Not good numbers

[HamIAm]

I did a quick review of our past seasons in the media guide. In the 24 seasons since Richardson's team won the NCAAt, Arkansas has only lost it's first 2 home conference games twice.  Heath's 2002-03 team did it on the way to a 4-12 conference record and Pelphry's 2008-09 team did it on the way to a 2-14 conference record.  Not encouraging precedents.

What really disturbs me though is that in the last 24 years we've only been above .500 after the first four conference games three times.  Last year under Anderson we went 3-1, Pelphry's 2007-08 team went 3-1 and Richardson's '97-98 team was 4-0. 

I think the second paragraph speaks loudly to the fact that our out-of-conference schedule does nothing to get us prepared for conference play.  Time to ditch the rent a wins and play real basketball. So what if we get our brains beat out for a few years. At least we will know where we stand when conference play starts and not spend the first month adjusting to a more intense level of play. You want people in the stands, put a quality product on the floor and forget about padding the record and financial bottom line.

It's not like we moved into a basketball minefield when we joined the SEC. We've done this to ourselves.  Something is broken in our basketball philosophy and its time to fix it.

edit: And I'm not suggesting that scheduling is the entire problem either. 

[The_Iceman]

We are stuck in the past. Time to get a new vision for razorback basketball.

[yraciv]

Our OOC Strength of Schedule numbers have looked like this according to teamrankngs.com:
2012 89th and 8th in SEC
2013 75th and 6th in SEC
2014 40th and 4th in SEC
2015 90th and 8th in SEC
2016 102nd and 11th in SEC  with Oklahoma State to move us up

I'd like to see these number in the 40-70 range, considering we aren't as talented as a FL and KY, who are always top 2 in nonconference.  Then again I don't see these as us feeding on cupcakes when our schedule is harder than at least 70% of college basketball every year. This year we did a very good job of cutting out the SWAC/MEAC team and finding quality midmajors, but it would have still been nice to played one or 2 more P5 schools.

[Ironhawg]

We are stuck in the past. Time to get a new vision for razorback basketball.

I wonder if moving on and starting over might not be best for Mike and Arkansas.  Nolan casts a pretty long shadow.  Maybe being out of Nolan's shadow and without the pressure of trying to live up to Nolan would allow Mike to have more success?  Then Arkansas basketball can acknowledge Nolan and move on too.

[bvillepig]

Until Mike came to Arkansas he was pretty successful.  At one point he was one of the top 20 active winningest coach in the NCAA tourney as far as percentage.

What has happened here is very puzzling and has not been his norm.  Last year was an anomily for him. This year is still left to play out.

[code red]

We are stuck in the past. Time to get a new vision for razorback basketball.

If that means a new coach......I am in.  If that means a new AD...I am also in.

[code red]

Until Mike came to Arkansas he was pretty successful.  At one point he was one of the top 20 active winningest coach in the NCAA tourney as far as percentage.

What has happened here is very puzzling and has not been his norm.  Last year was an anomily for him. This year is still left to play out.

We got a lazy AD and coaches on the gravy train...its not puzzling.

[PonderinHog]

Until Mike came to Arkansas he was pretty successful.  At one point he was one of the top 20 active winningest coach in the NCAA tourney as far as percentage.

What has happened here is very puzzling and has not been his norm.  Last year was an anomily for him. This year is still left to play out.

He hasn't really hurt his NCAAT winning percentage at Arkansas.

[code red]

 

He hasn't really hurt his NCAAT winning percentage at Arkansas.

[Razorod]

I wonder if moving on and starting over might not be best for Mike and Arkansas.  Nolan casts a pretty long shadow.  Maybe being out of Nolan's shadow and without the pressure of trying to live up to Nolan would allow Mike to have more success?  Then Arkansas basketball can acknowledge Nolan and move on too.

I think it would be helpful for both. Mike might have more success at a school like South Florida and the UA could finally move forward.