How much improvement will we see next season?

[Porkatarian]

How much did we improve from the start of this season until the end of the regular season?

Porkatarian out...

[jkstock04]

Obviously we degressed...got worse.  There has been no improvement overall.  The Georgia game looked promising on the improvement end...we got a lead and kept it.  But instead of taking that momentum and doing something with it we have folded tent..plain and simple. 

Next season?  I guess it depends on who we have playing next year.  Whos transferring/leaving?  Whos not?  Will everybody we have coming back be elegible?  Will the guys we have coming in pan out academically?  Are they disciplined kids or do they bring more off the court problems to a already troubled team?  What coaching changes will there be?  If any?  Will it be for the better or for the worse?

In my mind...looking at who we have coming in...and assuming coaching stayed the same and everyone was elegible/came back, and had none or little off the court problems, I could see this team possibly winning 5-6 conference games next year. 

[Smokehouse]

depends completely on offseason changes, I would say. We clearly have some kind of internal issues in the locker room, if adequate steps are taken to resolve that then I think we can improve a lot.

At some point in the year most of our players have showed promise. Bring that talent out and get a big guy and we can do just fine. But if the cancer stays in the locker room then that's not happening.

[hawgsav1]

depends on how much Pelphrey wants to keep his job.

[pigface]

a light bulb will come on,  we suddenly realize we are experienced,  We Win!

[tbhogfan]

This is a team that beat Oklahoma and Texas within a week of each other, then imploded to a 2-14 conference record in a weak conference.  Losing Monk hurt, but it does not account for such a slide.

I really thought that this team would gel and be playing really well right now.   

As has been mentioned earlier, I think that if we have a repeat of this season next year, Long will have to make a tough call on Pel's future. 

It seems that many times we are both smaller and slower than our opponents.   In a game where size and quickness matter, this is not a good situation.   We need to dramatically improve next year, and we need to make whatever changes (personnel, coaches, chemistry) that have to be made. 

Young or not, 2-14 in a weak conference is simply not acceptable at Arkansas.

[hogsanity]

Alot depends on therecruting class and who actually makes it to campus.  If we dont get at least 1 if not 2 big men, especially one that can rebound defesnively, it will still be a rough road.

If our PG continues to take 20 shots a game, he either better get alot more accurate, or we will be in the same boat as well.

[sirhog]

If we dont get at least 1 if not 2 big men, especially one that can rebound defesnively, it will still be a rough road.

That has plagued us so bad this season. Teams have had way to many second chance opportunites. A lot of the time we didn't have a single player in position to get the rebound.

[rzrbackrob]

Out of conference they will be hard pressed to make any improvement. I guess they could go 13-0 and beat three top 10 teams.

In the SEC they will be hard pressed to do worse than 2-14.

I see Fortson as the key. If he does not step up and become a vocal leader demanding everyone play hard, I do not know who can. Who is the player that everyone listens to? A house divided can not stand, or win many games in the SEC.

[heathtits]

With this team I don't think anyone can honestly say they know or have an idea of improved we will be.

WAY too many variables at this point. With the uncertainty of Staff and Players, the entire chemistry could be different for better or worse if that's even possible.

I mean honestly, after Texas and OU, who predicted us going 2-14. I bet not a single person on the ENTIRE board.

[BCShogs]

I don't see us improving much from this year to next year. I wish Long would do the politically incorrect thing and make a change now. It would be unpopular with many fans and we would be roasted by the media. However, if he has vision and balls he should do it. Mark my word, Pelphrey will not got it done. Period.

[HawgAdvocate]

With this team I don't think anyone can honestly say they know or have an idea of improved we will be.

WAY too many variables at this point. With the uncertainty of Staff and Players, the entire chemistry could be different for better or worse if that's even possible.

I mean honestly, after Texas and OU, who predicted us going 2-14. I bet not a single person on the ENTIRE board.

I agree with this..although I will add that we should see a lot less 2-3 zone with addition of 4+ players next season. We should play a more uptempo game that creates more TOs on defense. We should still struggle on the boards though.

There will be a lot of pressure on Sanchez, Clark, and Moore to step up. I'll be shocked if this roster doesn't see some changes before next season though.

[heathtits]

I agree with this..although I will add that we should see a lot less 2-3 zone with addition of 4+ players next season. We should play a more uptempo game that creates more TOs on defense. We should still struggle on the boards though.

There will be a lot of pressure on Sanchez, Clark, and Moore to step up. I'll be shocked if this roster doesn't see some changes before next season though.

Yeah, "in theory" this team should be much better but like I said and you said, that's assuming Clark, Sanchez and Moore step up next season and it's an absolute necessity that Farmer and Powell make it here.

I'd like to count Washington as part of our plans but the way the season has gone, or in other words how EVERYTHING else has gone wrong for us this year, I just don't see him sticking around.

Even if he doesn't get drafted he could be making at least 6 figures in Europe. I'm sure he has talked to Beverley more than once about whats going on with him in Russia or Slovakia or wherever the hell he is.

[HogKongPhooey]

This is a team that beat Oklahoma and Texas within a week of each other, then imploded to a 2-14 conference record in a weak conference.  Losing Monk hurt, but it does not account for such a slide.

I really thought that this team would gel and be playing really well right now.   

As has been mentioned earlier, I think that if we have a repeat of this season next year, Long will have to make a tough call on Pel's future. 

It seems that many times we are both smaller and slower than our opponents.   In a game where size and quickness matter, this is not a good situation.   We need to dramatically improve next year, and we need to make whatever changes (personnel, coaches, chemistry) that have to be made. 

Young or not, 2-14 in a weak conference is simply not acceptable at Arkansas.

If I'm Long, that's not a tough decision.  It will have been made for me.

[HawgAdvocate]

Yeah, "in theory" this team should be much better but like I said and you said, that's assuming Clark, Sanchez and Moore step up next season and it's an absolute necessity that Farmer and Powell make it here.

I'd like to count Washington as part of our plans but the way the season has gone, or in other words how EVERYTHING else has gone wrong for us this year, I just don't see him sticking around.

Even if he doesn't get drafted he could be making at least 6 figures in Europe. I'm sure he has talked to Beverley more than once about whats going on with him in Russia or Slovakia or wherever the hell he is.

We'll be better defensively even with marginal improvement from those three PFs. Just being able to get out of the zone and switching to M2M (thanks to increased depth+added size) will be huge.

Farmer will be here. And the odds on Powell coming are better than you might think. I haven't heard anything on Washington in a while though. Borden won't contribute much, if anything, on offense his first two seasons, but he'll make a marginal difference with what limited minutes he plays on the defensive side. We still have another scholly to hand out as well, which will more than likely go to another PG. Preferably one with a bit of size.

[Hoggy1]

5-11 or 6-10 in SEC and Pel gets canned.

[weresoclose]

5-11 or 6-10 in SEC and Pel gets canned.

6-10 might not get him gone.  You have to consider that possibility.

[Oliver]

6-10 might not get him gone.  You have to consider that possibility.

I don't think anyone knows what Jeff Long's expectations are next year.  To him, 5-11 might seem like a ample enough of a progression for the program.  I really hope he sets the bar at a .500 season in conference. 

[Hoggy1]

If we set expectations for a 6-10 SEC season then we really are poor little Arky.....sad.

[HawgAdvocate]

If we set expectations for a 6-10 SEC season then we really are poor little Arky.....sad.

That's never the goal. Improvement is. And if they can go to 10-6 the next season, followed by 12-4 after that, it will have been worth it.

Short-term thinking won't do any good. Programs aren't built overnight, or over two seasons. Replacing Pel will only restart the process as well. One step forward, two steps backward.

[Ironhawg]

I don't even want to think about next season right now.  I hate to say this, but for the first time in my life I am ready for the basketball season to be over.  I just don't want to watch this team flailing around trying to find a way to win anymore.  I've never had a feeling like this about Razorback basketball before, even through the Heath years.

[Oliver]

I don't even want to think about next season right now.  I hate to say this, but for the first time in my life I am ready for the basketball season to be over.  I just don't want to watch this team flailing around trying to find a way to win anymore.  I've never had a feeling like this about Razorback basketball before, even through the Heath years.

Your (and my) pain will end Thursday night.

[tiber]

In my opinion next year's improvement will hinge on whether we get a leader on the court and in the locker room.  That may come from a Juco addition to the team that can command some respect, or one of the current players such as Fortson that takes it upon themselves to set an example.  This seems to me to be the one great component our team is lacking, followed closely by depth.

If a floor leader can rally the players around him and get the individual mindset out of the equation, this team can be very competitive even without a dominant inside force.  Note that I said 'competitive'.  Our current team is not good enough to play as individuals and compete.

So I believe one of Pelphrey's main objectives going into the offseason is either working with his current players to develop a leader, or look for those qualities in a recruit and/or a juco.
It's a glaring negative for our current squad.

[lovetthog1]

It would be nice to have a proven coach like Nolan or Anderson so that we can take a lot of these if's out of the equation.

[3kgthog]

What has Mike Anderson proven? He's gone as far in the NCAAT as Stan Heath did at Kent St.

[hawgsav1]

What has Mike Anderson proven? He's gone as far in the NCAAT as Stan Heath did at Kent St.

Heath was a one hit wonder flash in the pan (who made the Elite 8 by the way).  Anderson consistently beat Memphis in CUSA and took UAB to the tourney 3 times out of his 4 years there, making the Sweet 16 after defeating No.1 seed Kentucky.  I'd say Anderson has proved his mettle.

[PoormansRobbyHampton]

Heath was a one hit wonder flash in the pan (who made the Elite 8 by the way).  Anderson consistently beat Memphis in CUSA and took UAB to the tourney 3 times out of his 4 years there, making the Sweet 16 after defeating No.1 seed Kentucky.  I'd say Anderson has proved his mettle.

+1

Yeah hear here. Mike Anderson has built a program at Missouri, all he's done is win. Don't even consider putting Pelphrey and Anderson in the same sentence. Anderson is much better.

I think if we can make the NIT next year, Pelphrey is safe. I mean it doesn't make sense to expect a jump from the worst team in the SEC to an NCAAT team. It's possible, heck it may even happen, but 5-6 SEC wins and an NIT bid would be improvement.

I'm as frustrated as anyone with the team's performance this year, and I've been more than critical on Pelphrey. Just because I expect him to prove something to me before I just blindly follow doesn't make me a fair weather fan.

[jamie72921]

How much did we improve from the start of this season until the end of the regular season?

Porkatarian out...

I would say your posts sucked at the start of the season and have become progressively worse as the season wore on.

That is what you meant?

[WhenPigsFly]

It really is scary to consider to the prospect of the next Arkansas basketball season.  Probably a bad team, a coach many have already given up on, high ticket prices in a bad ecomony......

I really, REALLY, shudder to think of it.

[Granny fan]

As a "team" we went backwards.  I do, however, think RC personally improved his play, and if he had "teammates" to play with, would have contributed more.

[stronguard]

Each and every FRESHMAN improved, to deny this fact is ludicrous.  Our 2 JUNIORS digressed.

It's tough to coach those who won't listen.  Even tougher when the 2 not listening are the "leaders" of a young team.  I can only hope the young ones have not been poisoned by those who haven't bought into the Pel system both on the court, and in the mesage boards.

[HogKongPhooey]

Each and every FRESHMAN improved, to deny this fact is ludicrous.  Our 2 JUNIORS digressed.

It's tough to coach those who won't listen.  Even tougher when the 2 not listening are the "leaders" of a young team.  I can only hope the young ones have not been poisoned by those who haven't bought into the Pel system both on the court, and in the mesage boards.

So you contend that Welsh and Washington are the cancers?

[HawgnCorona]

depends completely on offseason changes, I would say. We clearly have some kind of internal issues in the locker room, if adequate steps are taken to resolve that then I think we can improve a lot.

At some point in the year most of our players have showed promise. Bring that talent out and get a big guy and we can do just fine. But if the cancer stays in the locker room then that's not happening.

My thoughts as well. . .+1

[The_Iceman]

Here are my thoughts:

I think this team will improve next year, and it will come from the unofficial team captain, Rotnei Clarke.
I can guarantee you Rotnei is not happy with losing. He is going to lead by example and be in the gym working all the time. I hope the other guys will follow behind them and start working on these things:

Fortson- driving and finishing with his right hand.
Clarke- a one dribble, pull up jumper.
Henry- weight room, getting healthy.
Washington- a drop-step off his right foot to compliment his thru the lane move.
Sanchez- stronger hands and finishing.
Clark- more arch on jumper and basic post fundamentals.
Moore- him and clark both need the same work and about 20lbs of weight.
Britt- study Bruce Bowen. work on defense and corner 3 pointer.
Welsh- become a team player and work on ball handling to become a backup point.

these are the basic things I would have the guys working on all summer in addition to the normal offseason routine. If they do that, then I suspect a much improved and experienced team next year.

[jamie72921]

When I predicted a meltdown in SEC play after the OU and Texas wins, nearly everyone I talked to thought I was crazy. Looks like I wasn't.

I tried to tell people that those 2 wins were more indicative of future seasons than they would be as a barometer for the rest of this one. This one was going to be hard.

It wasn't hard to see. Heath's idiotic recruiting plan that graduated 6 guys in the same season and Beverly's leaving the team could only add up to one outcome, the one you have seen. Here is why:

Basketball teams only have 12 scholarsip players. Losing 7 guys is almost the equivalent of the death penalty.

We don't have ANY depth, much less quality depth. We can't even put a full team of scholarship players on the court right now. That takes a toll as the season wears on.

Frosh wear out moreso than upper classmen do. Sure Carmello Anthony didn't, but how many Carmello's are there in all of college basketball? This team is made up almost entirely of freshman minus 2 guys!

Surprise! They are playing worse in Feb than they did in Dec. Are you serious? This shouldn't surprise anyone who has followed college sports for more than 5 years.

This team doesn't have any leadership from its upper classmen. None. Washington is physically talented but doesn't make those around him better. Welsh, shouldn't even be on the team. What a cancer.

I have seen on here where people believed that Thurman and Corliss's bunch were young but played well. WRONG! They weren't YOUNG. Robert Shepard and Daryl Hawkins were seniors. Hawkins was the team's leader and captain. Roger Crawford was a Juco junior. Beck, Stewart and McDaniel were all 21 year old sophomores. Hardly a young team at all. Not experienced, but not leaderless and young either.

Oh and FCJ, Shepard and Hawkins weren't simply role players. Shepard was the team's best defensive player and Hawkins averaged double figures.

Cancerous Upperclassman + Lack of Scholarship Players + 4 Frosh Starters and 3 frosh off the bench + Lack of quality depth = a team that improves as the season goes along?

You people are out of your minds. This season was doomed at the end of the last one and the carnage was only worsened with the loss of Beverly.

There will be improvement next season simply because of the experience these guys have gained this season coupled with the physical development a year's growth provides at that age.

The real questions are whether Powell/Borden/Farmer make it to campus and if Washington stays or goes. The team will be better, the question is how much?

[PoormansRobbyHampton]

Each and every FRESHMAN improved, to deny this fact is ludicrous.  Our 2 JUNIORS digressed.

It's tough to coach those who won't listen.  Even tougher when the 2 not listening are the "leaders" of a young team.  I can only hope the young ones have not been poisoned by those who haven't bought into the Pel system both on the court, and in the mesage boards.

I would contend that Fortson went downhill, even before his 7-27 jumper fest at VAndy. We didn't see enough of Andre Clark and Brandon Moore. Sanchez stayed the same to me. I wouldn't be so quick to say that every freshman improved. Rotnei and Henry appear to be the two

[HogBreath]

When I predicted a meltdown in SEC play after the OU and Texas wins, nearly everyone I talked to thought I was crazy. Looks like I wasn't.

I tried to tell people that those 2 wins were more indicative of future seasons than they would be as a barometer for the rest of this one. This one was going to be hard.

It wasn't hard to see. Heath's idiotic recruiting plan that graduated 6 guys in the same season and Beverly's leaving the team could only add up to one outcome, the one you have seen. Here is why:

Basketball teams only have 12 scholarsip players. Losing 7 guys is almost the equivalent of the death penalty.

We don't have ANY depth, much less quality depth. We can't even put a full team of scholarship players on the court right now. That takes a toll as the season wears on.

Frosh wear out moreso than upper classmen do. Sure Carmello Anthony didn't, but how many Carmello's are there in all of college basketball? This team is made up almost entirely of freshman minus 2 guys!

Surprise! They are playing worse in Feb than they did in Dec. Are you serious? This shouldn't surprise anyone who has followed college sports for more than 5 years.

This team doesn't have any leadership from its upper classmen. None. Washington is physically talented but doesn't make those around him better. Welsh, shouldn't even be on the team. What a cancer.

I have seen on here where people believed that Thurman and Corliss's bunch were young but played well. WRONG! They weren't YOUNG. Robert Shepard and Daryl Hawkins were seniors. Hawkins was the team's leader and captain. Roger Crawford was a Juco junior. Beck, Stewart and McDaniel were all 21 year old sophomores. Hardly a young team at all. Not experienced, but not leaderless and young either.

Oh and FCJ, Shepard and Hawkins weren't simply role players. Shepard was the team's best defensive player and Hawkins averaged double figures.

Cancerous Upperclassman + Lack of Scholarship Players + 4 Frosh Starters and 3 frosh off the bench + Lack of quality depth = a team that improves as the season goes along?

You people are out of your minds. This season was doomed at the end of the last one and the carnage was only worsened with the loss of Beverly.

There will be improvement next season simply because of the experience these guys have gained this season coupled with the physical development a year's growth provides at that age.

The real questions are whether Powell/Borden/Farmer make it to campus and if Washington stays or goes. The team will be better, the question is how much?

Jaime, very nicely done, well thought out and articulated.  The only problem is you are basically wrong on most counts, or more specifically, you failed to explain things like the Ole Miss JV's waltzing in to town and beating us.