacks Welcome Red-Hot Vanderbilt
Nate Allen: Hogs hoping to liftoff from SEC tarmac against Vandy, Hogs looking for fresh start against Vandy
Terry Wood: Hogs carrying a weight on their shoulders
Scott Cain: Taking on Vandy no cruise for UA
The Tennessean: Vanderbilt winning without true leader

Dude, This Is A Marathon...Why Worry?

So Wally Hall jumps into the Razorback basketball discussion in an attempt to explain the “apathy” that seems to inhabit most Razorback fans of late. Perhaps he’s just trying to aid the understanding of the fan that I wrote about that was yelling his way to lot 56 following the LSU game.

Both Ryan Aber and Scott Cain write about the team meeting that was held following the game, using the words mental, toughness, marathon and sprint along the way.

The magnitude of the late season meltdown of last year’s team was unexpected. For the most part we have the same guys on this year’s team. They better find something within themselves quickly or we will see a repeat of the meltdown.

If we don’t have 40 minutes of intensity Saturday we will lose again. I’m afraid we don’t have that in us. The last few games we’ve had maybe 15 minutes of intensity per game.

We need to see some passion and intensity from the Arkansas bench. I don’t want to see those calm looks and frowns. I want to see some sweating and yelling, coats coming off, getting into people’s faces coaching going on. Stan’s going to have to get beyond his Mr. Nice Guy act and get with it. Otherwise he’s done.

Someone on the court needs to take charge and lead the intensity. Who do we have that’s going to step up and refuse to lose?

The people that need to be mad are the ones on the court. They are the only ones that can make a difference.

Wally used “apathy” to describe the fans. I’m thinking “pathetic” describes the last few games. Wins and losses and close games besides, we are just not playing like we know what we are doing. We should be much better than we’ve shown of late.

LSU - Second Game, Same As The First

When I told the Tipster Wednesday morning that we would start the SEC stretch "oh and three," he pretty much told me I was crazy. Spouted off something like, "say bad things and bad things will happen." If only I had that power...

At any rate, LSU's performance against UConn combined with my thoughts about what I've seen from this Arkansas team so far – especially the last three games – led me to believe we were toast against LSU. If you want to remind yourself of my list of concerns and thoughts, go here.

The review of this game is simple. LSU executed the game plan we saw at Mississippi State and that we will continue to see the rest of the year. Attack the basket on the offensive end and create foul trouble, take advantage of our failures to get back on defense in transition, and play zone and slow the game down for stretches and force us to take and make three pointers. Brewer, Modica and the post players combined for 41 points (19 out of Hill and Townes – pretty good). The rest of the team scored 17 points (pretty bad).

On a "now I'm feeling even worse" note, I saw something last night that I quickly realized I'd seen in prior games but hadn't really thought that much about. While the usual "this team is not tough" and lack of court leadership was definitely on display, I also saw us get tired. We are not in good enough shape to play with the type of intensity we need over the course of the game. Brewer in particular was tired much of the time and played fairly "lazy" on offense much of the second half when LSU was in man defense (which they actually played quite a lot of). There's no sense in him playing 38 minutes if he is going to "coast" for half of them. (As a side note, he's nowhere near performing at "ready for the NBA" level right now. He wouldn't start ahead of Scotty Thurman.)

Modica had 7 points midway through the first half and never scored again while carding only three rebounds. He just disappeared. Our defense, except for maybe 10 minutes of the game, lacked intensity and many times was lazy. One steal. LSU had eight turnovers. There's the defensive story right there.

Townes actually showed up with a fairly strong 36 minutes, but played carefully on the defensive end and hurt us in the paint because he's just not a "banger." Hill's physical presence was greatly missed most of the game and his foul trouble also left him playing a bit carefully. We definitely lost the battle in the paint by a fairly large margin – both in scoring and rebounding. Suffice it to say we got nothing out of Charles Thomas and Vincent Hunter except about 30 seconds of great hustle. Nada, zip, why'd they dress out type nothing.

McCurdy provided quite the spark pushing the action, contributing four assists and one turnover while shooting 1-3 from three point land. His play actually brought LSU out of their zone and back into man defense (which led to us standing around in our motion offense). This guy needs to come into the game immediately when teams go to zone against us. In contrast, Dontell Jefferson and Eric Ferguson combined for five assists, five turnovers and only 10 points in a combined 53 minutes of play.

Besides the offensive (read: lack thereof) start to the second half, we had a stretch midway through where we had three consecutive turnovers on poor passes against a zone defense. We were so out of it during that time it was actually a bit sad to watch.

Coaching requires a much longer post. However, I'm going to watch a few more games before I comment much. Let's just say I'm not impressed with the "progress" that we've made over last year in being a "well coached team."

Band was uninspiring (the act is old), crowd dull with disappointment through much of the second half, and I still didn't have to sit in my real seats. Still there were times it was a very good crowd and quite loud, but the last few feeble attempts at calling the Hogs struggled to have any volume, much less enthusiasm.

On the way back to the parking lot I heard a guy having a fit about “...and no one's even mad! I'm mad...(yelling) AREN'T ANY OF YOU PEOPLE MAD?”

I stick by my prediction of oh and three.

Mitch Mustain...On The Air

Tired of all the rumors and unnamed sources? Want to hear from prized quarterback recruit Mitch Mustain himself?

Mike Irwin and Bo Mattingly interviewed Mustain on this morning's Press Row radio show.

LSU 63, Arkansas 58

Hogwired.com: LSU Holds Off Arkansas, 63-58

Tasmin Mitchell scored 19 points, including a key jumper in the final minute, and LSU held off Arkansas 63-58 Wednesday night.

The Razorbacks trailed by as many as 12 in the second half before pulling to 59-58 on Eric Ferguson's drive with just over a minute remaining. But Mitchell answered with a jumper from the left wing to restore the lead to three, and after an Arkansas time-out, Ferguson's pass was broken up by LSU's Glen Davis.

Also:

Hogwired.com: Post-Game Quotes, Final Stats (PDF)
ESPN.com: LSU 63, Arkansas 58
HawgsIllustrated.com: LSU 63, Arkansas 58 (subscription)
Grant Hall: Tiger Cubs Hold Off Hogs
Ryan Aber: Tempo Changes, Defensive Switch Help LSU Jump To Lead
Jerry L. Reed: Time Runs Out On Razorbacks
Alex Abrams: LSU's Davis Finally Has Reason To Celebrate
Nate Allen: Unhappy ending
Joe West: LSU big men spell big trouble for Hogs
Terry Wood: Hogs' offense falters again in close contest
Scott Cain: Some stops, but no go
Bob Holt: LSU freshmen more asset than alibis, In the Lane
Rob Keys: Davis steals Arkansas' hopes
Wally Hall: Razorbacks show some fight against Tigers
AP Photos: Ronnie Brewer, Cyrus McGowan, Steven Hill, Ronnie Brewer, Ronnie Brewer
Times-Picayune: Tigers finish job against Razorbacks

Updated 1/12/06 8:50 a.m. - Added additional links.

Hedging Bets - Alabama Quarterback "Offered"

The University of Arkansas has reportedly extended a scholarship offer to quarterback Carson Williams of Cullman, Alabama.

On the Mitch Mustain front I'm being told two things. 1) Gus Malzahn apparently has expressed confidence in his ability to "close" on both Mitch and Damian Williams (that would be a nice surprise, as I've heard from other sources that Damian is solid Florida); and 2) We won't really know until signing day.

Sources? The golf course (where Gus plays) and my stash of people "close" to the situation. The usual. That's as good as it gets...

Pre-Game Reports - Arkansas vs. LSU

Hogwired.com: Game Day Central

Arkansas leads the series 25-15, but LSU has won five of the last six meetings. The teams split last year’s games with each winning at home.

Arkansas has an 11-3 advantage in Fayetteville while LSU leads 9-7 in Baton Rouge. The series is 5-5 at neutral sites.

The last three games have each been decided by three points with LSU winning twice.

Also:

Hogwired.com: Stan Heath Press Conference - LSU, Game Notes - LSU, Game Notes (PDF)
Grant Hall: Young Tigers Challenge Arkansas, Hogs Put Loss To Bulldogs Behind Them
Nate Allen: Townes looking to bounce back against Davis, LSU
Scott Cain: Hogs, Townes on the rebound, SEC-opening loss not dispiriting UA and Razorbacks Report
Times-Picayune: Tigers look to buck trend

What's The Real Truth?

The New York Times has an interview with Mitch Mustain in today's editions. According to excerpts reprinted by the Democrat-Gazette, Mustain says that he decided to reopen his recruitment after "talking with several Arkansas players who 'told me the truth about a lot of things.'"

So after Friday's news of "dominoes falling" towards the Hill, the roller coaster continues. Ugh...the February 1 national signing day can't get here soon enough.

Source: Going Hog Wild Over a Coveted Passer (registration required)

Mississippi State 69, Arkansas 67

Hogwired.com: Late Mississippi State Layup Lifts Bulldogs Past Razorbacks 69-67, Final Stats (PDF)
ESPN.com: Mississippi St. 69, Arkansas 67
HawgsIllustrated.com: Mississippi State 69, Arkansas 67 (subscription)
Grant Hall: Hogs Lose Nail-Biter To Bulldogs
Vernon Tarver: Arkansas Lets Possible Road Win Slip Away
Ryan Aber: Hill Held Out Of Starting Lineup
Scott Cain: Not over the hump yet and In the Lane
Wally Hall: Arkansas has to discover offensive intensity
AP Photos: Charles Thomas
Clarion-Ledger: Slater takes off, State takes win

Updated 1/8/05 12:45 p.m. - Added additional links.

Toss-up Rims Out

As feared, the first conference game and first real road game had issues and challenges.

Shooting. While we made the same number of two point and three point field goals, it took us more shots - three more two point attempts and nine more three point attempts. The Hump's a tough place to shoot for visitors. Considering the points we got off of transition from turnovers, it is obvious that our...

Half court offense was ineffective. We got 10 points out of the post – from Steven Hill amazingly enough – but really little from anyone else other than Modica and Brewer, who managed to be a combined three of 12 from three point range and 16 of 38 from two point range. Townes missed all seven shots and both free throws that he tried, and several opportunities to kick the ball out for wide open three point opportunities.

Defense in the paint was terrible. Apparently the Hogs have gotten so used to Steven Hill’s shot blocking that the notion of cutting off the drive and giving help defense has been lost. As my old coach used to say, the Hogs “got driven like a used car” all night long, including the final score that sealed the deal for Mississippi State. Lay-ups are pretty high percentage shots.

Leadership was inconsistent. Sometimes just frantic. Brewer gave it a good try late in the game, but he’s not good enough yet to take games over. Sorry to all of those that think he’s NBA ready, but that’s the truth.

Give State credit. They had a good game plan and made a lot of tough plays. They shot over 46% from the field, going over 45% from three point land. They got the Hogs to play a lot of half court ball and we shot terribly.

This is the game plan we are going to see every conference game. Get used to it. The Hogs have some growing to do.

First Conference Toss-up Tonight

As we approach tonight’s conference opener against Mississippi State in Starksville, I’ve been thinking about our basketball team.

We are quite a bit improved over last year. The players have grown up a bit, Olu is gone and Modica actually gets to play for more than 2-3 minutes at a clip. Our defense is much, much improved. Charles Thomas has shown he is a good shooter, rebounder, and a good source of “hustle.” Steven Hill is proving to be quite the shot-blocking force in the paint.

However, I see issues that will possibly haunt us during the conference season.

Floor leadership. It’s not there on any type of consistent basis. The performance Brewer gave against Kansas will be required of him night after night in the SEC. Teams that are able to take away Brewer in the half court game, frustrate Modica, give Townes his 10 points, and make Ferguson and Jefferson take outside shots will probably beat us. The rest of the players – Thomas, Hill, Hunter, etc. are all just wild cards. We will have trouble with physical teams.

Zone offense. Shows the same tendencies as last year. Zones are not effectively attacked. We don’t move the ball well. Post play is not effective. We are way too dependent on our outside shooting being “on.”

Killer instinct. During the non-conference season we’ve continued to let teams back into games after building early leads. The two things mentioned above were usually the prime factors in teams getting back into games.

What will make us better than last year?

Defense, defense, defense. Using the press, getting points in the transition game – things we couldn’t do last year – will make a huge difference.

The opportunity for stronger post play. Offense from Townes, defense from Hill, and a strong all-around game from Charles Thomas. We must get better at seeing the floor and making entry passes to the post to generate post offense. I expect good minutes will come from Hunter, and McGowen will continue to come on strong on the boards as the season progresses. We need more than 10 points out of our half-court post game to be a consistent winner in the SEC.

By the middle of the conference season we should see McCurdy making a positive impact on games. Crisp passing and three point shooting, as well as overall hustle. He has true point guard instincts.

I don’t think any of the players want the mental meltdown they had last year as the season progressed. While they’ve grown up a lot in mental toughness, I think there is still quite a ways to go. Hopefully they will grow more in this area as this season progresses.

Expect to see serious ups and downs during the first half of conference play. As we enter the stretch hopefully we will see an outstanding team and dominate people. We’ve got it in us. It’s just going to take a bit of time to get it out.

And remember as we go to Starksville – we haven’t really played a road game all year, and Mississippi State pounded us down there last year. Payback or repeat, which will it be?

It’s a toss-up tonight.

Pre-Game Reports - Arkansas vs. Mississippi State

Hogwired.com: Game Day Central

Arkansas leads the all-time series 22-16, but Mississippi State has won the last four.

UA leads the series 13-3 in Fayetteville and 4-1 at neutral sites, but MSU has a 12-5 edge in Starkville.

UA’s last win was a 53-51 home decision over the No. 20 Bulldogs in 2003. UA’s last road win was an 87-81 victory in 2000.

Also:

Hogwired.com: Stan Heath Press Conference - Mississippi State, Game Notes - Mississippi State, Game Notes (PDF)
HawgsIllustrated.com: Road Trip (subscription)
Grant Hall: Long SEC Road Begins In Starkville For Hogs
Scott Cain: Hogs, Heath: This time it is different, Bulldogs leashed to dubious lineup
Nate Allen: Thomas ready to use newfound experience in conference games
Clarion-Ledger: Ready-made Dog

Do Dominoes Really Fall "Up Hill?"

I've been hearing for the past several days that Mitch Mustain will more than likely end up at Arkansas.

Today's post on Hogville by a person supposedly close enough to "Mitchell" to be in the know (perhaps his Grandmother?) seems intended to signal Mitch's intentions.

This same individual posted on December 7th what appeared to be an attempt to explain Mitch's point of view.

My understanding from sources is that the reception and interest Mitch received from other schools was not quite the same as what he received before his original commitment. Besides the "how could he say 'no' to Gus?" thoughts, the lack of real alternatives (besides Tennessee) other than Arkansas seems to be playing a big part in the probability that he will be a Razorback come next fall. The elimination of the uncertainty regarding the coaching staff and the fact that a quarterback coach with NFL experience was hired certainly hasn't hurt our cause.

It's still a while until signing day. We won't really know until then.

Hogs Land Tight End Cleveland

After weeks of depressing headlines on the football recruiting front, Hog fans everywhere are hoping that today's verbal commitment by Springdale (Ark.) tight end Ben Cleveland to the Razorbacks will be a turning point.

As a member of the "Springdale 5" along with consensus national player of the year Mitch Mustain, Cleveland was a big part of the Bulldogs state championship run this year.

Previously committed to Florida, Cleveland recently had a change of heart after his high school coach, Gus Malzahn, was hired as the new Razorbacks offensive coordinator.

Alex Wood Named Quarterbacks Coach

Hogwired.com: Alex Wood Named as UA Quarterbacks Coach and Passing Game Coordinator

Former Arizona Cardinals’ offensive coordinator and Minnesota Vikings’ quarterbacks coach Alex Wood has been named as quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator at the University of Arkansas it was announced by UA head football coach Houston Nutt on Wednesday. The addition of Wood as quarterbacks coach completes Arkansas’ offensive staff with offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn coaching wide receivers, running game coordinator Mike Markuson handling the offensive line and James Shibest coaching tight ends.

Also:

The Morning News: Hogs Peg Wood For Final Spot
Nate Allen: Hogs hire Wood to coach QBs
Bob Holt: Assistant completes UA staff

Updated 1/5/06 8:30 a.m. - Added additional links.

More USC Details

In what I'm sure will be the only story written today about USC, Bob Holt of the Democrat-Gazette provides more detail on the possible move of the USC game date to September 2nd by ESPN.

One thing Houston Dale doesn't want is for USC to play a game before they play the Hogs. "You don't want to give their brand new starting quarterback a warm-up game," Nutt said. "I'd rather not do that if we can help it."

Yeah, boy. I'm sure that new quarterback of theirs will SUCK if he doesn't play Lackawanna College before he plays us. Nevermind that we'll be trying to run a new "college-untested" spread offense for the first time with a sophomore quarterback whose biggest win thus far is over Ole Miss.

But forget all that...by golly we got'em if they come in here for their first game!

Wood To Make Second Arkansas Visit

Alex Wood, former offensive coordinator of the Arizona Cardinals and a candidate for the open assistant coaching position for the Hogs, will visit Fayetteville again on Wednesday according to Mike Capshaw of The Morning News.

Wood first interviewed two weeks ago and, barring a late snag, appears to be the choice as the Razorbacks new quarterbacks coach and, interestingly, recruiting coordinator as well.

Arkansas 83, Western Illinois 54

Hogwired.com: Townes, Brewer, Modica Pace Arkansas to Ninth Straight Victory

Ronnie Brewer scored 23 points to lead the Arkansas Razorbacks to an 83-54 win over the Western Illinois Leathernecks on Sunday.

The victory was the ninth straight for Arkansas (11-2) before it heads into Southeastern Conference play this month. The winning streak is the longest for Arkansas since the 1995 Razorbacks won 10 straight. Coach Stan Heath also picked up his 50th win with the Razorbacks.

Also:

Hogwired.com: Post-Game Quotes, Final Stats (PDF)
ESPN.com: Arkansas 83, Western Illinois 54
HawgsIllustrated.com: Arkansas 83, Western Illinois 54, Ready for the Road (subscription)
Grant Hall: Brewer Sizzles; Hogs Pound Leathernecks
Jerry L. Reed: Razorbacks Senior Reaches Another Milestone On Court
Nate Allen: Swatting leather
Scott Cain: Bottom line, the streak is now nine
Bob Holt: In the Lane
AP Photos: Vincent Hunter, Sean McCurdy