You idiots saying Fire Mike

[The NewEra]

because this is a nostalgia hire. he was on the bench with Nolan when we won a national championship. too many people are attached emotionally to the man.

You would think that nostalgia would have worn off by now, and the reality of the situation would have set in.  I like having a winning basketball program more than I like Mike Anderson.

[texas tush hog]

What's it getting Arkansas to have 1 of the 3?  Heck, Bert went to 3 Rose Bowls and Danny Ford won a NC.

Yea, but not here.

[Kevin]

And those same people are already saying when Mike goes, they need to hand the program to TJ Cleveland, because ell, you know, Nolan.

omg, really?  the guy has had no other job than riding the coattails of his family member

[The NewEra]

omg, really?  the guy has had no other job than riding the coattails of his family member

Thank goodness we have a new AD to look at this Basketball Program with a fresh set of eyes.

[Hawgndaaz]

Forget about it.  Not gonna happen.  First of all he's done a pretty good job here at Arkansas and throughout his entire coaching career and he's one of 3 coaches that has coached 15 seasons or more and never had a losing record.  Secondly he has a great recruiting class coming in.  Lastly do you remember Pel and Heath?

I bet you wouldn't call me an idiot to my face.

[MAGA45]

Yuracheck saw his Houston team throttle us by 35 or whatever, then we have been pretty pitiful since he has been our AD.  He may very well can Mike after this season and bring Kelvin to the hill.

[Danny J]

No unbiased observer could watch the Hogs on a regular basis and think they're a well-coached team.

Especially on defense. I am not talking about our full court press, which isn't good,  but our half court switching man D. It's atrocious and EVERY coach since SEC play has started has exploited it and if teams go more than 7 deep will continue to exploit it without getting tired or in foul trouble as was the case in both the Tenn and Mizzou wins.

We were doing the same things last year till we started playing more matchup zone and stopped switching(as much) when we did play man which happened to coincide with the first game we played after being blown out at home by Vandy.

That style of half court D is what Mike wants to run because A...it's all about speeding up the other team and B...having guys quick and long enough to rotate to the open man. This team may be a tad more athletic than last year but not athletic enough or long enough to be able to switch 1-5.

We are the worst D in the SEC and it's not debatable and it's what is being purposely taught. He needs to start adjusting and start adjusting now or we won't make the NCAAt. I think right now if it stays the same 7-11 is a real possibility.

[oldman1015]

11 years at MO. and here makes the NCAA 5 times. That's all I need to know.

[Wild Bill Hog]

Yea, but not here.

I was replying to a poster that was talking about MA's being 1 of only 3 coaches to never have a losing season.  I pointed out that Bert's Rose Bowls, Ford's NC, and MA's Sweet 16/Elite 8 mean nothing for Arkansas.

[cityhog]

No.  Point is people on here act like he's awful.  Can't be

You are correct. He isn't awful, just mediocre. I'd like to be better than - meh.

[TNhawgfan]

It's a good class because we have 6 guys coming in who will be here for 4 years.  Perry would have been here one year.  I would rather have Chaney for 4.

In today's basketball, there's a reason if a player is still playing college bball their senior year. You say we have 6 guys coming not good enough to play any kind of pro ball, I hear we getting a bunch of average players. That's going to get us where we want to go

[Jim Harris]

Forget about it.  Not gonna happen.  First of all he's done a pretty good job here at Arkansas and throughout his entire coaching career and he's one of 3 coaches that has coached 15 seasons or more and never had a losing record.  Secondly he has a great recruiting class coming in.  Lastly do you remember Pel and Heath?

The recruiting class will replenish a lot of what they lose off this team. It is ranked in some recent ranking I saw as No. 24. That's OK to maybe good in the SEC overall. It is unlikely to make Arkansas any more a contender for the national championship than they are now. If Gafford stays a couple of more years with these new guys, maybe they can make a deep run.

[Hoggish1]

Forget about it.  Not gonna happen.  First of all he's done a pretty good job here at Arkansas and throughout his entire coaching career and he's one of 3 coaches that has coached 15 seasons or more and never had a losing record.  Secondly he has a great recruiting class coming in.  Lastly do you remember Pel and Heath?

Listen, this is what, year 7?  And I'm seeing no blocking out, no point guard able to get in the paint, running helter skelter flipping the ball out to the wings trying to run (without securing the ball) on athletic teams that are eating our lunch.  And no lock down defense!

Tell me it's not going to happen and why, not that he has whatever coming in.  We'e been hearing about what's coming in for a long time.

[Hawgndaaz]

If you aren't constantly trying to improve, you're falling behind.


Mike's team hasn't improved since last year.

[Hoggish1]

Bertlover lol not quite.  I said it was a joke when we hired him.  One of the few.  We just hired Chavis.  Do you have any clue how dumb that was?  We are gonna try and play up tempo with no depth on defense?   We are gonna run around 20 more plays a game which means more injuries during the season on both sides of the ball.  Next year is gonna be very ugly.

So Mike stays and next year in football is very ugly?  What I saw on the tube last night was worse than very ugly and the football program hasn't even finished recruiting season but it's over for you, already as far as football in 2018 is concerned?

Spare me your very clouded crystal ball. I'm not inclined to believe your opinion about anything...

[Hoggish1]

It's a good class because we have 6 guys coming in who will be here for 4 years.  Perry would have been here one year.  I would rather have Chaney for 4. 

Fine, so they will be here for four years of terrible coaching.  Great!

[batmanfan]

The recruiting class will replenish a lot of what they lose off this team. It is ranked in some recent ranking I saw as No. 24. That's OK to maybe good in the SEC overall. It is unlikely to make Arkansas any more a contender for the national championship than they are now. If Gafford stays a couple of more years with these new guys, maybe they can make a deep run.

I like this class but some are totally over hyping it. You'd think we were bringing in the fab five.

[Jim Harris]

What does the football record in 2018 have to do with Mike Anderson and the basketball team?

The one thing Anderson must find a way to fix is the road woes. He doesn't have to win every single road game in the SEC, but going 0-9, or 1-8, or 2-7 on the road in conference play should be unacceptable to everyone. The Hogs should be winning between 4 and 6 road games every year, to go with 7-9 home SEC W's. Those are realistic goals. Couple that with 10-12 non-conference wins and you have 21-27 victories a season and a Big Dance bid. Maybe even a SEC regular season title every once in awhile.
Anderson must also find a way to recruit more than one big man every three or four classes. Gafford will be the only true center on the team next season, and the only player taller than 6'9". That is NOT good.
I want Mike to be successful, but until he can get the Hogs out of this road woes funk (which has been around since the Heath days), he will not be as successful as we all want him to be (nor will any coach in the future).

Arkansas was 6-3 on the road in the SEC last season. Good teams win on the road. Right now, for whatever reason, Arkansas isn't the "good team" it appeared to be in mid-December.

[LA Football fan]

The recruiting class will replenish a lot of what they lose off this team. It is ranked in some recent ranking I saw as No. 24. That's OK to maybe good in the SEC overall. It is unlikely to make Arkansas any more a contender for the national championship than they are now. If Gafford stays a couple of more years with these new guys, maybe they can make a deep run.

It doesn't matter what they replenish if they are coached to do the same thing this team and every team Mike has had.  Gafford can be all world but  if  he is constantly having to guard out front away from the basket he is still going to be spending an inordinate amount of time on the  bench with foul trouble.  We are not making ANY deep runs with Mike as coach as long as his teams continue to play defense in this manner and their offense looks the same too.

[Jim Harris]

I like this class but some are totally over hyping it. You'd think we were bringing in the fab five.

You mean the way they hyped that Pelphrey class that Mike inherited? yep. It's not like Kentucky or Florida were beating down the door for the in-state guys MA has gotten lately. He failed in his one major goal when he got the job, when we knew Goodwin, Monk and Allen were coming up.  Someone will chime in with "but he got Portis, though." 1 of 4. Frankly, Pel getting Powell and BJ and Heath's recruiting were better than Mike's recruiting. He's a better coach than the both of them combined but you can only do so much. Florida was ridiculously quicker on the floor and to the basket than Arkansas last night, and has been most of the last several times they've played. They have better basketball players.

[The NewEra]

Arkansas was 6-3 on the road in the SEC last season. Good teams win on the road. Right now, for whatever reason, Arkansas isn't the "good team" it appeared to be in mid-December.

Do you think the problem might be coaching?

[ke2743]

No unbiased observer could watch the Hogs on a regular basis and think they're a well-coached team.

This!!  We stunk it up last night for the nation to see.  I'd rather all our games be on the SEC network. 

[Hoggish1]

Why is it that since Anderson was hired there has became a different standard of excellence for the basketball program?  Do we no longer expect a coach that's been here over four years to consistently put a team on the floor that is competitive game in and game out during conference play?  Are we supposed to sit back and fear hiring another bad or mediocre coach as a reason to maintain the status quo?  When did it become acceptable to get blown out in many games, including one in front of a sell out crowd at home?  What is there about MA that makes him immune to the same expectations we would place on any other of the sports programs on campus? 

In year seven is it justifiable for fans to expect us to be among the top of our conference and competing for a conference championship each year, plus total confidence in us making it to the NCAA Tournament? 

Would someone please explain to me why expectations for this basketball program have lowered, why MA should be immune to criticism and even removal with the product we are witnessing?  It's not like we are losing close games to good teams and being competitive in those games.

Great post.

I'm a patient fan but when I see MA jawing with one liners then silence and then jabbing again about being punked and having no energy and then silence and then a scowl and..  THEN look over at the opposing coach drawing up a play and actually coaching, I get real pissed!

[Cotton]

You mean the way they hyped that Pelphrey class that Mike inherited? yep. It's not like Kentucky or Florida were beating down the door for the in-state guys MA has gotten lately. He failed in his one major goal when he got the job, when we knew Goodwin, Monk and Allen were coming up.  Someone will chime in with "but he got Portis, though." 1 of 4. Frankly, Pel getting Powell and BJ and Heath's recruiting were better than Mike's recruiting. He's a better coach than the both of them combined but you can only do so much. Florida was ridiculously quicker on the floor and to the basket than Arkansas last night, and has been most of the last several times they've played. They have better basketball players.

+100

Coaching sub par talent can only take you so far. 

[batmanfan]

You mean the way they hyped that Pelphrey class that Mike inherited? yep. It's not like Kentucky or Florida were beating down the door for the in-state guys MA has gotten lately. He failed in his one major goal when he got the job, when we knew Goodwin, Monk and Allen were coming up.  Someone will chime in with "but he got Portis, though." 1 of 4. Frankly, Pel getting Powell and BJ and Heath's recruiting were better than Mike's recruiting. He's a better coach than the both of them combined but you can only do so much. Florida was ridiculously quicker on the floor and to the basket than Arkansas last night, and has been most of the last several times they've played. They have better basketball players.

Pretty much. Definitely isn't a reason to keep a coach who has been here seven years and hasn't really done anything.

[HoggyCat]

Mike is not pathetic.  Meaning, he's not Pel.  But I believe people are saying, based on his time so far, he's not the coach to consistently get us an NCAAT birth.  Arkansas is a program that should expect to be an NCAAT team 8 out of every 10 seasons.  We once were, and we are capable of that.  We simply have to get a coach who can do that.

We should be making the sweet 16 as often as we're actually making the tournament.

I was for the hire. But after three seasons of watching the same mistakes being made, and now into year 7 and STILL seeing them, with a total new roster.... there's one common denominator.

[razorpimp]

It doesn't matter how any of us feel...Mike will be here past this season no matter what....he could lose the rest of his games this season and still be back!

We have made it to the tourney 2 out of 3 years, so his success has been getting in the tourney.  So firing an African American coach after minimal success would be disastrous!  We all know that whether we admit it or not

[Atlhogfan1]

Predicted this discussion about Mike's ceiling compared to what we think it should be and fan base split years ago.  Little surprised it has happened so soon though. 

[jkstock04]

do you remember Sutton & Richardson?

there was glorious hog basketball before heath & pel. there can be again, if we go get another coach.

i cannot believe this fan base has fallen so far that this mediocre mess is acceptable.

These kids these days for the most part weren't even born then. As an Anderson loving millennial told me last night when I tried to tell him it used to be an absolute privilege to go to a Hog basketball game "that was a long time ago man."

Guess he is right, it was. Between Broyles' last dwindling years and of course the Jeff Long years we have had poor leadership and the basketball program has tanked because of it. It's now too late to hatch on to the "we should be this type of program" stuff.

I like Mike Anderson too but you can't deny some of these numbers and patterns. We had ZERO chance to win that game last night. I guarantee you 99% of our fans knew it...as well as Mike Anderson and the players. Listening to the commentary I heard something about Mike saying 'if we could keep it close til the end' we would have a chance lol.

[mhuff]

Time for TJ to go somewhere as a head coach. We need a Memphis former player as an assistant

[Wild Bill Hog]

Time for TJ to go somewhere as a head coach. We need a Memphis former player as an assistant

No school is interested in hiring anyone on this coaching staff.  None.

[Knot2brite]

I was one of the idiot fans that never wanted to hire him in the first place because I knew what it was going to take to get rid of him if he failed. The record and not having a losing record BS isn't the reason he isn't being shown the door. The nostalgia is only half the reason he hasn't been fired. Absolute fear by the BOT and boosters is the other half.

[latrops]

No.  Point is people on here act like he's awful.  Can't be

I believe mediocre is the term most used. 

[trippigs]

Just weary of being average

[mhuff]

We played a good ten minutes at the start of the second half, but our guards threw it away from there. Had Thompson been in the lineup with Gafford we would have had a chance. But we really can't do that because one of them might foul out and we would lose the game. Oh I perfectly see. It's all so clear.  Let's get real here.

[Atlhogfan1]

And those same people are already saying when Mike goes, they need to hand the program to TJ Cleveland, because ell, you know, Nolan.

It is what will be wanted if Mike manages to retire here on solid footing. 

Unbiased observers were mentioned earlier in this thread.  Go outside of our homer media fishbowl and ask media members who cover college basketball if they give Arkansas any thought and if they do what they would say their opinion is of MA and the job he has done.  The quote in my profile came from a longtime columnist in the SEC region. 

Mentioning Pel or Heath is just a fear tactic.  Neither were qualified for the job. 

OP is one of a handful of posters who sign in under multiple ID's.  The "new" account posters come in with the same arguments. 

These kids these days for the most part weren't even born then. As an Anderson loving millennial told me last night when I tried to tell him it used to be an absolute privilege to go to a Hog basketball game "that was a long time ago man."

Guess he is right, it was. Between Broyles' last dwindling years and of course the Jeff Long years we have had poor leadership and the basketball program has tanked because of it. It's now too late to hatch on to the "we should be this type of program" stuff.

I like Mike Anderson too but you can't deny some of these numbers and patterns. We had ZERO chance to win that game last night. I guarantee you 99% of our fans knew it...as well as Mike Anderson and the players. Listening to the commentary I heard something about Mike saying 'if we could keep it close til the end' we would have a chance lol.

When you hear it, makes you think why even bother paying attention to it?  College basketball overall isn't what it once was.  Not the entertainment it once was.  If we are just happy with whatever comes, why bother?  Watch the college football postseason, recruiting, baseball and pay attention to the few weeks a season in March/April college basketball actually is interesting.

[Mr. Porkleone]

Forget about it.  Not gonna happen.  First of all he's done a pretty good job here at Arkansas and throughout his entire coaching career and he's one of 3 coaches that has coached 15 seasons or more and never had a losing record.  Secondly he has a great recruiting class coming in.  Lastly do you remember Pel and Heath?

Clueless poster of year

[Jim Harris]

Do you think the problem might be coaching?

The same coaching was 6-3 on the road last year in the SEC, beat eventual Final Four team South Carolina on the road. I think one problem might be the team doesn't have Dusty and Moses on it, and key replacements are new guys (for example Hall, up Saturday, down last night) and perhaps senior selfishness before saying it's "coaching." Last year's team daggered people at the FT line; this year's team goes  5-16 or whatever at FTs last night. How many 0-2s?; that's a turnover. Mike figured out that last year's team had to play zone and they did. He'll have to figure out this team pretty quickly. I think he hoped for a better defensive team than he's gotten, that's for sure.

[mhuff]

Especially on defense. I am not talking about our full court press, which isn't good,  but our half court switching man D. It's atrocious and EVERY coach since SEC play has started has exploited it and if teams go more than 7 deep will continue to exploit it without getting tired or in foul trouble as was the case in both the Tenn and Mizzou wins.

We were doing the same things last year till we started playing more matchup zone and stopped switching(as much) when we did play man which happened to coincide with the first game we played after being blown out at home by Vandy.

That style of half court D is what Mike wants to run because A...it's all about speeding up the other team and B...having guys quick and long enough to rotate to the open man. This team may be a tad more athletic than last year but not athletic enough or long enough to be able to switch 1-5.

We are the worst D in the SEC and it's not debatable and it's what is being purposely taught. He needs to start adjusting and start adjusting now or we won't make the NCAAt. I think right now if it stays the same 7-11 is a real possibility.

Right on time.
This "ain't " good basketball.

[rzrbkman]

It doesn't matter how any of us feel...Mike will be here past this season no matter what....he could lose the rest of his games this season and still be back!

We have made it to the tourney 2 out of 3 years, so his success has been getting in the tourney.  So firing an African American coach after minimal success would be disastrous!  We all know that whether we admit it or not

If the season continues to get worse, I would not be surprised if Mike decides to move on by his own choice.  It's going to get ugly at the games as the wheels continue to fall off.

[PonderinHog]

If the season continues to get worse, I would not be surprised if Mike decides to move on by his own choice.  It's going to get ugly at the games as the wheels continue to fall off.

The money is too good for him/them to leave voluntarily, IMO.

[Atlhogfan1]

The same coaching was 6-3 on the road last year in the SEC, beat eventual Final Four team South Carolina on the road. I think one problem might be the team doesn't have Dusty and Moses on it, and key replacements are new guys (for example Hall, up Saturday, down last night) and perhaps senior selfishness before saying it's "coaching." Last year's team daggered people at the FT line; this year's team goes  5-16 or whatever at FTs last night. How many 0-2s?; that's a turnover. Mike figured out that last year's team had to play zone and they did. He'll have to figure out this team pretty quickly. I think he hoped for a better defensive team than he's gotten, that's for sure.

The conference overall saw more teams win on the road than usual. 

The SC win is reminiscent of the UK win in 2014 in Feb where they weren't playing well and the loss to us was one of a few during that stretch. 

SC's stretch to end the season:
Bama L
@MSU W by 4
Hogs L
@ Vandy L
@ Florida L
Tenn W
MSU W
@OM L

SECT Bama L by 11

3-6 to finish the season, 2-2 at home

[navyhog24]

The same coaching was 6-3 on the road last year in the SEC, beat eventual Final Four team South Carolina on the road. I think one problem might be the team doesn't have Dusty and Moses on it, and key replacements are new guys (for example Hall, up Saturday, down last night) and perhaps senior selfishness before saying it's "coaching." Last year's team daggered people at the FT line; this year's team goes  5-16 or whatever at FTs last night. How many 0-2s?; that's a turnover. Mike figured out that last year's team had to play zone and they did. He'll have to figure out this team pretty quickly. I think he hoped for a better defensive team than he's gotten, that's for sure.

They can be a better defensive team. Stop double teaming at the top of the key with the big man. If some players  actually gave the effort to play defense, they would be pretty decent. For example, Macon alone wasn't even trying to play any major defense and fight through a screen and was just watching his go to the hoop for a layup or something. When CJ Jones came in, he actually gave the effort and tried to fight through the screens. Barford and Macon are so scared they won't put on a show for NBA scouts that they have forgotten the concept of team basketball. If for once Beard would actually get his head out of his rearend with his shot selection.
Then you go to Thompson, Thomas, and Cook.....wasted roster space at least for the last two. 

[hogsanity]

Predicted this discussion about Mike's ceiling compared to what we think it should be and fan base split years ago.  Little surprised it has happened so soon though. 

So soon? 6 1/2 seasons is not soon in college basketball.

[Atlhogfan1]

Basketball has changed.  The value of a zone defense has been accepted by coaches who once would go seasons or years without playing except on extremely rare possessions.  Coach K despised playing zone to the point of being stubborn when his man was getting killed.  His last few teams including the current one will play zone.  Did it Monday night at Miami. 

Last year, it took to the absolute last moment being down at halftime to an awful LSU team for it to come together.  Every year we go multiple games into conference play with him still changing rotations and trying to figure out what works. 

It's been a good thing SEC basketball has been as bad as it has been as this would program would have been badly exposed in some other conferences.  "Never had a losing season" - thank you SEC basketball.

[GuvHog]

You mean the way they hyped that Pelphrey class that Mike inherited? yep. It's not like Kentucky or Florida were beating down the door for the in-state guys MA has gotten lately. He failed in his one major goal when he got the job, when we knew Goodwin, Monk and Allen were coming up.  Someone will chime in with "but he got Portis, though." 1 of 4. Frankly, Pel getting Powell and BJ and Heath's recruiting were better than Mike's recruiting. He's a better coach than the both of them combined but you can only do so much. Florida was ridiculously quicker on the floor and to the basket than Arkansas last night, and has been most of the last several times they've played. They have better basketball players.

Pelphrey's last recruiting class was a good one. It's not their fault they had to play a type of basketball they weren't recruited to play. Taking a highly touted 4* power forward and trying to make a Center out of him was a stupid idea. That class with the team that Mike inherited plus the guard that left for Butler when Mike was hired would have at least made the NIT had Pelphrey gotten another year.

[HogInThaGrove]

The same coaching was 6-3 on the road last year in the SEC, beat eventual Final Four team South Carolina on the road. I think one problem might be the team doesn't have Dusty and Moses on it, and key replacements are new guys (for example Hall, up Saturday, down last night) and perhaps senior selfishness before saying it's "coaching." Last year's team daggered people at the FT line; this year's team goes  5-16 or whatever at FTs last night. How many 0-2s?; that's a turnover. Mike figured out that last year's team had to play zone and they did. He'll have to figure out this team pretty quickly. I think he hoped for a better defensive team than he's gotten, that's for sure.

Good coaches don't "hope", good coaches know exactly what their teams weaknesses and strengths are and design their offense and defense around those.  If, during the season, someone gets hot or has a break out, then you monitor and adjust, but you don't just hope. 

Let's take a good coach, offensive at least, that was once here.  BP had Mallett, who couldn't run if his life depended on it.  So he designed the offense to highlight his massive gun and put him in position to flourish.  Then he goes to Louisville and has Lamar Jackson and installs a RPO type offense that highlights LJ's awesome ability to maneuver and escape and also his throwing ability.  He took a 3* athlete and turned him into the Heisman Trophy winner. 

That's what a good coach does, he designs his team around it's greatest strength and hides weaknesses as good as possible.  A good coach doesn't sub at 15 min mark just because that's when we sub, especially if the group on the court is doing well or in the zone.  A good coach doesn't get his only big stuck out on a PG 35 feet from the basket, and a good coach makes adjustments before they get almost 20 games in to the season. 

Mike is a good man, a great representative for the university, but at best just an average coach, and that sucks because I really do like him.  He sometimes manages to get a magical mix of players who can actually do what he wants them to do, but they are not consistent and it's a fairly rare occurrence for him to get players outside his extended family that can lead his teams to more than the round of 32.   

[cosmodrum]

I bet you wouldn't call me an idiot to my face.

Idk, he seems pretty dumb

[Atlhogfan1]

So soon? 6 1/2 seasons is not soon in college basketball.

Yes sanity.  So soon.  Thought the nostalgia would carry on for a little while plus I expected more from Mike.  This is a fan base that campaigned from when Nolan was fired through UAB upsetting UK in the NCAAT through 5 seasons of Mizzou basketball for their Hawg Ball.  Thought going into this and after the first few seasons it would be a while before we got to these conversations from so many. 

[HawgTrough]

Spot on right there!