Has any coach inherited less experienced talent their first year than Anderson?

[rchog]

You can not include Marshawn as part of what he inherited.  If so I would like to hear your answers.

[3kgthog]

I was just going to go with less talent, period. Forget the experience part. Take away the glimmers of hope from the freshmen and what we've really got is a 1-2 conference win team.

[pigture perfect]

Stan Heath

[BigHog396]

Eddie Sutton

[MikePiazza]

i will agree with heath. nolan's leftovers were veterans but were role players that were suddenly forced into starting roles (eddins, baker, gomez, lane, satchell)

sutton didn't inherit a whole lot but van eman had done a pretty decent job of recruiting, and then eddie got extremely lucky that three of the best players in state history all came around in about 1975

[three hog night]

Losing Marshawn, Rotnei, Jeff Peterson and Glenn Bryant really hurt us.   Marshawn hurt the most because he was an inside player and our BEST player.   Bryant could have helped inside "some" and was athletic enough to play this style.   Peterson was a Big 10 style guard and would have failed in this system.  Rotnei had too much personal issues and chemistry problems with team mates.

The problem we have with what remains is that they are all fairly good players, BUT they are all mostly guards that are athletes and not strong BB IQ.  The paramount issue is that you can't win with NO experienced players for an inside game.   We have no strong inside players to rebound like you need in this system.  Waithe was a last minute recruit for Pel, but he has been serviceable on the full court press this year.   

[HotlantaHog]

Stan Heath

This is correct.

[99toLife]

Mike needs to find another NBA bound Nephew to control the middle.

[Maddhog]

When Nolan was hired, we were told to "just wait until he can recruit his type of players" (I was told this by JFB himself).  When Heath was hired, we were told that the program was in bad shape and it would take time to recruit players that could restore the tradition of winning championships, etc.  When Pel replaced Heath, we were told horror stories of drug use, failing grades, etc. and we were encouraged to give Pel time to recruit good players and get back to winning, blah, blah, blah.   Now we've hired everyone's "dream" coach and it's deja vu - Don't get discouraged, we just need players.   It would be funny if it weren't so sad.    Coach Anderson may be able to return us to the Top 25, but I don't think basketball will ever regain the fan support it enjoyed during the 90s.  I base this on the lack of interest that I observe in my fairly large county.

[beasley]

i will agree with heath. nolan's leftovers were veterans but were role players that were suddenly forced into starting roles (eddins, baker, gomez, lane, satchell)

sutton didn't inherit a whole lot but van eman had done a pretty decent job of recruiting, and then eddie got extremely lucky that three of the best players in state history all came around in about 1975

Oh 1975, a wonderful year. Hippy chicks, free love and the triplets. i wish i could remember it all.

[WhiteHairedDevil]

Stan Heath

Not even close

[Sow Lancelot]

Losing Marshawn, Rotnei, Jeff Peterson and Glenn Bryant really hurt us.   Marshawn hurt the most because he was an inside player and our BEST player.   Bryant could have helped inside "some" and was athletic enough to play this style.   Peterson was a Big 10 style guard and would have failed in this system.  Rotnei had too much personal issues and chemistry problems with team mates.

The problem we have with what remains is that they are all fairly good players, BUT they are all mostly guards that are athletes and not strong BB IQ.  The paramount issue is that you can't win with NO experienced players for an inside game.   We have no strong inside players to rebound like you need in this system.  Waithe was a last minute recruit for Pel, but he has been serviceable on the full court press this year.   

Of the three that transferred after last year, I almost tear up when I think of how much of a difference Bryant could have made here.  Willing to rebound, garbage baskets, and the hops to defend down low; plus would have been able to run the floor with ease.

Sure, Rotnei has been missed but in my opinion Bryant would have had a much greater impact in this style.

[Breems]

Last year's team was severely void of talent.  This team is pretty talented; it just needs some experience/depth. 

[BigHog396]

Not even close

You are right.  Heath was probably left with less talent than any coach in U of A history, and it's not even close.

[ChicoHog]

You are right.  Heath was probably left with less talent than any coach in U of A history, and it's not even close.

Correct. 

[DEVIL DOG HOG]

CBP - football

[three hog night]

Of the three that transferred after last year, I almost tear up when I think of how much of a difference Bryant could have made here.  Willing to rebound, garbage baskets, and the hops to defend down low; plus would have been able to run the floor with ease.

Sure, Rotnei has been missed but in my opinion Bryant would have had a much greater impact in this style.

I agree completely about Bryant.   Rotnei was a liability on defense and at times on offense because he had to have solid screens to get his shot off.   His attitude hurt the chemistry of the team worse...

[Pork Twain]

You are right.  Heath was probably left with less talent than any coach in U of A history, and it's not even close.

So true...  MA has a lot of talent but the problem is that it is all young talent or sitting on the bench in street clothes.

[Sivad]

CBP - football

No doubt.

[jamie72921]

You are right.  Heath was probably left with less talent than any coach in U of A history, and it's not even close.

Wrong.

Heath had Modica, Sullinger, and Iguadola.

What Heath lacked was the presence required to keep two of them here. Heath was weak.

And before you go there, Anderson had to rerecruit this year's frosh to get them here. Mickelson in particular is known to have asked out of his LOI just like Iguadola did.

Heath's first team did lack talent, no doubt. But it is time some of that responsibility be laid at his feet where it really belongs.

[TNhawgfan]

There were some on here that were saying if MA could keep Pel's recruiting class together we would be Sweet 16 by year one because the talent was that good. That's no exaggeration, there were actually those threads. Now in hindsight, I have to say that with the exception of Mick and BJ, this class is WAY overrated!

[jamie72921]

There were some on here that were saying if MA could keep Pel's recruiting class together we would be Sweet 16 by year one because the talent was that good. That's no exaggeration, there were actually those threads. Now in hindsight, I have to say that with the exception of Mick and BJ, this class is WAY overrated!

I think the class was strong. I just think that there were way too many holes to fill with just 4 guys coming in. It's like the kid plugging the leak in the dam with his finger and after he does another leak springs 6 feet away.

It will take multiple classes to cover the needs of the program.

[TNhawgfan]

I know we're not supposed to use names on here, so I won't...but there is one player out of this year's class who hurts us everytime he's on the court and is completely lost in MA's system

[GuvHog]

Wrong.

Heath had Modica, Sullinger, and Iguadola.

What Heath lacked was the presence required to keep two of them here. Heath was weak.

And before you go there, Anderson had to rerecruit this year's frosh to get them here. Mickelson in particular is known to have asked out of his LOI just like Iguadola did.

Heath's first team did lack talent, no doubt. But it is time some of that responsibility be laid at his feet where it really belongs.

Iguadola was never at Arkansas. He signed with Arkansas but asked to be released from his LOI when Nolan was fired and went to Arizona instead.

[onebadrubi]

Ron Crawford, who I despise and hate to use as the reference here, has said that Mickelson never once asked out of his LOI.  That was all rumor and out of anything Crawford says the only thing with any legitimate truth is his relationship with Mickelson, I believe. 

The freshman this year, if all stayed for four years, will all become great players.  The tempo and skill of the college team we played last night was so far ahead of anything they have faced to date.  Florida plays as a unit and team well together.  Kentucky would be the only other argument but, we saw yesterday in there game they are no where near as good when that shot blocker is out of the game (Ole Miss was playing right there with him when he was out).  Our freshman can not be held accountable for yesterdays loss like some of you guys are saying.  You can not, in no way, shape, or form, blame yesterdays loss on our new comers.  Be glad Young and Abron stepped up to the media podium and sounded the way they did after that.  I heard competitors. 

[jamie72921]

Iguadola was never at Arkansas. He signed with Arkansas but asked to be released from his LOI when Nolan was fired and went to Arizona instead.

That's why I made the reference to Mickelson and the incoming class. But yes, he was ours BECAUSE of the letter of intent. Heath couldn't keep him.

[jamie72921]

Ron Crawford, who I despise and hate to use as the reference here, has said that Mickelson never once asked out of his LOI.  That was all rumor and out of anything Crawford says the only thing with any legitimate truth is his relationship with Mickelson, I believe. 

The freshman this year, if all stayed for four years, will all become great players.  The tempo and skill of the college team we played last night was so far ahead of anything they have faced to date.  Florida plays as a unit and team well together.  Kentucky would be the only other argument but, we saw yesterday in there game they are no where near as good when that shot blocker is out of the game (Ole Miss was playing right there with him when he was out).  Our freshman can not be held accountable for yesterdays loss like some of you guys are saying.  You can not, in no way, shape, or form, blame yesterdays loss on our new comers.  Be glad Young and Abron stepped up to the media podium and sounded the way they did after that.  I heard competitors. 

Pretty sure I saw where this "rumor" had recently been confirmed.

[nwarazfan]

Wrong.

Heath had Modica, Sullinger, and Iguadola.

What Heath lacked was the presence required to keep two of them here. Heath was weak.

And before you go there, Anderson had to rerecruit this year's frosh to get them here. Mickelson in particular is known to have asked out of his LOI just like Iguadola did.

Heath's first team did lack talent, no doubt. But it is time some of that responsibility be laid at his feet where it really belongs.

Wrong.  Your spin for Nolan and Mike is so ridiculous. 

[Hogwop]

CBP - football

I was thinking the same thing

[clutch]

The problem with this class wasn't lack of talent. They are all plenty talented. I know everybody is tired of hearing it, but it is lack of experience. Now they could have worked around that lack of experience if they had more depth. That is where the main problem came into play. All of them are talented enough to contribute to the team, but when we ran into the problem of having to throw all 4 of them into such major roles so quickly and rely on them to carry our team in their first year we were in trouble.

We have a bad tendency on this board to lump our whole season into a past few games, be it good or bad games. Right now we are on a bad streak. Everybody is forgetting all the really good things some of these freshman have done in throughout the year. Madden is probably the best example of this. Early in the year he was pretty consistent in getting us 8-10 pts, 5 rebounds, 2-3 assists, and a steal or 2 a game. Then he has a few bad games, which up until the last 3 games or so he really hadn't had any really bad games, and now I see people saying that he isn't even a D1 talent and that he should be playing for UCA. There is a reason that Young, Madden, and Hunter were all top 60 recruits. They are good. In todays world everybody sees the freshmen on the Kentucky's of the world and thinks that any freshman with hype out of high school should be on that level. Well that's a very rare level to be on. It still takes most freshman time to develop. These guys will get there.

[Cresthog]

There were some on here that were saying if MA could keep Pel's recruiting class together we would be Sweet 16 by year one because the talent was that good. That's no exaggeration, there were actually those threads. Now in hindsight, I have to say that with the exception of Mick and BJ, this class is WAY overrated!

Even Mick has serious room to grow.

His blocking out and positioning needs some major work.

Someone told him he is the incumbent to Dirk when college teams don't have a clue how to run Dirk style isolation plays.

[Pork Twain]

Wrong.

Heath had Modica, Sullinger, and Iguadola.

What Heath lacked was the presence required to keep two of them here. Heath was weak.

And before you go there, Anderson had to rerecruit this year's frosh to get them here. Mickelson in particular is known to have asked out of his LOI just like Iguadola did.

Heath's first team did lack talent, no doubt. But it is time some of that responsibility be laid at his feet where it really belongs.

He had Modica...

[jvanhorn]

Eddie Sutton
[/q

You could check out what the cheating jerk that left and went to Indiana to cheat even more left Oklahoma--they still haven't really recovered to what they used to be.uote]

[MikePiazza]

He had Modica...

yeah modica went on to a solid NBA career

oh wait..

[Fatty McGee]

Wrong.

Heath had Modica, Sullinger, and Iguadola.

What Heath lacked was the presence required to keep two of them here. Heath was weak.

And before you go there, Anderson had to rerecruit this year's frosh to get them here. Mickelson in particular is known to have asked out of his LOI just like Iguadola did.

Heath's first team did lack talent, no doubt. But it is time some of that responsibility be laid at his feet where it really belongs.

Modica, Sullinger and Igoudala?  Huh?

[Fatty McGee]

There were some on here that were saying if MA could keep Pel's recruiting class together we would be Sweet 16 by year one because the talent was that good. That's no exaggeration, there were actually those threads. Now in hindsight, I have to say that with the exception of Mick and BJ, this class is WAY overrated!

They're not overrated.  They're just young.  And none of them are particularly great shooters so when it's not falling they're going to struggle because young players rarely know how to create easy baskets against good competition.  And there is virtually no top shelf talent ahead of them on this team.  They're good, not great.  And because they're young, they don't win on the road.  Like a lot of young teams.

[jamie72921]

Modica, Sullinger and Igoudala?  Huh?

If he could have kept them. They were all Razorbacks the day he was hired.

[Fatty McGee]

If he could have kept them. They were all Razorbacks the day he was hired.

No one is a Razorback until they arrive on campus.  It's not his fault Iggy went to Arizona. 

[jamie72921]

No one is a Razorback until they arrive on campus.  It's not his fault Iggy went to Arizona. 

Yes it is. We had him, he couldn't keep him.

I'm not saying you don't cut the guy some slack. There are usually defections with a new hire. But the pieces were here and Heath was not dynamic enough to keep them.

Heath wanted his own signature on this team. He played favorites with his recruits vs what he was left, especially Modica. Modica was the 5th leading scorer in Razorback history, but was benched as a frosh in the SEC tourney for Kendrick Davis and then had to sit behind Olu Famatimi as a junior.

Heath got we he wanted and so did the Nolan haters. They just didn't like what it was.

[Fatty McGee]

Yes it is. We had him, he couldn't keep him.

That's just ridiculous.  As a player, choosing between Lute Olson and Nolan Richardson is one thing.  Lute and Stan Heath?  Not even close.  Not to mention a whole different style of play.  Heath deserves no criticism for losing Igoudala.

And everyone knows Sullinger only even looked at us and left his home because his dad and Nolan were close.  If we truly wanted to keep those guys we would have hired MA then.

I'm not saying Heath was a good coach (he wasn't), but the talent he had here was much less than what MA has. 

[jamie72921]

That's just ridiculous.  As a player, choosing between Lute Olson and Nolan Richardson is one thing.  Lute and Stan Heath?  Not even close.  Not to mention a whole different style of play.  Heath deserves no criticism for losing Igoudala.

And everyone knows Sullinger only even looked at us and left his home because his dad and Nolan were close.  If we truly wanted to keep those guys we would have hired MA then.

I'm not saying Heath was a good coach (he wasn't), but the talent he had here was much less than what MA has. 

Didn't the Pressey's go to Mizzou for MA? Haith kept them there somehow. There is a Presseydent for it being possible for a dynamic coach.

I am not saying he should have, but he had opportunity and couldn't get it done. Are you claiming he didn't have opportunity? If so, you wouldn't be correct.

[Fatty McGee]

Didn't the Pressey's go to Mizzou for MA? Haith kept them there somehow. There is a Presseydent for it being possible for a dynamic coach.

Difference is Igoudala didn't have to sit out a year. 

I am not saying he should have, but he had opportunity and couldn't get it done. Are you claiming he didn't have opportunity? If so, you wouldn't be correct.

Heath was hired March 28, 2002.  Iggy was released from Arkansas at least a week prior. 

http://thecabin.net/stories/032102/spo_0321020029.shtml

Do come back.

[jamie72921]

Difference is Igoudala didn't have to sit out a year. 

Heath was hired March 28, 2002.  Iggy was released from Arkansas at least a week prior. 

http://thecabin.net/stories/032102/spo_0321020029.shtml

Do come back.

The Pressey's are the equivalent to Sullinger, not Iguadola. You dismissed Sullinger's leaving as an improbable situation because of the ties to the coach.

He wouldn't even talk to Heath. Heath tried. Wouldn't even talk to him.

He had opportunity. Like I said, wasn't dynamic enough to hold anything together.

[Fatty McGee]

He wouldn't even talk to Heath. Heath tried. Wouldn't even talk to him.

He had opportunity. Like I said, wasn't dynamic enough to hold anything together.

If a player who has already been granted his release and whose family says the below is what you call opportunity, then I guess in the sense he was breathing, yes, there was an opportunity.  I hardly call it a failure to have not closed that deal at that point.  From the above linked article:

""It's going to be truly devastating if (Richardson) leaves," Shanklin told The Morning News on Feb. 28. "If in fact he does leave, we're going to find some way to get out of it."

A day after Shanklin's remarks, Richardson's firing was made official by university officials. Immediately, it became clear Iguodala wouldn't attend Arkansas.

"It's a major concern for us," Shanklin said prior to Richardson's dismissal. "The only reason Andre signed with Arkansas is because of coach Richardson. He loves his style of play and has always wanted to play under Nolan since he won the national championship in 1994."

[Pork Twain]

If he could have kept them. They were all Razorbacks the day he was hired.

Not really...  They committed to Nolan and his style.

[PoormansRobbyHampton]

Wrong.

Heath had Modica, Sullinger, and Iguadola.

1 out of 3 ain't bad. Sullinger left for Ohio State and Iggy got out of his letter to go to Arizona after Nolan was fired.