MA: "We won't change."

[TomBigBeeHog]

Just listened to the whole presser, CMA seemed relaxed and cautiously upbeat about the teams prospects for the coming season. I am excited to see what happens and I look forward to watching the development of Whitt.

Hope Whitt plays his way into a first round draft projection and is a 1 or 2 and done (disclaimer: notice that I said hope). That would really help us with getting more good guards, going forward. Looks like the minutes are going to be there for the taking and CMA seems to like what the kid is bringing to the table this year.

[hogsanity]

Just listened to the whole presser, CMA seemed relaxed and cautiously upbeat about the teams prospects for the coming season. I am excited to see what happens and I look forward to watching the development of Whitt.

Hope Whitt plays his way into a first round draft projection and is a 1 or 2 and done (disclaimer: notice that I said hope). That would really help us with getting more good guards, going forward. Looks like the minutes are going to be there for the taking and CMA seems to like what the kid is bringing to the table this year.

one or two and dones are a 2 edged sword, players leaving early cause HUGE problems, especially if their presence does not lead to getting more like them to have them around when players do leave. I hope Whitt is everything he is advertised to be, and more, he is going to have to be for this team ( at least until/if beard gets back ) to do much of anything.

And MA should be relaxed, he gets to 2016/17 regardless of what happens this year.

[Letsroll1200]

Can't find those numbers. The schedule is tough. The opener against Akron will be a helluva game. The Zips won 21 games last season and return a lot of players. Georgia Tech has seven guys 6-8 or taller. Villanova or Stanford, either one would be tough - they're the Hogs' possible opponents to finish the NIT Tip-Off. Wake Forest will be tough at their place.

The Hogs have Dayton on Dec. 30 and a trip to Texas A&M on Jan. 2. Why do the Hogs open SEC play at College Station again?

The home schedule for SEC games: Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, Kentucky, Texas A&M (Jan); Tennessee, Auburn, Missouri, LSU (Feb); South Carolina (Mar).

Road schedule: Texas A&M, Missouri, LSU, Georgia (Jan); Florida, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Tennessee (Feb); Alabama (Mar).

Might be above .500 at home in the SEC. Probably not on the road.

I have the Razorbacks losing only two homes games (Kentucky, LSU) and winning on the road against Missouri,  Ole Miss, Miss. State and Alabama.

In nonconference the only concerns I see is NW State, Wake Forrest, and the teams in the preseason NIT in New York.   If we can have a good nonconference season the hogs can carry that momentum to the SEC season.

[Deep Shoat]

I have the Razorbacks losing only two homes games (Kentucky, LSU) and winning on the road against Missouri,  Ole Miss, Miss. State and Alabama.

In nonconference the only concerns I see is NW State, Wake Forrest, and the teams in the preseason NIT in New York.   If we can have a good nonconference season the hogs can carry that momentum to the SEC season.

I have an aspirin for that hangover your going to have in the morning.

Because you're sloppy drunk if you think we are winning that many conference games next year.

[Danny J]

I have the Razorbacks losing only two homes games (Kentucky, LSU) and winning on the road against Missouri,  Ole Miss, Miss. State and Alabama.

In nonconference the only concerns I see is NW State, Wake Forrest, and the teams in the preseason NIT in New York.   If we can have a good nonconference season the hogs can carry that momentum to the SEC season.

That would be a monumental coaching job and that is what it would take for this team to win that many games.

[Letsroll1200]

I have an aspirin for that hangover your going to have in the morning.

Because you're sloppy drunk if you think we are winning that many conference games next year.

This team can win at least 10 conference games. I don't think Bama, Ole Miss or Tennessee is better than Razorbacks. The Razorbacks are tough to bear at home and it's critical that in this season they protect home court. I think the 3 point shot is going to help this team upset some people.

[nwahogfan1]

Whitt is a freshman and it takes awhile to learn our complex system.

I don't see Arkansas system as hard. CMA does press on defense but those instincts are so natural for the right players.   On offense CMA mostly allows kids to use their instincts inside the team setting so that may take a little bit longer but I think if Whitt is a baller he will start very quickly.

[Illinihog]

Man.   If Whitt and Hannah are playing with the second unit extensively,  I'll worry less about our second unit scoring-- but I'm scared to death of our starting unit's offense, especially on nights where Bell isn't shooting well.

17.  17 wins is my number for this year not putting me on a ledge.

I don't think we win 12

[hogman99]

I don't see Arkansas system as hard. CMA does press on defense but those instincts are so natural for the right players.   On offense CMA mostly allows kids to use their instincts inside the team setting so that may take a little bit longer but I think if Whitt is a baller he will start very quickly.

I was joking because it takes him 8-12 games to play freshman. He says they got to learn the way we play. We just pass around and then shoot on offense. On defense we just switch on man to man, so that really ain't hard to learn. Should take about 5 practices and the players will have it down.

[nwahogfan1]

I was joking because it takes him 8-12 games to play freshman. He says they got to learn the way we play. We just pass around and then shoot on offense. On defense we just switch on man to man, so that really ain't hard to learn. Should take about 5 practices and the players will have it down.

Ok.  I did not catch your original intent.   Sorry,  Your right.  System should be easy so it all about player and talent.

[Biggus Piggus]

Arkansas could lose to Akron. Will lose to Georgia Tech and Villanova/Stanford. Will lose at Dayton.

Will lose to TAM, Missouri, LSU, Georgia, Florida, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Alabama on the road.

Will lose to Vanderbilt, Kentucky, TAM, Tennessee, LSU and South Carolina at home.

[Letsroll1200]

Arkansas could lose to Akron. Will lose to Georgia Tech and Villanova/Stanford. Will lose at Dayton.

Will lose to TAM, Missouri, LSU, Georgia, Florida, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Alabama on the road.

Will lose to Vanderbilt, Kentucky, TAM, Tennessee, LSU and South Carolina at home.

6-10!!! Ok just keep watching

[HoopS]

Arkansas could lose to Akron. Will lose to Georgia Tech and Villanova/Stanford. Will lose at Dayton.

Will lose to TAM, Missouri, LSU, Georgia, Florida, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Alabama on the road.

Will lose to Vanderbilt, Kentucky, TAM, Tennessee, LSU and South Carolina at home.

you sound confident. I guess we will see.

[hawgrunner]

Mike Anderson did not say the top five players were Bell, Kingsley, Watkins, Miles, and Durham.

Sounded like he expects Bell and Kingsley to be core players in the lineup. Reading between the lines, Durham is ahead of Hannahs. Hannahs, according to MA, has to prove he can do more than shoot. MA praised Whitt's rate of development, saying he was ahead of the typical freshman level.

Watkins will have "a bigger role." What that means is ... ?

Miles has "an opportunity ... to step into a role." Clearly, MA wants Miles to get good minutes at forward.

Thompson is expected to be a "difference-maker." Kouassi "will give us some minutes, hopefully some really quality minutes." Sounds like Thompson is ahead of Kouassi to me. They love Thompson. Everybody's going to play, except possibly Jenkins the late-signee freshman.

If Bell and Kingsley do step up we'll look good for the season.

[Atlhogfan1]

Our defenses require decision making.  When we extend, players have to know when to trap and when not to and have the timing right.  It is something we haven't been consistently good at doing since Mike got to Arkansas.  Probably because the guard play and depth hasn't been close to what it has needed to be to play Mike's defenses.  It is why you see Mike up motioning, pointing and yelling so often when we are on D.  It is why if you watch UAB games when Mike was there, you would see and hear Nolan behind him standing and pointing and yelling direction when they were on defense. 

Half court defense also requires decision making.  It is a reason why the few times Miles got on the court, Coach A almost had a stroke.  The "we are going to do what we do" partially means we aren't adjusting to what our players can do.  Therefore, the newcomers better catch on quick and it had better start clicking for the returnees. 

[Fairnbalanced]

Say MA gets 20 plus wins out of this group. Is he praised for a great coaching job or slammed for having such a weak group to work with? This may be one of those blue collar teams that over achieves. Let's hope so.

I'm guessing the same group will find something new to complain about. 

[Hawg Red]

Say MA gets 20 plus wins out of this group. Is he praised for a great coaching job or slammed for having such a weak group to work with? This may be one of those blue collar teams that over achieves. Let's hope so.

He should be praised because they would be a great coaching job.

[hogsanity]

Say MA gets 20 plus wins out of this group. Is he praised for a great coaching job or slammed for having such a weak group to work with? This may be one of those blue collar teams that over achieves. Let's hope so.

I said back in July, if they win 20+, he should be SECCOTY.