This team has a chance to do well.

[ErieHog]

Having seen all of our games, and some games by SEC teams and future opponents, I think we have a chance to do a little better than expected. I think we could maybe squeeze out an NIT bid. I know many here don't care for the NIT, but it's better than nothing at all, especially when you have guys that need as much playing time as they can get (Whitt, Thompson, Beard). I think the SEC is really wide open after Kentucky, Vanderbilt and LSU (and LSU is already looking like an underperformer). We'll get an even clearer picture tomorrow after we have a road game under our belts (anything away from BWA/Verizon is a road game in my book). I think Tech has some bigs that could give us trouble, but they weren't too impressive from what I saw of them when I watched a little of their game with Tennessee. It's a 50/50 game for me.

Of course, the thing about the SEC being wide open, for the most part, means that it'll probably go back to the lower level of quality of a couple of seasons ago. If that league RPI drops like it did in the season prior to last season, it might be tough even to make the NIT (we got snubbed because of it in Year 2 under Anderson). I'm not sure we can win enough games to offset. We'll see.

LSU will look  lot better once the other players learn how to play with Simmons.  That dude is scary good, and understands the game better than most 5th year seniors.

[JayBell]

And Kingsley averaged 3.6 points and 2.5 rebounds per game last year. He's averaging 18 points and 10 rebounds per game so far this year. Not saying he's going to keep those numbers up, but those are Bobby Portis numbers. He's a completely different player this year. That's an unexpected, but pleasant, surprise that we can lean on this year.

No.  No it's not.  Anybody who has watched Kingsley for the last three years should know what kind of potential he's had/has.  Anderson chose to restrict him.  He refused to put Portis and Kingsley on the court together for more than a few minutes in any game, which only happened rarely.

It's been one of my main frustrations with Anderson.  He's married to his system.  Meanwhile, Arkansas gets outrebounded by 20, 25 or even 30 rebounds sometimes because Anderson has someone like Harris or Williams playing the 4 and not even attempting to rebound.

You can make that up with good pressure defense that forces turnovers.  When they don't, which is often, it's crippling.  It killed them against Georgia Tech today.

[JayBell]

I think everyone can agree this year will be ugly. Can we not build up false hope?

If by some miracle they have a good year then everyone can be pleasantly surprised. You get everyone thinking we have a chance then you are setting everyone up for some thread rage.

I think even the coaches will struggle this year to be on point. They just went through the worst off season in a decade and whiffed on a once in a generation player.

If we make the NIT it will be a MIRACLE.

But to do that, you have to admit that Anderson isn't perfect.  And, IMO, it seems like a ton of fans are still unwilling to do that.  I like Mike.  The program is in great shape.  I don't want him fired.  I just want him held accountable and this abysmal season was avoidable.

I hear/read fans say stuff like "he couldn't prepare for two stars and their 'surprise' exits."  A first round draft pick leaving early is anything but a surprise.  We knew at the beginning of last season what Qualls' personal situation was.  We knew, or should have known, it was likely he'd jump if he had the chance.  Then they bring up the situation with Beard and Williams, like every single one of us didn't realize that Williams has always been a liability.  And because Williams would make this team so much better...

Yet Anderson continues to whiff on top high school players.  He's a rock star with JUCO kids and next year's team will be loaded with them.  I just want to know how much longer Anderson is going to be untouchable when Arkansas gets up close to 15 or more losses this season.

People flipped out about Nutt's two-year pass.  Well Mike's getting one this season and no one is batting an eye at it.

[Science Fiction Greg]

But to do that, you have to admit that Anderson isn't perfect.  And, IMO, it seems like a ton of fans are still unwilling to do that.  I like Mike.  The program is in great shape.  I don't want him fired.  I just want him held accountable and this abysmal season was avoidable.

I hear/read fans say stuff like "he couldn't prepare for two stars and their 'surprise' exits."  A first round draft pick leaving early is anything but a surprise.  We knew at the beginning of last season what Qualls' personal situation was.  We knew, or should have known, it was likely he'd jump if he had the chance.  Then they bring up the situation with Beard and Williams, like every single one of us didn't realize that Williams has always been a liability.  And because Williams would make this team so much better...

Yet Anderson continues to whiff on top high school players.  He's a rock star with JUCO kids and next year's team will be loaded with them.  I just want to know how much longer Anderson is going to be untouchable when Arkansas gets up close to 15 or more losses this season.

People flipped out about Nutt's two-year pass.  Well Mike's getting one this season and no one is batting an eye at it.

That's because Nutt sucked the whole time he was here and didn't deserve a two-year pass.  Anderson has shown he can get the job done.  Repeatedly.  Also a one-year pass on a basketball team where a couple of unfortunate things can cripple the whole team is much different than a two-year pass where it takes 15 unfortunate things to completely cripple the whole team.

Nobody thinks Mike Anderson is untouchable now or in the future.  It's just that, luckily, the people in charge are not reactionary twits like most common fans.

[Letsroll1200]

No.  No it's not.  Anybody who has watched Kingsley for the last three years should know what kind of potential he's had/has.  Anderson chose to restrict him.  He refused to put Portis and Kingsley on the court together for more than a few minutes in any game, which only happened rarely.

It's been one of my main frustrations with Anderson.  He's married to his system.  Meanwhile, Arkansas gets outrebounded by 20, 25 or even 30 rebounds sometimes because Anderson has someone like Harris or Williams playing the 4 and not even attempting to rebound.

You can make that up with good pressure defense that forces turnovers.  When they don't, which is often, it's crippling.  It killed them against Georgia Tech today.

Portis and Kingsley did not play well together!! Watch the games and you could notice that they were less effective on the floor together.

Rebounding is a huge issue on this team. Miles and Kousaii combined for 5 rebounds. That will not get it done. I thought Miles would bring some energy and intensity.

[JayBell]

Portis and Kingsley did not play well together!! Watch the games and you could notice that they were less effective on the floor together.

You're talking about a very, very small sample size.  They only ever played the same position, so of course there would be some awkwardness on the rare occasion when they were out there together.

Since rebounding was such a weakness, I just would have hoped Kingsley and Portis would have had more time to work together.

[JayBell]

That's because Nutt sucked the whole time he was here and didn't deserve a two-year pass.  Anderson has shown he can get the job done.  Repeatedly.  Also a one-year pass on a basketball team where a couple of unfortunate things can cripple the whole team is much different than a two-year pass where it takes 15 unfortunate things to completely cripple the whole team.

Nobody thinks Mike Anderson is untouchable now or in the future.  It's just that, luckily, the people in charge are not reactionary twits like most common fans.

It's funny that you make this argument since it seems to me like the vast majority of "most common fans" are still willing to give Anderson all the leeway in the world.  It's not reactionary to point out that it's on Anderson what happened with Kapita, Williams and Portis/Qualls leaving without any kind of backup plan.

Objectively, how has Anderson repeatedly shown he can get the job done?  One NCAAT appearance and win in four seasons.  It's dumb that I repeatedly have to point out that I don't want him fired and I like the way he runs the program as a whole because literally any criticism of Anderson is met with such fervent backlash.

[JayBell]

This team was definitely going to drop off from last year after Portis and Qualls left, but to go from a 5-seed to being extremely lucky to make the NIT?  I think that huge of a drop off was avoidable.

I said in the preseason that I didn't think this season would be the disaster some were predicting after Beard and Williams were arrested.  Still, losses to Akron and Georgia Tech don't bode well for the rest of the season, not with this year's schedule.

[Science Fiction Greg]

It's funny that you make this argument since it seems to me like the vast majority of "most common fans" are still willing to give Anderson all the leeway in the world. 

I'm not making an argument, I'm stating a fact.  Most fans are reactionary twits.  Just read any message board after a game.  If their team loses, their are tons of posts predicting gloom and doom.  If their team wins, the future is bright, everyone deserves raises, etc.  But yes, even the reactionary twits can see Mike Anderson deserves some leeway here.

It's not reactionary to point out that it's on Anderson what happened with Kapita, Williams and Portis/Qualls leaving without any kind of backup plan.

Sure, agree.  But putting him on the hotseat for a few bad decisions or gambles is just throwing the baby out with the bath water.  Everyone can see he made some mistakes or underperformed in recruiting.  Not wanting to wallow around in it over and over again doesn't mean he's "getting all the leeway in the world" or is "untouchable."  Everyone gets it.  There's no reason to harp on it.  This is not something to beat the "Mike screwed up" drum about.  We'll be fine, long run.

Objectively, how has Anderson repeatedly shown he can get the job done?  One NCAAT appearance and win in four seasons.

He's won everywhere he's been, including deep tournament runs at both his prior job.  He's also greatly improved pretty much everything about our basketball program from where Pelphrey had it and exceeded where Heath had it.  Sure, this is a down year now, but things are on track for next year and the future.

The "one NCAAT appearance and win in four seasons" bit betrays your agenda, btw.  Pretty intentional ignoring of his work at other jobs (extremely relevant) and framing the job he's done here pretty much as poorly as possible.  You know full well his history and how much he's improved this program.

[hogsanity]

The "one NCAAT appearance and win in four seasons" bit betrays your agenda, btw.  Pretty intentional ignoring of his work at other jobs (extremely relevant) and framing the job he's done here pretty much as poorly as possible.  You know full well his history and how much he's improved this program.

His work at other programs means diddly. His work here, where he is now employed, is all that matters, and here he has 1 NCAAt appearance in 4 seasons. That is not agenda by anyone, that is fact.

[Science Fiction Greg]

His work at other programs means diddly. His work here, where he is now employed, is all that matters, and here he has 1 NCAAt appearance in 4 seasons. That is not agenda by anyone, that is fact.

No, that's not all that matters.  I said he has proven he can get it done.  I was asked how has he proven he can get it done, and obviously, his work at other programs proves that.  If you want to say his work at other programs means diddly with regards to something else, fine, but it is ridiculous to think it doesn't demonstrate his ability to get it done, which was the context.

[Jonteviosk]

Of course what this genius Hogsanity is also not mentioning is the fact that MA took a disaster of a program from that fraud of a coach Pelphrey and had a winning record with a depleted roster then the next season with no one of quality playing taller than 6'8 the mediocre Williams used sparingly. He played other guys in the post 6'7, 6'7 AND 6'5 Powell, Clarke and Qualls very small much smaller than this years squad and he took that tema that shot 30% from 3 pt range and was one win away from the NIT. Then took the next team and went to the NIT and a post season win. Then the great year we had last year. Oh by the way genius Hogsanity that counts as 2 post season wins not 1. Could he have planned better for Qualls and Portis well I believe he did with Whitt and Kapita...He had nothing he could do to avoid Kapita which happened exptremely late in the recruiting period and then Williams and Beard he had nothing to do with as well and your dumbass trying to lay the blame at his doorstep for those incidents....Sure he handed them the counterfeit money and told them to circulate it. The end result was that late in the recruiting period the best and only thing he could do was sign Kuwasii and Jenkins. This season still isn't over yet while im not saying were even going to post season I want to see what they can become and get Beard back and who knows maybe make a run.

[TNhawgfan]

i can see jump ball is already in midseason form : you can't say anything negative without people saying you're not ahog fan or you're an idiot

[tusksincolorado]

As always, I am leaving my opinions and judgments on Razorback Basketball until late January, February, and early March when the team has jelled. But this team does appear to have all the necessary ingredients.

GO HAWGS!  :razorback:

[Dr. Starcs]

^^^

jailed

Fify

[tusksincolorado]

^^^

jailed

Fify

Thanks Doc!

[nwahogfan1]

Akron hit 13 threes and shot almost 50% from long range because the defense was terrible. They hit 11 threes against Villanova, but it took them 33 shots.

I agree with what you said about our defense.  Coach tries to trap and double team with non athletic guards  and they get beat all the time leaving wide open 3s.  I see all the time where teams are driving the lanes on us making our Bigs check off trying to help but only getting them into foul trouble or terrible position for the off side rebound.  Anytime a team can get that many open shots they will be a whole lot more accurate. 

Our guards except for Whitt are slow.  So why are we trapping and pressing?  Because that is the way Mike has always done it.  I bet his UAB teams had much better and more athletic guards.  If Mike wants to win 15 games this year with this team he better come up with a better game plan. 

What I would love to see is Mike go out and recruit better and longer athletes so he can play his schemes with success but until that happens then modify your system to fit your talent.

[Letsroll1200]

You're talking about a very, very small sample size.  They only ever played the same position, so of course there would be some awkwardness on the rare occasion when they were out there together.

Since rebounding was such a weakness, I just would have hoped Kingsley and Portis would have had more time to work together.

Miles has to rebound or he should sit down

[Jonteviosk]

Miles has to rebound or he should sit down

The only problem with that is with Thompson injured there is no one else lol

[Danny J]

The only problem with that is with Thompson injured there is no one else lol

Will be exactly the same problem next year unless we sign at least two more big fellas. We lose Miles and Kouassi so that leaves us with Thompson and Kingsley...now thomas has some height but he is not a big and Cook may not be eligible. Really need to pound the pavement hard and get some big fellas.

[BassinHawg]

I said last week that this team wouldn't win 14 games, now I say they won't win 10.

I don't care who the players are, a real coach could prevent a 21 to 1 run!