Hogs = Perfect Darkhorse for March Madness Run

[Hogs49ers]

Arkansas is the perfect team to be a March Madness darkhorse for the 3 reasons below:

1) Our ability to get hot and streaky with 4 players that could go off for 20+ on any given night.   It appears this team is starting to click/gel and is already starting to get hot at the right time.

2) Our ability to wear teams down because of our condition and style of play as the tourney goes on. Not to mention the depth we have to keep our top players fresh that can come in and go on an 10+ point run at any time. 

3) The fact that we are 5-2 on the road in the SEC this year shows that we can play well on a neutral court.  To add to that, our players have experience in most of those games playing from behind 10+ points and coming back to win.  These Hogs are FIGHTERS!!

With this said, I know it's unlikely hence "darkhorse" but just saying that they have the ingredients to be that darkhorse long shot team.

If I was a betting man (and I am) and I was to make some silly long shot bet - I would take the Arkansas Razorbacks.

[pigsooie1000]

lets just get in and avoid Dayton first. I will not look ahead at all until we are actually playing on one of those days

[Hogs49ers]

lets just get in and avoid Dayton first. I will not look ahead at all until we are actually playing on one of those days

I agree that we have to take care of business first and I would say we have about a 70% chance of making the tourney right now.  I am well aware of our stumbles this year, but also think there is no harm in thinking ahead about the tourney. We are not the team players that need to take it one game at a time.  We are the ruthless and passionate Hog fans that can talk about anything including hypotheticals like a potential tourney run.

[Youngsta71701]

lets just get in and avoid Dayton first. I will not look ahead at all until we are actually playing on one of those days

Who's afraid of the big bad Dayton Flyers? As a matter of fact I wouldn't mind playing Dayton so we can get rid of some of this Archie Miller vs Mike Anderson talk.

[HawgHeadCheese]

I agree that we have to take care of business first and I would say we have about a 70% chance of making the tourney right now.  I am well aware of our stumbles this year, but also think there is no harm in thinking ahead about the tourney. We are not the team players that need to take it one game at a time.  We are the ruthless and passionate Hog fans that can talk about anything including hypotheticals like a potential tourney run.

I like this guys attitude.  👍

[Pig in the Pokey]

lets just get in and avoid Dayton first. I will not look ahead at all until we are actually playing on one of those days

oh, jeez, we are a long way from playing in Dayton.

[Pig in the Pokey]

Indeed, making the tournament is not a given.  Not yet.

bruh. we ALREADY have 20 wins and the rpi to go with it. we in.

[TNhawgfan]

bruh. we ALREADY have 20 wins and the rpi to go with it. we in.

Season isn't over yet. We could bolster our resume or end up in the NIT. Still a long way from selection Sunday

[12247]

We are not IN at all.  I do believe we are still AVAILABLE.  3 or 4 bad losses and we might not get an NIT offer.  We need to keep winning. 

[12247]

Does anyone know, offhand, how many teams have at least 20 wins at this point in the season.  Used to be 20 wins was a good indicator of being readily available.  Recently, it seems many 20+ win teams don't sniff the NCAA.

[HoopS]

We are not IN at all.  I do believe we are still AVAILABLE.  3 or 4 bad losses and we might not get an NIT offer.  We need to keep winning. 

bs

[The_Iceman]

Does anyone know, offhand, how many teams have at least 20 wins at this point in the season.  Used to be 20 wins was a good indicator of being readily available.  Recently, it seems many 20+ win teams don't sniff the NCAA.

It's about who you played and who you beat. 20 wins isn't a standard anymore.

[Youngsta71701]

He's referring to play in games at Dayton....not the Flyers.

Oh, ok...I though he was talking about playing them. My bad...I was looking forward to that. lol

[Youngsta71701]

bruh. we ALREADY have 20 wins and the rpi to go with it. we in.

Not yet, we still have some winning to do to guarantee a spot. Would like to be a lock before the SEC tournament.

[Youngsta71701]

We are not IN at all.  I do believe we are still AVAILABLE.  3 or 4 bad losses and we might not get an NIT offer.  We need to keep winning.

RIGHT now we're an 11 seed according to Lunardi. We can either increase that seed, stay about the same, or fall off the map. I'm hoping we increase it or if nothing else don't fall off the map. We need to avoid playing a 1 seed in the 2nd round if we can win in the 1st. That would be the perfect scenario.

[JayBell]

bs

That's a little overly strong, but I would say Arkansas is a lock for the NIT at least now.  After the Missouri and Vanderbilt losses, that definitely wasn't the case.  A collapse to end the season could have put Arkansas around 7th or 8th in the conference.  If the NCAAT took three teams and the NIT took four, Arkansas was not guaranteed to be in that second group.

Alabama, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Vanderbilt have games against each other and the top three teams in the conference, so most if not all are going to be unable to pass up Arkansas in the standings, which means they'll likely finish no worse than 6th, but 4th or 5th are way more likely.

[hobhog]

I'd like to see a decent run in the SECT first! One and dones are really old.

That being said, we have great guard depth and bigs are playing better. We should do some damage but have to get there first.

[jgphillips3]

RIGHT now we're an 11 seed according to Lunardi. We can either increase that seed, stay about the same, or fall off the map. I'm hoping we increase it or if nothing else don't fall off the map. We need to avoid playing a 1 seed in the 2nd round if we can win in the 1st. That would be the perfect scenario.

Totally agree.  If we get hot, I'm hoping for a 7 seed.  Otherwise, I'm hoping for a 10 or 11 seed although that means we are dangerously close to not making it.

[Next1_04]

I'm glad it's turned to this instead of "Fire Mike Anderson" every single bleeping thread amiright? :razorback:

[PonderinHog]

Totally agree.  If we get hot, I'm hoping for a 7 seed.  Otherwise, I'm hoping for a 10 or 11 seed although that means we are dangerously close to not making it.

Yeah, we might 'need' to lose one just to avoid that 8/9 seed.   

[HoopS]

That's a little overly strong, but I would say Arkansas is a lock for the NIT at least now.  After the Missouri and Vanderbilt losses, that definitely wasn't the case.  A collapse to end the season could have put Arkansas around 7th or 8th in the conference.  If the NCAAT took three teams and the NIT took four, Arkansas was not guaranteed to be in that second group.

Alabama, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Vanderbilt have games against each other and the top three teams in the conference, so most if not all are going to be unable to pass up Arkansas in the standings, which means they'll likely finish no worse than 6th, but 4th or 5th are way more likely.

NIT is locked.