I wish Stan Heath would read this board (instead of his flunkies, who do)

[Biggus Piggus]

Teams that beat Arkansas in the NCAA Tournament since 1977, in sequence:

Wake Forest, Kentucky, Indiana State (with Bird), Kansas State (Jack Hartman), LSU, Kansas State, Louisville, Virginia, St. John's, Villanova, Louisville, Duke, Kansas, Memphis, North Carolina, UCLA, UMass (Calipari), Utah (Majerus), Iowa, Miami, Fla. (Hamilton), Georgetown, Bucknell.

Bucknell?  Prior to Bucknell, Arkansas always had respectable losses, to teams from power conferences, or, in the cases of Indiana State, Utah and UMass, top 10-ranked opponents which went deep into the tournament.  Bucknell easily was the worst opponent to beat an Arkansas team in the NCAA tournament in the modern era.

As noted prior to this game, Bucknell's chosen style of play was ideally suited for knocking off the Razorbacks.  The only confusing thing is why was Stan Heath so willing to allow Bucknell to play the way it wanted to play.

Maybe that was the way Heath wanted to play too, but it was not the way his players did.

The reason why the team disintegrated late in the 2004-05 season was that Heath kept asking his players to follow game plans that did not suit their skills.  The players played hard against good competition and lost close games, outdone by game plans that scorned their strengths as players and ignored their weaknesses.  Frustration and internal disputes took over.

After the Hogs enjoyed a fast tempo through December 2004, they scored fewer than 70 points 14 times in 2005 SEC play.  Their record in these games was 3-10.

Something similar happened in this season, too.  In SEC games Arkansas averaged 76 points in wins, 69 points in losses.  In the first five SEC games (Hogs' record = 2-3), Arkansas scored more than 67 points in regulation one time, that a 78-66 home win over Vanderbilt.

In the last 13 SEC games including the tournament, Arkansas scored under 70 one time while going 9-4.

Point one:  Arkansas needs to play faster than slow, and Heath does not seem to recognize his team's inability to play slow.

Coincident with the speeding up of the Razorbacks was Heath's burying the hatchet with Jonathon Modica, Nolan's last surviving recruit whom Heath tried to cut last spring.  In the first four SEC games this year, Modica averaged 13 points.  In the remainder, 19.

But Modica and even Ronnie Brewer didn't absolutely have to score big for the Razorbacks to win.  Both were actually outscored by Darian Townes in two of the major wins, Alabama and Tennessee.

Townes, the 6-10 sophomore who plays center and power forward, provided low post scoring punch that the Hogs could get from nobody else.  Townes, when involved, and 7-0 Steven Hill were too much for even the best of the SEC to overcome.

Townes has been temperamental ever since coming to Fayetteville.  After the big win at Knoxville, he went back into his shell, and the Hogs became an ordinary team with uninspired wins over Mississippi State and Georgia 2x, prior to losing to Florida and Bucknell to end the year.

In those last five, Townes was 10-32 from the field, 4-6 at the line, 4.8 points per game, 2.4 rebounds per game.  Against Bucknell, Heath allowed Townes on the floor a mere 9 minutes, staying more with Hill and forwards Charles Thomas and Vincent Hunter.  Who knows whether that was a good decision, but no doubt that the withering of Townes's attitude and game ensured that the Razorbacks would be less than they were during their three-game best.

Players such as Thomas, Hunter and guard Eric Ferguson scored in double figures when the Hogs beat Florida, Bama and Tennessee.  None of them did against Bucknell.

Point two: Arkansas wins when its bench is making a difference in the game, and the bench makes a difference in an uptempo game.

The most puzzling issue of all is Heath's love-hate relationship with pressure defense.  Arkansas employed stretches of intense defensive pressure on the ballhandler to overcome big deficits in the three major wins.  After that, Heath seemed to intentionally avoid pressure D.  This was especially confusing against Bucknell, which rated in the worst 30% of Division I basketball teams in turnovers despite playing in the 21st-rated conference according to RPI.  Point guard Abe Badmus alone had eight turnovers against Memphis.

Memphis has been a good defensive team but on average forced fewer turnovers per possession than Arkansas did.  On average.  But averages say nothing about what a coach will choose to do against all reason.

Point three:  Arkansas wins by putting pressure on the ballhandler, loses when it doesn't.

Never, ever believe Heath's explanations for his actions in defeat.  The man is too defensive to give Razorback fans an honest explanation.  No way was he saving his shooters' legs against Bucknell.  Not in a game in which the Hogs were outscored 33-6 from 3-point range.

Heath was saving his team's legs for Memphis.  Why he thought it necessary is a good question.  Surely an opponent like Memphis would have been motivation in itself.  The Memphis Tigers dropped Arkansas from the schedule because we weren't good enough.  No rest needed.

Heath in the past displayed signs of overlooking opponents.  Prior to the important game against Missouri State, Heath malprepared his Hogs into a 6-point home win over Texas State, which finished 2-22 and rated 328th in RPI.  In front of the home SEC opener against LSU was the road trip to Mississippi State, which by Heath's pregame words was eminently beatable.  MSU started SEC play 1-7.  We were the 1.

And of course, the three-game stretch against Florida, Alabama and Tennessee was preceded by a road trip to Ole Miss.  The Rebels finished the SEC season 1-13.  We were the 1.

Heath clearly tried to coast through the Bucknell game just like he did against Texas State, Mississippi State and Ole Miss.

Point four: Stan Heath needs to quit overlooking opponents, for his players follow his lead.

It is hard to write a rule that explains why Heath's Hogs lost games in 2005-06.  They lost while scoring well inside and when not.  They lost while defending well inside and when not.  They lost when shooting well at the line and when not.

Let's go down the line.

UConn: Weak inside defense, terrible rebounding, too many fouls, not enough free throws, bad outside shooting.
Maryland: Weak inside defense, terrible rebounding, too many fouls, bad free throw shooting, poor inside scoring, bad outside shooting, too many turnovers.
at Mississippi State: Weak inside defense, terrible offensive rebounding, bad free throw shooting, bad outside shooting.
LSU: Season-worst inside defense, terrible rebounding, not enough free throws, bad free throw shooting, poor inside scoring, season-worst turnover margin, season-low steals.
at Alabama: Weak inside defense, bad defensive rebounding, too many fouls, not enough free throws, poor free throw shooting, poor outside shooting, negative turnover margin, few steals.
at Kentucky: Awful inside/transition defense, bad rebounding, negative turnover margin, didn't get to the line.
at LSU: Weak inside defense, poor rebounding, horrid perimeter defense, shaky inside shooting.
at Ole Miss: Weak inside/transition defense, incredibly bad defensive rebounding, horrific outside shooting, too many fouls, negative turnover margin.  The Rebels' 68% floor percentage was the best of any Arkansas opponent--prime evidence of zero preparation.
Florida (SECT): Weak rebounding, nonexistent perimeter defense, bad outside shooting, too many fouls, didn't get to the line.
Bucknell (NCAAT): Pitiful perimeter defense, season-worst outside shooting, bad free throw shooting, few steals.  The Bison scored an amazingly low number of 2pt baskets, scored on only 42% of their possessions, and still beat us.

Let's see:

8 defensive rebounding
8 inside/transition defense
7 offensive rebounding
7 outside scoring
5 too many fouls
5 # of free throw attempts
5 free throw shooting %
5 turnover margin
4 few steals
3 outside defense
3 inside scoring

The most frequent problems were related to rebounding, including transition defense.  It is surprising to find a Heath-coached team chronically wanting on the boards.  In wins, the Razorbacks grabbed 38% of the available offensive boards.  In defeats, 31%.  In wins, the Hogs got 66% of the possible defensive boards.  In losses, 60%.

In wins, Arkansas held opponents to 40% shooting inside the arc.  In losses, 49%.

Want to know the funny part?  Prior to the final two losses, teams that beat Arkansas shot 30% from 3-pt range and made only four treys per game.  Did Heath decide his team just didn't need to defend the perimeter?  Florida and Bucknell combined shot 20-57 (35%) inside the arc, 21-36 (58%) outside it, and beat us.

Point five:  Arkansas has no consistent identity on defense and has not retained the rebounding mentality Heath promised when he was hired.

I still have hope for the future of Razorback basketball.  The incoming recruiting class should give the Hogs more perimeter quickness, which should help in most phases where the team was weak in 2005-06.  When it comes to low post scoring, Townes is a problem child, and Hill needs to make major progress.  We have to hold our breath on the eligibility of power forward Michael Washington, which is no layup.  Heath should have recruited himself into having a long bench, and he needs to employ it.  His coaching staff could use a big man specialist, as the body of work demands it.

We still have no visibility on whether next year's team will shoot better from outside.  None of the signed recruits, nor transfer Gary Ervin, is a better shooter than the Hogs had this season.  Heath is trying to sign one.

This year's freshmen, Sean McCurdy and Cyrus McGowan, needed to redshirt for different reasons, but they saw a little bit of time.  They should be more ready to play next season, both in roles where the Razorbacks need reinforcements.

None of the recruits is what you'd call a rebounding specialist.  Heath will have to address that need with coaching.  Again, I hope this includes another staff change.

Finally, next year's team will be affected greatly by the decision of Ronnie Brewer.  He certainly stands high enough in the minds of scouts to be assured a millionaire payday.  Perhaps he will be affected by the way he finished his junior season, averaging less than 17 points per game, concentrating more on passing than shooting, and losing the last two.  If Brewer believes things won't change--with Townes, with style of play--he will leave.  If Heath does not commit to upping the tempo and using his bench, next year's team will have too many similar players even without Brewer.  It's not about what's fun to watch--it's about the optimal use of resources.  Surely, watching Bucknell slowmo the Razorbacks to defeat convinced you of that.

[tophawg19]

great job BP . you really broke it down as well as it can be done . please send a copy to the U OF A so the coaches can figure it out . BP. for head coach or at least an assistant who knows what is going on .

[HOGLIGULA]

Wow BP what a post, you have done some research.  Are you sure you did not get a history degree followed by a law degree??

[Pignominious]

Great post BP a good break down of what we need to improve on in the offseason.

[Pignominious]

I have a theory why Heath does not press more.  Maybe its because he is trying to break free of the Nolan 40 mins. mold.  I don't know really its just pure specualtion.  Its the only real reason I can think of for not pressing more.

[Broken Trigger]

I gotta give you +1 for all the work you put into that post.  Nice job.

[Hawg414]

send your own resume to stan... he could certainly use what you bring to the table. 

[Biggus Piggus]

send your own resume to stan... he could certainly use what you bring to the table. 

That's a joke, but I'm just trying to make it clear somebody's watching him & the Razorback fan base is not oblivious.

[WilsonHog]

"Fresh Legs" Heath.

The man has been immortalized.

[Porkahontas]

I only had time to read the first 3 paragraphs so I'll respond to that part of it.

Arkansas has lost to impressive teams until Bucknell. Should we be mad at the loss? I'd say so. We were playing them in Dallas and it was the chance to get to play Memphis in our 2nd backyard and to have a shot at the sweet 16 (and how the seeds fell, the elite 8 at least). Had we beaten Bucknell and Memphis, we would be looking at Bradley right now instead of Kansas or Pitt. Opportunity knocks.

However, is losing to Bucknell a black eye to the program? I wouldn't think so. Kansas has now lost to Bucknell last year and Bradley this year. North Carolina just lost to George Mason. Iowa lost to NW State. Pitt lost to Bradley also, Michigan State also lost to GM, and UW Milwaukee has done damage to notable programs the past two years, most notably Oklahoma this year. Losing to Bucknell sucks but everyone has a bad game on their resume from the tournament. This year was our year apparently to get one, though with some decent shooting from the 3-pt line, the FT line, and better coaching, it should've been an easy win.

[ArkansasI]

I'll tell you what I have figured out from this tournament.  All major D-I basketball coaches are way overpaid.  Stan is no exception.  The head coaches at Bucknell, George Mason, Wichita State, Bradley, etc. are doing a much better job than most of the high majors at a quarter of the salary.  This is embarrassing.  If we are going to hire amateurs, I wish that ticket prices, concessions, and expected donations would be reduced accordingly.

That stated, great information BP.  I appreciate your research.

[iCalledThatHogBrotha!]

nice.  props to you

[HognotinMemphis]

Players with attitude problems, like Townes, are handled by good head coaches. Calipari has had his share of problem players and has kicked two players off his team in the last two years...two players who were starters, not just some 5th guy off the bench.

Heath doesn't know how to help Townes and that is part of the reason the Hogs are one and done in this year's NCAAT.

Of course, Heath will be around next year. How do you fire a guy who got his team from 6-10 to 10-6 in the SEC from last year to this year? Broyles damn sure cannot do that.

[NaturalStateReb]

Ole Miss won 4 games this season in conference.

The Rebs started 3-0, but lost 12 of the last 13, with Arkansas being the lone win.

[hawgjowls]

well just so you know doglesby says we didnt press more cause little pookie had a sprained ankle and that even littler fergy had a bum ankle too.  what a bunch of excuse  makers those "insiders" over on happy valley are, nutt has rubbed off on the bb team now.

my god i wish i could have coached this game, hell i'd guarantee a 15 pt win.

[PiggyBack]

concerning the press.....

I don't think AR has the conditioning to press often.  With 10 min left in the game the team looked winded to me.

A team should be in good enough shape to play any style of ball at any point in the game at any point in the tourney.

[LA HAWG]

Great job B.P.

[Niels Boar]

Great stuff, Biggus.

How do you have a season low in steals in your first SEC home game against a team that had 18+/20+ TOs numerous times, after emphasizing pressure defense in nonconference no less?

Why do you accept a slow tempo in a game in which you are constantly down 6 to 10 points against a team obviously struggling to handle the ball against your length?

66% defensive rebounding in wins?  That still isn't that great.

Player development seems lacking.  Townes showed up able to score a little and not much else. Hill walked on campus able to block shots and not much else.  Townes ended year 2 able to score and not much else. Hill is a one-man block party and nothing else.  The next guard Heath coaches up will be his first.  The guy who saved his job in February was the one he tried to make walk the plank.  Thomas is the one player that seems to have made steady improvement.

I find it hard to believe in Heath when he can't seem to make the obvious decisions.  I also find it hard to believe that our talent ratio relative to the rest of the SEC will consistently be much better than it was this season.  Heath looks like a Quinn Snyder to me.  He might assemble enough talent to make a run here and there to save his job.  Any (probably inevitable) slide in recruiting will put us right back at the bottom of the West, though, and looking to start over.  Not many coaches have been able to sustain any sort of consistency through recruiting without a well-defined, proven system to plug components into.  We lose and win a different way every week.  The Arkansas job is not well suited to depending on the vagaries of McAA recruiting.  Cremins is one of the few coaches that made a consistent run by mainly brute force of talent, and he seemed more popular with his players than Heath is. 

[HognotinMemphis]

Heath's neat little 5 game (6 if you count GA twice) win streak saved him just like Nolan's run in the 2000 SECT bought him another two seasons.

If Brewer leaves, and I'm thinking he is going to given the prospect of spending another year with this team, then the Hogs won't hit 10-6 again next year. They'll be doing well to hit 8-8 without Brewer. If Heath backslides next year, he'll probably be fired but as we all know, stranger things have happened.

[The Truth]

Exceptional work, Dr. Piggus. It's a pleasure to read some serious analysis, especially after four days of ranting about the price of a room at the Dallas Super 8, a full season of speculation about Ramona Heath's frown, and no end of hype about the hidden genius of Sean McCurdy. You're right: The Truth is that Heath has made some curious decisions and some downright bad ones, and he hasn't explained them with much patience or clarity.  Meanwhile, Hog fans are tired of seeing our team outplayed, outworked, outsmarted. It's also true, however, that Heath's teams have grown better every year. The improvement from last seaason to this one is substantial:

2005: 18-12, 6-10 SEC, 2-7 road, "declined" NIT
2006: 22-10, 10-6 SEC, 3-5 road, 0-1 NCAA

As most sane Hog fans will recognize, a difference between Heath and Nutt is that Heath's teams keep getting better; Nutt, on the other hand, after some satisfying early success, has let Razorback football swirl into the toilet. Also Heath is thoughtful and well-spoken, even when he's being evasive, while Nutt is an insufferable, spastic, pear-shaped buffoon who gives national audiences reason to believe that Arkansas really is the stupidest polity on God's green earth.

Losing to Bucknell is humiliating, but let's be honest: the Bison this year were a veteran team that won a bunch of games by taking control of tempo and playing to their strengths. Like Nolan's Hogs but with the opposite style, Bucknell won with discipline, exploiting other teams' flaws and hiding their own. They were significantly better than the Georgetown team that upset Arkansas in 2001. Against the Hogs, as we all know, Bucknell won with "free-throw defense" and especially with three-point shooting. Some of those shots were inexplicably wide open, but others were well defended. At least one was a momentum-changing answered prayer.

Very few of us really expect Heath to be fired. And most of us, I think, would not really want to endure the trouble of another coaching change, unless some proven and inspiring coach could slip in and transform things for the better. But since there's no basketball Butch Davis chipping in for birdie on a green in Springdale, we hope to see Heath and his teams get better. Nutt may feel "special" about winning a few games each year in football, but the right place for Arkansas basketball--given our facilities and tradition--is at the top of the SEC West, contending for conference titles, and consistently in the national top 20.

How many years does it take to restore a program? Five years is longer than we have wanted to wait, but the strong way Heath's team finished conference play this year and the return of some palpable pride to BWA are something to build on. With sustained recruiting, better player development, and the ongoing education of a young coach, the Hogs can keeping getting better.

WPS!

[Chinese Emperor]

Bottomline:  if Heath does not continue to recruit a tremendous amount of talent to offset his obvious lack of X & O'ing, he will also soon go swirling down the toilet bowl.

[Biggus Piggus]

well just so you know doglesby says we didnt press more cause little pookie had a sprained ankle and that even littler fergy had a bum ankle too.  what a bunch of excuse  makers those "insiders" over on happy valley are, nutt has rubbed off on the bb team now.

I guess we decided to forego perimeter defense too, considering that our players were walking wounded.  Plus, because of Prissy League rules, Bucknell was not allowed to play anybody who had an injury of any kind.  Ain't that a bum.

[Biggus Piggus]

One more thing.  It is nothing but smoke when a coach complains that the opponent just made a bunch of tough shots.  They were well defended, the opponent just shot lights out.  Go figger.  Unlucky.  Heath knows why his defense didn't work, and he's not about to tell us fans about it.  Try again next year.  The roster changes will help.  If this team isn't playing better defense next winter, please remind me.

[Niels Boar]

In front of the home SEC opener against LSU was the road trip to Mississippi State, which by Heath's pregame words was eminently beatable.

That reminds me.  Heath belittled MSU's schedule right before we played them.  Who did they beat a week before our matchup?  George Mason.  How did we prepare for an opening SEC road game that was a must-have to win the West?  After playing no true road games in nonconference, we played two RPI 315+ teams after Christmas that killed our nonconference RPI and prepared us not one little bit for SEC athletes.  BTW MSU had a higher nonconference RPI SOS, and two of their opponents advanced past the first round of the NCAAT, as opposed to one on our slate.

[pseudorabies]

Exceptional work, Dr. Piggus. It's a pleasure to read some serious analysis, especially after four days of ranting about the price of a room at the Dallas Super 8, a full season of speculation about Ramona Heath's frown, and no end of hype about the hidden genius of Sean McCurdy. You're right: The Truth is that Heath has made some curious decisions and some downright bad ones, and he hasn't explained them with much patience or clarity.  Meanwhile, Hog fans are tired of seeing our team outplayed, outworked, outsmarted. It's also true, however, that Heath's teams have grown better every year. The improvement from last seaason to this one is substantial:

2005: 18-12, 6-10 SEC, 2-7 road, "declined" NIT
2006: 22-10, 10-6 SEC, 3-5 road, 0-1 NCAA

As most sane Hog fans will recognize, a difference between Heath and Nutt is that Heath's teams keep getting better; Nutt, on the other hand, after some satisfying early success, has let Razorback football swirl into the toilet. Also Heath is thoughtful and well-spoken, even when he's being evasive, while Nutt is an insufferable, spastic, pear-shaped buffoon who gives national audiences reason to believe that Arkansas really is the stupidest polity on God's green earth.

Losing to Bucknell is humiliating, but let's be honest: the Bison this year were a veteran team that won a bunch of games by taking control of tempo and playing to their strengths. Like Nolan's Hogs but with the opposite style, Bucknell won with discipline, exploiting other teams' flaws and hiding their own. They were significantly better than the Georgetown team that upset Arkansas in 2001. Against the Hogs, as we all know, Bucknell won with "free-throw defense" and especially with three-point shooting. Some of those shots were inexplicably wide open, but others were well defended. At least one was a momentum-changing answered prayer.

Very few of us really expect Heath to be fired. And most of us, I think, would not really want to endure the trouble of another coaching change, unless some proven and inspiring coach could slip in and transform things for the better. But since there's no basketball Butch Davis chipping in for birdie on a green in Springdale, we hope to see Heath and his teams get better. Nutt may feel "special" about winning a few games each year in football, but the right place for Arkansas basketball--given our facilities and tradition--is at the top of the SEC West, contending for conference titles, and consistently in the national top 20.

How many years does it take to restore a program? Five years is longer than we have wanted to wait, but the strong way Heath's team finished conference play this year and the return of some palpable pride to BWA are something to build on. With sustained recruiting, better player development, and the ongoing education of a young coach, the Hogs can keeping getting better.

WPS!

Check your messages The Truth.

[SultanofSwine]

The Truth, I take exception to the notion that Heath has improved as a coach. He infact has not improved as a coach. The record may have improved but how many wins did we leave on the court because of lack of preparation or improper uses of players at key points in a game. Nevermind the fact that we have yet to have a team that was in serious game condition. The ship hasn't hit a reef or an iceberg yet but rest assured it is drifting aimlessly. We are not an ounce better now than we were when he got here except for the talent level of the players but why can't he get that type talent in ALL THE POSITIONS WE NEED IT IN?

Too many folks blinded by the "record was better" argument rather than looking at how much better this team could have easily been with a little serious leadership and a gnats brain worth of basketball sense.

[The Truth]

Too many folks blinded by the "record was better" argument rather than looking at how much better this team could have easily been with a little serious leadership and a gnats brain worth of basketball sense.

Sultan, wins and losses are, in my appraisal, the most important measure of a team and of a coach. This is not an "argument" any more than global warming is a "thesis" or evolution is a "theory." Hear the voice of the great Herm Edwards: "YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME." If the Hogs win thirty next year, I don't care how Heath looks on the sidelines. If he takes us back to the Sweet 16 or beyond, he can stand on the bench in an astronaut's suit sucking freezedried ice cream through a curly straw. Just win, baby! WPS!

[silvertip]

send your own resume to stan... he could certainly use what you bring to the table. 

That's a joke, but I'm just trying to make it clear somebody's watching him & the Razorback fan base is not oblivious.

No BP, the "Razorback fan base" is not oblivious. And you are not their spokesman.

Maybe Heath doesn't read this board because the "advice" of the habitual whiners here is irrelevant. Maybe the real majority of Hawg BB fans is pretty satisfied with the steady progress in recovering from Nolan's 5 year decline.

Maybe the few habitual Heath bashers/Nolan worshippers here are an irrelevant minority in the eyes of the BB coaches & those in the UA Athletic Dept & BOT whose opinions really matter.

I look forward to next BB season, which of course will continue the stady progress. A small part of my enjoying Heath's continued success will be the satisfaction of knowing how that makes some of the whiners suffer. WPS!!!

[Cornhogio]

I think that Heath and Nutt both are on their last leg.  Next year, they have to win, and not just meager progress.  I think Nutt has to win at least nine, and that Heath has to get to the Sweet 16.  Otherwise, they're both gone. 

[Tomhog™]

I think that Heath and Nutt both are on their last leg.  Next year, they have to win, and not just meager progress.  I think Nutt has to win at least nine, and that Heath has to get to the Sweet 16.  Otherwise, they're both gone. 

Going from 4 wins to 9 wins is quite a jump for a football program.  I don't see JFB telling Nutt that he has to win more than twice what he won last year to keep his job.  I'd say 7 wins with the added game would be sufficient to keep his job.  With given history, 6 wins and a weak bowl game might be enough for Frank!

Next season's expectations for Heath will likely be to return to the NCAAT and win at least one to get to the round of 32.  Sweet sixteen would be awesome, but once again, I can't see Frank firing Heath for not getting there.  Should Kansas fire their coach since he's lost in the 1st round the past two years?  And from what I've heard Arkansas will play 3 less games next year than this year, so 22 wins won't be as easy to attain if they do.

That's my opinion, take it for what it's worth (absolutely nothing)

[Biggus Piggus]

I wish you guys would quit quoting silvertip in your replies.  It negates the "ignore" function.

[LA HAWG]

I wish you guys would quit quoting silvertip in your replies.  It negates the "ignore" function.

That's pretty funny.

[Biggus Piggus]

A lot of you guys seemed to take my note as a "fire Heath" ad hominem.  I see no threat to Heath's job now or next season.  He is a young coach who is learning.  If he would openly discuss his mistakes and how he's addressing them, people wouldn't be openly speculating about where the program is going.  More fans would believe in him.  It takes some work to see his direction, and I can't have complete faith that he will make all the right choices.  But nothing's dead yet, far from it.  The talent flow is strong.  I believe strongly that Heath is transforming the roster more to his liking.  This should result in a much more cohesive team.

[Cornhogio]

To me, it seems like he's trying to play Big Ten basketball in the SEC.  I don't think it will work, but I could be wrong.

[silvertip]

I wish you guys would quit quoting silvertip in your replies.  It negates the "ignore" function.

Can't handle disagreement, Biggus? Just like, perhaps, you can't handle the steady & irrefutable progress of Heath's program? Too bad you can't get the whole world to ignore what you want ignored, ace.

I for one, like the style of BB program that Heath is building. There was nothing wrong with his game plan vs Bucknell. No game plan includes your team shooting 2 of 12 from 3, or 11 of 20 from the FT line in the second half.

Heath's game plans & coaching all year were solid. Kept the Hawgs in every game this year vs the top teams of the SEC and the NCAAT teams we played. Now that we are done with a couple of guards who never learned to get more assists than TOs---the future looks good.

IGNORE THAT, Clay....er, Biggus. Mr. BP's suggestion that posters ignore my dissent from his "pronouncements"---reminds me of how Clay Henry tries to stifle dissent on his boards. I find it laughable.

[silvertip]

I wish you guys would quit quoting silvertip in your replies.  It negates the "ignore" function.

That's pretty funny.

What I find funny is all the frustration of "fans" who get "bored", etc, with the type of BB Heath wants his teams to play. I found Nolan's style boring---as did the majority of NCAA BB coaches, who got a rule change around 96-97 to do away with all the "hand-checking" & quite frankly, mugging, that was necessary to make Nolan's style work.

I doubt that Bucknell's fans found the game boring. Neither did Razorback fans find Eddie Sutton's style boring. It's a disciplined style that relies on tough D & high percentage shooting. That's what the hugh majority of BB coaches preach. Inside-out offense that doesn't take the 1st open jumper, since you can get that shot 20 seconds later after first trying to use your inside strength.

Allows a less talented team like Bucknell to beat the likes of Arkansas or Kansas.

With a really talented team like the Hawgs are becoming, it allows you to beat anybody on any given night. WPS!!!

[silvertip]

To me, it seems like he's trying to play Big Ten basketball in the SEC.  I don't think it will work, but I could be wrong.

Well, the "SEC style" of BB is not working really good in Big Dance since about '98 or '99.

[WilsonHog]

I wish you guys would quit quoting silvertip in your replies.  It negates the "ignore" function.

I can't wait to see Silvertip's response to this......

Uh-oh. Looks like one of ya'll will have to tell me about it. I have him on ignore myself.

[jabohog]

I wish you guys would quit quoting silvertip in your replies.  It negates the "ignore" function.

That's pretty funny.

What I find funny is all the frustration of "fans" who get "bored", etc, with the type of BB Heath wants his teams to play. I found Nolan's style boring---as did the majority of NCAA BB coaches, who got a rule change around 96-97 to do away with all the "hand-checking" & quite frankly, mugging, that was necessary to make Nolan's style work.

I guess that's why we didn't win a NC or go to the finals after 94-95, it was because of that rule change. Here I was thinking Ole Nolan just quit coaching and recruiting, but it was a damn rule change. Imagine that?

[Cornhogio]

The SEC style may not work but at least our conference isn't sitting at the house after the first weekend.

[imahoggie]

 "It's a disciplined style that relies on tough D & high percentage shooting."     i think silvertip summed up stan heaths style of bball and is exactly why we lost against bucknell and many other teams this year.
we are a poor shooting team and are not fundamentally sound on either side of the ball.
you can ignore silvertip all you want but i would rather watch him put his foot in his mouth time after time.

[silvertip]

I wish you guys would quit quoting silvertip in your replies.  It negates the "ignore" function.

That's pretty funny.

What I find funny is all the frustration of "fans" who get "bored", etc, with the type of BB Heath wants his teams to play. I found Nolan's style boring---as did the majority of NCAA BB coaches, who got a rule change around 96-97 to do away with all the "hand-checking" & quite frankly, mugging, that was necessary to make Nolan's style work.

I guess that's why we didn't win a NC or go to the finals after 94-95, it was because of that rule change. Here I was thinking Ole Nolan just quit coaching and recruiting, but it was a damn rule change. Imagine that?

Yes, Nolan's decline after Corliss left was due to several factors. The rule change was just one part of it. Yes, he also quit coaching & recruiting toward the end.

But I think the biggest problem was that he couldn't sign anymore quality big men after he ruined Robinson, Wilson, IBM, Jennings, etc.

Nolan's style only succeeded big-time when he adjusted it to fit quality big men like Corliss & Oliver. Otherwise, it was a gimmick suited to a mid-major like UAB that relies on 2nd tier "athletes" instead of real BB players.

[silvertip]

"It's a disciplined style that relies on tough D & high percentage shooting."     i think silvertip summed up stan heaths style of bball and is exactly why we lost against bucknell and many other teams this year.
we are a poor shooting team and are not fundamentally sound on either side of the ball.

Glad you agree, hoggie. Bucknell was more fundamentally sound---and the Hawgs were poor shooters & undisciplined with Ferg & Pookie at guard.

Now, you're all set to enjoy the team the next few seasons when we get some real guards running the show---starting with Ervin, McCurdy, Welsh, and either Beverly or Smith if not both. Guards that can actually penetrate & dish, as well as wait 5 or 10 passes before jacking up the 3.

[silvertip]

I wish you guys would quit quoting silvertip in your replies.  It negates the "ignore" function.

I can't wait to see Silvertip's response to this......

Uh-oh. Looks like one of ya'll will have to tell me about it. I have him on ignore myself.

Would "one of y'all" please quote some of my replies in your post so that poor WilsonHog could read them?

As he says, he "can't wait" to see my response. But he can't quit pouting long enough to do it hinself.

[g.lynn]

Nice!  IMO, Stan needs a little Ramona.  Not what you dirty perverts are thinking; personality wise.

[Pig Pumper]

Teams that beat Arkansas in the NCAA Tournament since 1977, in sequence:

Wake Forest, Kentucky, Indiana State (with Bird), Kansas State (Jack Hartman), LSU, Kansas State, Louisville, Virginia, St. John's, Villanova, Louisville, Duke, Kansas, Memphis, North Carolina, UCLA, UMass (Calipari), Utah (Majerus), Iowa, Miami, Fla. (Hamilton), Georgetown, Bucknell.

Bucknell?  Prior to Bucknell, Arkansas always had respectable losses, to teams from power conferences, or, in the cases of Indiana State, Utah and UMass, top 10-ranked opponents which went deep into the tournament.  Bucknell easily was the worst opponent to beat an Arkansas team in the NCAA tournament in the modern era.

As noted prior to this game, Bucknell's chosen style of play was ideally suited for knocking off the Razorbacks.  The only confusing thing is why was Stan Heath so willing to allow Bucknell to play the way it wanted to play.

Maybe that was the way Heath wanted to play too, but it was not the way his players did.

The reason why the team disintegrated late in the 2004-05 season was that Heath kept asking his players to follow game plans that did not suit their skills.  The players played hard against good competition and lost close games, outdone by game plans that scorned their strengths as players and ignored their weaknesses.  Frustration and internal disputes took over.

After the Hogs enjoyed a fast tempo through December 2004, they scored fewer than 70 points 14 times in 2005 SEC play.  Their record in these games was 3-10.

Something similar happened in this season, too.  In SEC games Arkansas averaged 76 points in wins, 69 points in losses.  In the first five SEC games (Hogs' record = 2-3), Arkansas scored more than 67 points in regulation one time, that a 78-66 home win over Vanderbilt.

In the last 13 SEC games including the tournament, Arkansas scored under 70 one time while going 9-4.

Point one:  Arkansas needs to play faster than slow, and Heath does not seem to recognize his team's inability to play slow.

Coincident with the speeding up of the Razorbacks was Heath's burying the hatchet with Jonathon Modica, Nolan's last surviving recruit whom Heath tried to cut last spring.  In the first four SEC games this year, Modica averaged 13 points.  In the remainder, 19.

But Modica and even Ronnie Brewer didn't absolutely have to score big for the Razorbacks to win.  Both were actually outscored by Darian Townes in two of the major wins, Alabama and Tennessee.

Townes, the 6-10 sophomore who plays center and power forward, provided low post scoring punch that the Hogs could get from nobody else.  Townes, when involved, and 7-0 Steven Hill were too much for even the best of the SEC to overcome.

Townes has been temperamental ever since coming to Fayetteville.  After the big win at Knoxville, he went back into his shell, and the Hogs became an ordinary team with uninspired wins over Mississippi State and Georgia 2x, prior to losing to Florida and Bucknell to end the year.

In those last five, Townes was 10-32 from the field, 4-6 at the line, 4.8 points per game, 2.4 rebounds per game.  Against Bucknell, Heath allowed Townes on the floor a mere 9 minutes, staying more with Hill and forwards Charles Thomas and Vincent Hunter.  Who knows whether that was a good decision, but no doubt that the withering of Townes's attitude and game ensured that the Razorbacks would be less than they were during their three-game best.

Players such as Thomas, Hunter and guard Eric Ferguson scored in double figures when the Hogs beat Florida, Bama and Tennessee.  None of them did against Bucknell.

Point two: Arkansas wins when its bench is making a difference in the game, and the bench makes a difference in an uptempo game.

The most puzzling issue of all is Heath's love-hate relationship with pressure defense.  Arkansas employed stretches of intense defensive pressure on the ballhandler to overcome big deficits in the three major wins.  After that, Heath seemed to intentionally avoid pressure D.  This was especially confusing against Bucknell, which rated in the worst 30% of Division I basketball teams in turnovers despite playing in the 21st-rated conference according to RPI.  Point guard Abe Badmus alone had eight turnovers against Memphis.

Memphis has been a good defensive team but on average forced fewer turnovers per possession than Arkansas did.  On average.  But averages say nothing about what a coach will choose to do against all reason.

Point three:  Arkansas wins by putting pressure on the ballhandler, loses when it doesn't.

Never, ever believe Heath's explanations for his actions in defeat.  The man is too defensive to give Razorback fans an honest explanation.  No way was he saving his shooters' legs against Bucknell.  Not in a game in which the Hogs were outscored 33-6 from 3-point range.

Heath was saving his team's legs for Memphis.  Why he thought it necessary is a good question.  Surely an opponent like Memphis would have been motivation in itself.  The Memphis Tigers dropped Arkansas from the schedule because we weren't good enough.  No rest needed.

Heath in the past displayed signs of overlooking opponents.  Prior to the important game against Missouri State, Heath malprepared his Hogs into a 6-point home win over Texas State, which finished 2-22 and rated 328th in RPI.  In front of the home SEC opener against LSU was the road trip to Mississippi State, which by Heath's pregame words was eminently beatable.  MSU started SEC play 1-7.  We were the 1.

And of course, the three-game stretch against Florida, Alabama and Tennessee was preceded by a road trip to Ole Miss.  The Rebels finished the SEC season 1-13.  We were the 1.

Heath clearly tried to coast through the Bucknell game just like he did against Texas State, Mississippi State and Ole Miss.

Point four: Stan Heath needs to quit overlooking opponents, for his players follow his lead.

It is hard to write a rule that explains why Heath's Hogs lost games in 2005-06.  They lost while scoring well inside and when not.  They lost while defending well inside and when not.  They lost when shooting well at the line and when not.

Let's go down the line.

UConn: Weak inside defense, terrible rebounding, too many fouls, not enough free throws, bad outside shooting.
Maryland: Weak inside defense, terrible rebounding, too many fouls, bad free throw shooting, poor inside scoring, bad outside shooting, too many turnovers.
at Mississippi State: Weak inside defense, terrible offensive rebounding, bad free throw shooting, bad outside shooting.
LSU: Season-worst inside defense, terrible rebounding, not enough free throws, bad free throw shooting, poor inside scoring, season-worst turnover margin, season-low steals.
at Alabama: Weak inside defense, bad defensive rebounding, too many fouls, not enough free throws, poor free throw shooting, poor outside shooting, negative turnover margin, few steals.
at Kentucky: Awful inside/transition defense, bad rebounding, negative turnover margin, didn't get to the line.
at LSU: Weak inside defense, poor rebounding, horrid perimeter defense, shaky inside shooting.
at Ole Miss: Weak inside/transition defense, incredibly bad defensive rebounding, horrific outside shooting, too many fouls, negative turnover margin.  The Rebels' 68% floor percentage was the best of any Arkansas opponent--prime evidence of zero preparation.
Florida (SECT): Weak rebounding, nonexistent perimeter defense, bad outside shooting, too many fouls, didn't get to the line.
Bucknell (NCAAT): Pitiful perimeter defense, season-worst outside shooting, bad free throw shooting, few steals.  The Bison scored an amazingly low number of 2pt baskets, scored on only 42% of their possessions, and still beat us.

Let's see:

8 defensive rebounding
8 inside/transition defense
7 offensive rebounding
7 outside scoring
5 too many fouls
5 # of free throw attempts
5 free throw shooting %
5 turnover margin
4 few steals
3 outside defense
3 inside scoring

The most frequent problems were related to rebounding, including transition defense.  It is surprising to find a Heath-coached team chronically wanting on the boards.  In wins, the Razorbacks grabbed 38% of the available offensive boards.  In defeats, 31%.  In wins, the Hogs got 66% of the possible defensive boards.  In losses, 60%.

In wins, Arkansas held opponents to 40% shooting inside the arc.  In losses, 49%.

Want to know the funny part?  Prior to the final two losses, teams that beat Arkansas shot 30% from 3-pt range and made only four treys per game.  Did Heath decide his team just didn't need to defend the perimeter?  Florida and Bucknell combined shot 20-57 (35%) inside the arc, 21-36 (58%) outside it, and beat us.

Point five:  Arkansas has no consistent identity on defense and has not retained the rebounding mentality Heath promised when he was hired.

I still have hope for the future of Razorback basketball.  The incoming recruiting class should give the Hogs more perimeter quickness, which should help in most phases where the team was weak in 2005-06.  When it comes to low post scoring, Townes is a problem child, and Hill needs to make major progress.  We have to hold our breath on the eligibility of power forward Michael Washington, which is no layup.  Heath should have recruited himself into having a long bench, and he needs to employ it.  His coaching staff could use a big man specialist, as the body of work demands it.

We still have no visibility on whether next year's team will shoot better from outside.  None of the signed recruits, nor transfer Gary Ervin, is a better shooter than the Hogs had this season.  Heath is trying to sign one.

This year's freshmen, Sean McCurdy and Cyrus McGowan, needed to redshirt for different reasons, but they saw a little bit of time.  They should be more ready to play next season, both in roles where the Razorbacks need reinforcements.

None of the recruits is what you'd call a rebounding specialist.  Heath will have to address that need with coaching.  Again, I hope this includes another staff change.

Finally, next year's team will be affected greatly by the decision of Ronnie Brewer.  He certainly stands high enough in the minds of scouts to be assured a millionaire payday.  Perhaps he will be affected by the way he finished his junior season, averaging less than 17 points per game, concentrating more on passing than shooting, and losing the last two.  If Brewer believes things won't change--with Townes, with style of play--he will leave.  If Heath does not commit to upping the tempo and using his bench, next year's team will have too many similar players even without Brewer.  It's not about what's fun to watch--it's about the optimal use of resources.  Surely, watching Bucknell slowmo the Razorbacks to defeat convinced you of that.

Great analysis Biggus.

I agree.

I hope that Stan reads this board too.

[ksrazorback]

After reading the first post, not much left to say, except...

"Wichita State coach Mark Turgeon had told Bradley (WSU Player) to pull out the ball and let the clock run out. The point was to show that Wichita State doesn't run it up. Turgeon wanted his team to act as though it has been here before. "
Seventh-seeded Wichita State (26-8) defeated 2nd-seeded Tennessee (22-8), 80-73, in the NCAA Second Round in Greensboro, NC.

This guy would make an exceptional replacement, comes from great stock!!

Come on Heath do the right thing, go out like a man...
The Razorbacks fans, university and players deserve better. :razorback: :razorback:

[tophawg19]

silvertip get over yourself we still aren't a top 25 team and will not be next year . if that makes you happy have all the fun you want but for most hog fans this is getting old .BP speaks for a hell of a lot more on here than you do and i'd say this forum is a fair representation of all hog fans across arkansas .

[silvertip]

silvertip get over yourself we still aren't a top 25 team and will not be next year . if that makes you happy have all the fun you want but for most hog fans this is getting old .BP speaks for a hell of a lot more on here than you do and i'd say this forum is a fair representation of all hog fans across arkansas .

Get over your own self. I agree that "BP speaks for a hell of a lot more ON HERE..." Maybe that's because a lot of those speaking "on here" are a collection of whiners who were giving up on this team after every loss all damn year.

So, you might think "this forum is a fair representation of all hog fams..." It is your right to have that opinion, even though it's wrong.

This "forum," as regards Heath, is a gathering place for Heath-bashers & poorly informed " BB fans" who--for example---were "shocked" that Heath actually worked Hunter into the line-up once Hunter got healthy. People who post things like that are clueless.

Notice that BP's original post has now been "viewed" 1850 times, but there are only 60 replies. I submit that the constant Heath-bashing on this forum is the repetitious ramblings of fewer than 100 Hawg fans who come here every day to see how many times they can say "Heath sucks." Most of these posters obviously do not even read the many media articles available here---thus they constantly whine about how they "can't understand" what Heath is doing from one game to the next. I have no doubt that they can't understand it & many don't want to.

I assert that the constant Heath-bashing on this forum is a skewed representation of the sentiments of Hawg fans. And I say that the huge majority of Hawg fans are willing to watch the program continue it's steady progress---regardless of the rantings of the few. 

[Lando Calrissian]

The "I'm right because the rest of you don't know anything" argument is a weak one.

I wish it wasn't the case, but we're a Division 1 basketball team that has no idea how to break the dreaded 2-3 zone.

If any of you have ever played basketball, on even the ELEMENTARY SCHOOL level, you'll remember that the 2-3 zone is the first defense that is EVER taught to you, thus the 2-3 zone is the first defense you ever play against.



I would understand if we were facing a match-up zone from game to game (which can be BRUTAL if run effectively), but when the opposing team simply slaps on a rudimentary 2-3 zone to stop you, then you know you're in trouble.

And I'm sorry, simply adding a 3 point shooter does NOT remedy the situation. 

It's all about ball movement, spacing, and penetration.  Simply throwing in a 3 point shooter under the current system wouldn't mean a damn thing, as he's worthless if he's always covered.

That's where the spacing, ball movement, etc comes into play.  A good coach can exploit a zone defense no matter who his personnel is, as the zone basically invites you to create mismatches.