This team is built to win close games

[Hollywood_HOGan45]

I will always entertain the idea that a coach should have made in game adjustments after a loss. I will never question that, after a win. We won by 5, we think we should have won by 15, so we should have adjusted what we were doing and that would have resulted in a 15 point win? What if the coach played it exactly right and if he had gone away from what he considers to be our strength, it resulted in a loss. What if he makes changes and his players are less capable of executing the new defense or it creates another mismatch that makes for worse results.

It was a 5 point win against a Tenner team that is playing as hard as any team I've seen play all year. I had a bad feeling throughout the game but we made plays when we had to down the stretch. Madden's pull up 3 and Bell's baseline pop were huge shots by guys that weren't having very good games. Sometimes coaching is about having the right guys on the court at the right time. CMA said last night that he thought the game changed while having Portis and Kingsley on the court together, which is something he has been criticized for not doing.

It is hard to watch the full court press constantly give up open shots, especially when there is no way to quantify if the cumulative effect of the pressure is ever going to have a positive result. Does the Hubbs 3 go in from the corner at the 3 second mark if they hadn't had to beat pressure throughout the game? We don't know. We pay a guy to coach, that will eventually keep his job or lose his job based on whether he wins or loses. That to me is enough parameters to put on a coach when added to the APR, no recruiting scandals, no bad citizens, fund raising, etc. To hire him, say win to keep your job and oh by the way, don't do it your way, we want you to play straight up man defense, go to a zone if that's not working, only half court traps, no full court press.....because the fans know the game better than you, know your personnel better than you. I'll take 16-4 at this point and let him coach it his way. His career is the one that is on the line. 

I agree.
Mike is paid to win basketball games. We are 16-4 for the first time in a very long time. This basketball program has been garbage for a long long time.  We will most likely lose at Florida and a portion of our fan base will be ready to burn the place down even though we haven't won there since 1995.

I appreciate his efforts on making the Razorback basketball program a national brand again.

[TheRazorbackGuy]

We're built like a bamboo shiitehouse

Let's get polished up before tourney time.

Twistitup, Tournament games are more than often close games. The positive I'm taking is this team is learning to win close games.

[azhog10]

An example of being out coached is when the opponent finds a set that is working, maybe forcing switches, maybe getting mismatches on the backside, and then going to it over and over, meanwhile the other coach does nothing to stop it. That is getting out coached. Or a coach going to a defense they do not usually play, and the other coach not changing up his offense to account for that, that is getting out coached.  Those things happened to the Hogs at TN, at home against old misses, and at Clemson.

Wasnt able to watch the Clemson game. But if you call richardson basically going one on one and creating shots for himself and there's is a "set" then okay. But fact is against Tenner in both games we have guys who lose sight of man and ball. Even CMA talked about how at the end of the game he said, give up the two don't give up a wide open three. Then Harris takes off away from his man to run at the ball when a two pointer doesn't hurt or beat us.

[azhog10]

I agree Mike Anderson wasn't outcoached last night but the racial reference was unnecessary.

Agree to disagree. When someone named every black coach in the SEC as a coach he doesn't want but all the rest he would love to have screams racism IMO.

[azhog10]

Our team is much improved but no one can argue that we are undisciplined....if you don't agree you aren't watching the games....We have the most talent we have had in years. Point guard lacks but everywhere else is stellar. CMA has done a good job recruiting.

Comes with the territory though. You spend 90% of your time and effort into teaching kids to be aggressive and cause havoc. But then in certain situations you want them to turn it off and do almost the opposite. I agree with you by the way, just saying I think it's more of a mentality than lack of discipline.

[azhog10]

Way unnecessary.

Like I said agree to disagree. If you can't read between the lines about what coaches he would rather have and then lists every African American coach in the conference as the ones he doesn't. Well must be me.

[hogsanity]

Wasnt able to watch the Clemson game. But if you call richardson basically going one on one and creating shots for himself and there's is a "set" then okay. But fact is against Tenner in both games we have guys who lose sight of man and ball. Even CMA talked about how at the end of the game he said, give up the two don't give up a wide open three. Then Harris takes off away from his man to run at the ball when a two pointer doesn't hurt or beat us.

Often, though, he was going one on one with Portis, because they continue to switch every ball screen out high, and teams know it and exploit it.

They keep making the same mistakes, and apparently Mike is unable to correct them, for whatever reason.

[Mark Martin Fan]

More of this weak conference, mediocre team garbage. Get out of the past and over the bias. While there are flaws, the computer rankings tell a much different story then you paint. Tennessee, rpi, 55. Yes, out of 350 division 1 programs, that certainly screams mediocre. Yawn.

I'm just asking the questions.  Do you believe we are playing to our competition's level?  It is a yes or no question. 
Is this the best we can play?  Yes or no. 
Here is another one...How many teams does the SEC have in the top 25? AP-1, USA Coaches-2 (Arkansas at 25).  It is a weak basketball conference.  None of the other power 5 conferences have less than 2 teams in the AP top 25. 
Mediocre=average...if you think Tennessee is above average this year then we will have to agree to disagree.  They were definitely above average last year...not this year. 
I'm rooting for the Hogs to play their best and make a run in March...I don't believe we are playing our best at this time.  If others think we are then they are entitled to that viewpoint.
GO HOGS!!

[hogsanity]

Is this team built to win close games, are are they built in a way that they can't put teams away?

[k.c.hawg]

Is this team built to win close games, are are they built in a way that they can't put teams away?

I don't know, but if you can't put teams away, you better be able to win close games.

[twistitup]

Twistitup, Tournament games are more than often close games. The positive I'm taking is this team is learning to win close games.

Agree

[Sportster365]

I know it's been rehashed over and over again, but I'd love to see more of Portis and Kingsley down the stretch. They were a force in the paint in last nights matchup against Tennessee. Rebounding and altering shots, I was just scratching my head as to why CMA took Kingsley out at the 4min mark when rebounding and defense was of an even greater importance. With Portis, Qualls, Madden and Bell all in, we had options for scoring.

[azhog10]

Often, though, he was going one on one with Portis, because they continue to switch every ball screen out high, and teams know it and exploit it.

They keep making the same mistakes, and apparently Mike is unable to correct them, for whatever reason.

I agree with you here. The switching defense allows us to worry less about gameplanning against a teams offense. But offenses are starting to get the matchups they want on Portis and going to work. We've got to find better ways of not switching with Portis unless very late in a shot clock.

[azhog10]

I know it's been rehashed over and over again, but I'd love to see more of Portis and Kingsley down the stretch. They were a force in the paint in last nights matchup against Tennessee. Rebounding and altering shots, I was just scratching my head as to why CMA took Kingsley out at the 4min mark when rebounding and defense was of an even greater importance. With Portis, Qualls, Madden and Bell all in, we had options for scoring.

If we could make offensive and defensive substitutions then I would agree. But Kinglsey is a liability on offense late in the game. Much rather have Harris out there or even Williams.

[Cresthog]

We're bound to get matched up with a slow fundamental team that will rain threes.

I'm fully ready for a first round exit but just making it there is a big step at this point.

Keep winning.

[Sportster365]

Often, though, he was going one on one with Portis, because they continue to switch every ball screen out high, and teams know it and exploit it.

They keep making the same mistakes, and apparently Mike is unable to correct them, for whatever reason.

That's not a mistake but basketball 101, you have to switch on a ball screen or stand no chance. Richardson is one of the SEC best scorers so he's going to get his night in/night out. And for the most part Portis has been able to handle his own against the dribble-drive. I've seen him swat quite a few after coming from behind.

[azhog10]

They keep making the same mistakes, and apparently Mike is unable to correct them, for whatever reason.

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.

Mike stated last night in the huddle he told everyone to stay on their man and if they break us down, give them the layup. Instead Harris decided he wanted to attempt a block from the weak side, leaving his man who ended up missing the wide open 3pter that would have tied the game. You can blame CMA but at some point the players have to learn to listen to their coach or they are going to lose games.

[TheRazorbackGuy]

Is this team built to win close games, are are they built in a way that they can't put teams away?

Good question.... Doesn't appear that way but they have had opportunities to do that last night and earlier in the season. But if this is what they are then it's not a big deal if they keep winning.

[Sportster365]

If we could make offensive and defensive substitutions then I would agree. But Kinglsey is a liability on offense late in the game. Much rather have Harris out there or even Williams.

Big Mo has scoring potential. He moves well around the basket and can hit the touch jumper. Aside from that you're not needing much offense from him when you've got Portis, Qualls, Madden and Bell in the game with him. The only possible liability is in transition defense, which I didn't see any problems with him operating in last night.

[hogsanity]

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.

You can blame CMA but at some point the players have to learn to listen to their coach or they are going to lose games.

He could tell them to do what he says or he will bench them.

[TheRazorbackGuy]

He could tell them to do what he says or he will bench them.

I wish he would do just that with some players