Prediction: ARKANSAS BEATS ALABAMA, FINISHES 11-5 OR 12-4

[fourthcrusade]

Yes, I'm dead serious.  This team has met and fused together -- they are ready to come out like fire EVERY GAME.  The guys are tired of being 'close'.




The rest of the schedule:
@bama - great for first sec road win
kentucky - bud is rockin after we destroy bama on natl tv
auburn - you kidding me?  at bud? W
@lsu - yes.  lsu's 'd' is terrible, were it not for michael jones "3-->2" and mccurdy NOT MAKING 1 FT -- we'd have won 2 straight @lsu
@MSU - always gives us fits, the hump is loud.  with that said, msu 07 reminds me of arkansas 05... msu folds late
olemiss - revenge.
@aub - i know this is the new trendy "L" considering UT & bama lost there... but #1 - UT is overrated, #2 Bama =worse on road than stan!
tenn - easy W.  win by 18-20.  ut is nothing against us.  most exciting will be counting the # of profanities at pearl
MSU - "senior night"... ok we dont have any, but still... easy W.  MSU is a DIFFERENT team on the road
@vandy - might be tough given vandy's 'giant-killer' role in the last few weeks, but who knows....   

most likely losses: @MSU, @Vandy, @LSu
most likely wins: OleMiss, Aub, Tenn

most likely outcome: 22-8, 11-5, 1st West, 4-5 seed dependingn on SECT finish
maximum outcome: 23-7, 12-4, 1st West, 2-4 seed depending on SECT finish (2 only if we win it)
minimum likely outcome: 20-10, 9-7, 3rd West, 8-10 seed depending on SECT finish (remember though, as a 3 seed we play on thursday vs worst-in-the-east, so likely we start the NCAAT with 21 wins)

i know everyone is gloom and doom, and i still laugh about us giving OM and SC their first SEC wins... but check out bracketpredictions, check out rpi... http://bracketproject.atspace.com/comparison.htm http://rpiforecast.com.... its not as bad as i would think...  we WILL make the NCAA tournament, 10 games in the sec left, + at least 1 SECT.  all we do is go 7-3 from here on to finish 20-10, 9-7...  but realistically, 8-2 ought to be the minimum. 


Don't give up on these hogs just yet.  
They responded against LSU to avoid 1-4.  They pulled together after Texas Tech and Stan changed the plan against Texas (a game we had won until...  oh gary.... front of the rim dang it...).  These kids are not giving up like the 05 squad.  Adversity pulls them together.


And Arkansas WILL Beat Bama on Saturday. 

And Arkansas WILL finish 11-5 (or heck even 12-4) in the SEC.

And Arkansas WILL make the NCAA Tournament

And Arkansas WILL win a game in the SEC Tournament.

And Stan WILL be back next year, but regardless of the coach,

Arkansas WILL beat Bama on Saturday.

[Sow’sEar]

really doubt it.  Are we watching the same team?

[hogfan064]

Fourthcrusade I hope you're right, but I know you aren't.  This team was beaten by an absolutely horrible South Carolina team.  No way can the Hogs go 10-0 or 9-1 the rest of the way.  At best we finish 9-7, but if I had to guess I'd say 7-9 which has been what I've said all season.

[edt]

Yea right, I wish

[Bomis Hawg]

I agree, a little.  I think 11 is a bit much.

Arkansas should go 4-1 at the end of the season.  Auburn will be a trendy pick.  The are actually last in RPI in the SEC now.  Vandy will be tougher in Memorial, I think.

I think Arkansas has a very good shot to sweep Alabama on Saturday.  Kentucky in BWA is another good shot.  A road game on Wednesday in BWA for Auburn?  I bet Arkansas wins huge.

Key stretch is at LSU; at Miss State; Ole Miss.  If Arkansas can go 2-1, a SECW title is very possible.

Based on what I see, a conservative projection of 9-7 is possible.  I'm still keeping with my 10-6. I say best case is 11, but I think it's a little much.

[mword]

I tend to day dream at times.

[Conway Cool Daddy]

We have to win on the road. Period.

Road teams haven't fared well in the SEC this year. I see us finishing more like 8-8.
No matter, we can get hot and go on a win streak going into the SEC tourney and still play our way into the Ncaas.

I'm not giving up just yet. This team is close...........

[Hollywood_HOGan]

I like your enthusiasm and bold prediction but I'll be jumping up like a little girl if we happen to finish 10-6.

9-7 or 8-8 is more likely.

I dont see any way we win at Miss St, Vandy or Auburn. Beating LSU in BR is more likely because we match up so well with them.

We should win out at home. Only team Im really scared of at home is Miss St.

The big key game of course is tomorrow at Bama. I doubt we win that because of what happened this week. Bama will be desperate for a W and pissed about the last time we played them.

We just cannot play on the road to save our lives and we clearly play to the level of competition.

We MUST finish with at least 9 wins to get to the NCAAT. Right now that doesnt look very good at all.

Freakin South Carolina??? Are you kidding me. I like Coach Heath (he's at least honest) but you cant continue to recruit well and not win with them. If we dont finish with 9 wins and get to the NCAAT, its time for a change.

[razorback903]

I'm with you fourth crusade.  They are tired of getting embarrased on the road.  I see them stepping it up a notch the rest of the season.  I see us being a 6 or better seed in the NCAA Tourney.

GO HOGS!!!

...where it's A-A-A-R-K-A-N-S-A-S for Arkansas... FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!!!

[fourthcrusade]

Freakin South Carolina??? Are you kidding me. I like Coach Heath (he's at least honest) but you cant continue to recruit well and not win with them. If we dont finish with 9 wins and get to the NCAAT, its time for a change.

As much as people call me a HeathHugger, i agree... however, even if he tanks, he just won't be fired this year, even if we go 7-9.  He's got 1 more year, seriously....

But with that said, we WILL get into the NCAAs, and we WILL have a strong stretch.

Remember everyone saying "oh wow, the first 8 games of the year are BRUTAL... if we get through them at 4-4 we will be ECSTATIC!!!!".....  well, we are seeing that.  win @ bama, beat KY at home, we are 4-4... then the stretch where we COULD go 6-2, or even 7-1, happens.... and we play our way in the ncaa by virtue of winning the west.

the schedule is weird, and i bet after we beat Bama and Ky, people say "I EXPECTED TO BE 4-4, BUT NOT THOSE 4 WINS AND THOSE 4 LOSSES"... nevertheless, we will be 4-4 looking at the EASY (other than @lsu-@msu) part of the year left for garbage wins!!!!!!!!!!!

[scrooge245]

I say why the hell not?  If this team gets hot, then watch out SEC.  They just need to get the first road win for any SECW team and then maybe we can roll

[fourthcrusade]

I say why the hell not?  If this team gets hot, then watch out SEC.  They just need to get the first road win for any SECW team and then maybe we can roll

Hey that's true, as much as I sound like I'm glossing over...

SECWest Teams are 0-16 on the road.  So Beat Bama and we move back into the hunt!

[duckman]

Please put down the pipe..........

[Hollywood_HOGan]

Freakin South Carolina??? Are you kidding me. I like Coach Heath (he's at least honest) but you cant continue to recruit well and not win with them. If we dont finish with 9 wins and get to the NCAAT, its time for a change.

As much as people call me a HeathHugger, i agree... however, even if he tanks, he just won't be fired this year, even if we go 7-9.  He's got 1 more year, seriously....

But with that said, we WILL get into the NCAAs, and we WILL have a strong stretch.

Remember everyone saying "oh wow, the first 8 games of the year are BRUTAL... if we get through them at 4-4 we will be ECSTATIC!!!!".....  well, we are seeing that.  win @ bama, beat KY at home, we are 4-4... then the stretch where we COULD go 6-2, or even 7-1, happens.... and we play our way in the ncaa by virtue of winning the west.

the schedule is weird, and i bet after we beat Bama and Ky, people say "I EXPECTED TO BE 4-4, BUT NOT THOSE 4 WINS AND THOSE 4 LOSSES"... nevertheless, we will be 4-4 looking at the EASY (other than @lsu-@msu) part of the year left for garbage wins!!!!!!!!!!!

dang, i just dont see us winning up there at Bama. We get screwed royally over there every single time we play them in T-town.
The game may be close but as usual we find some way to lose on the road. Wish we were playing Ole Miss at home in this spot because we REALLY need to win...AGAIN!  Im sick of all these must win games. We need to start stringing together some wins quickly.

Sick of being hyped  after a huge win and then let down against a sucky team on the road.

[Hollywood_HOGan]

I say why the hell not?  If this team gets hot, then watch out SEC.  They just need to get the first road win for any SECW team and then maybe we can roll

Hey that's true, as much as I sound like I'm glossing over...

SECWest Teams are 0-16 on the road.  So Beat Bama and we move back into the hunt!

Hey, maybe the "due factor" is in our favor.

Im really reaching but these are tough times for hog fans.

[Bomis Hawg]

Interesting looking at Ken Pomeroy's site.

A disclaimer, sort of.

**Projected record is based on chances of winning, and therefore may not conform to the
cumulative game-by-game predictions. This accounts for the unexpected results that
will inevitably happen during the season.

Here is how projection goes as of now. 

SECE -- Florida (14-2); Kentucky (10-6); Georgia (10-6); Vanderbilt (9-7); Tennessee (6-10); South Carolina (3-13)

SECW -- Arkansas (8-8); Miss State (8-8); Alabama (7-9); LSU (7-9); Auburn (6-10); Ole Miss (6-10)

[fourthcrusade]

Interesting looking at Ken Pomeroy's site.

A disclaimer, sort of.

**Projected record is based on chances of winning, and therefore may not conform to the
cumulative game-by-game predictions. This accounts for the unexpected results that
will inevitably happen during the season.

Here is how projection goes as of now. 

SECE -- Florida (14-2); Kentucky (10-6); Georgia (10-6); Vanderbilt (9-7); Tennessee (6-10); South Carolina (3-13)

SECW -- Arkansas (8-8); Miss State (8-8); Alabama (7-9); LSU (7-9); Auburn (6-10); Ole Miss (6-10)

Wow.. crazy.. another "prediction" site, beckspages.com (uses sagarin #s), has it play out the same, except bama is 8-8 and we are 2nd west at 7-9   


http://www.beckspages.com/sagarin.pl?team=EndStandings&type=overall 
 &  http://kenpom.com/sked.php?y=2007&team=Arkansas&t=p 

unreal to to think 8-8 would win the west, but who knows... considering NO WEST TEAM HAS WON YET ON THE ROAD, maybe these guys are right!

[Bomis Hawg]

Thanks for the linkage.

Just looking at the roadies the West has played, average margin of loss.

Arkansas: 5 pts (3 games); Miss State 6 pts (2 games); Ole Miss 8.7 pts (3 games); Auburn 13.3 (3 games); LSU 15 pts (2 games); 24 pts (3 games).

Some brutal, some decent.  The first team to win a road game will take the lead until someone else does.  Well, the first team to get a road win over a team from the East.  Plus 1 for them in the win column if they can pick a roadie in the West.

[allyoucaneatbuffet]

Thanks for the linkage.

Just looking at the roadies the West has played, average margin of loss.

Arkansas: 5 pts (3 games); Miss State 6 pts (2 games); Ole Miss 8.7 pts (3 games); Auburn 13.3 (3 games); LSU 15 pts (2 games); 24 pts (3 games).

Some brutal, some decent.  The first team to win a road game will take the lead until someone else does.  Well, the first team to get a road win over a team from the East.  Plus 1 for them in the win column if they can pick a roadie in the West.

Excellent take as usual Bomis.      Problem is too, this year, we blew our shot against the "worst" in the west & east on the road (SC, OM).  With that said, hope is still there -- if vandy doesnt shoot the lights out and we take it inside, we clobber them;  and i agree we take bama this weekend.. standings wise, that would be HUUUUGE.

[fourthcrusade]

I would also remind everyone that by beating Bama, we would (in theory) be 1 game out of the west... and if South Carolina could possibly win on the road at MSU (i know, i know, they won't), ARKANSAS, at 3-4 WOULD BE FIRST PLACE IN THE WEST AFTER SATURDAY.  Crazy!~

[cosmodrum]

If they couldn't win on the road in SC, where the attendance apparently didn't even fill half of the stadium, and the team that resides there is absolutely pitiful, I just don't see them winning on the road period. I'm sure they'll somehow sneak one, but that's it. Stan has to be done after such a resounding failure on the road during his tenure in Fayetteville. It's always been bad, and this year will be his all-time low. And he HAS a good basketball team. My daughter gets more excited filling a diaper than he does for his bball team.

Still rooting though...

WPS

[fourthcrusade]

If they couldn't win on the road in SC, where the attendance apparently didn't even fill half of the stadium, and the team that resides there is absolutely pitiful, I just don't see them winning on the road period. I'm sure they'll somehow sneak one, but that's it. Stan has to be done after such a resounding failure on the road during his tenure in Fayetteville. It's always been bad, and this year will be his all-time low. And he HAS a good basketball team. My daughter gets more excited filling a diaper than he does for his bball team.

Still rooting though...

WPS

So how were we ahead of Texas AT hostile Texas with 20 seconds to go (Dang you Gary ERRRRVIIIIIIINNNNNNNN!)  Down by 5 @ FLorida with a minute left?

South Carolina and Ole Miss were laughers for sure.. pathethic.... but hey, he was 3-5 on the road in the sec last year.  No reason he can't go 4-4.  (or heck, even 5-3 if we storm into baton rouge)

[WhenPigsFly]

Sorry but there is no way we go 5-0 or 4-1 on the road the rest of the season.  If that happens, Stan should be national coach of the year!  More likely we go 2-3 (hopefully not worse) or MAYBE 3-2.  Look at SH's road record, especially in the SEC.  I don't think there's a magic wand he can wave and change that trend so easily.

[MCPeePants]

Prediction: You are on crack.

[fourthcrusade]

Look at SH's road record, especially in the SEC. 

Everyone is hung up on his first few years, when we were TERRIBLE at HOME AND on the ROAD>

.. but Last year we were 3-5 on the roadp and 7-1 at home.  not bad.  not bad for ANY bcs conference.

this year we SHOUDL be min 3-5 road and 7-1 at home... i had predicted 4-4 road and 7-1 home before the SEC started to finish at 11-5.... we certainly still can go 4-4 on the road (or even 5-3, though that may not happen)

[Topcat]

This team knew that the SC game was important, but they still came out flat. Now, they are magically supposed to turn into road warriors when they haven't been able to beat the worst two teams in the league. Thinking that AR could win as many road games the rest of the year as they have in the previous 4+ years is rediculous. AR IS LAST IN THE SEC WEST. We have a bad team and a bad coach.

[STRILE]

Can I have a hit of that stuff....

[Tomhog™]

Before each road game the team talks about playing with intensity and under control.  They talk establishing tempo and dominating the boards.  They say it won't happen again on the road (letdowns).  They talk the talk alright, but they have yet to figure out how to walk the walk.  With our big guys, we should be dominating the glass on just about every team we face.  We definitely should have beat all the teams thus far with the exception of Florida.  Heath's teams have always started slow.  Last year was the first time they finished strong.  Will we see that again this year?  I hope so, but I don't think so.  I just don't see the fire in this team on the road that is required.  No sense of urgency...

[fourthcrusade]

Before each road game the team talks about playing with intensity and under control.  They talk establishing tempo and dominating the boards.  They say it won't happen again on the road (letdowns).  They talk the talk alright, but they have yet to figure out how to walk the walk.  With our big guys, we should be dominating the glass on just about every team we face.  We definitely should have beat all the teams thus far with the exception of Florida.  Heath's teams have always started slow.  Last year was the first time they finished strong.  Will we see that again this year?  I hope so, but I don't think so.  I just don't see the fire in this team on the road that is required.  No sense of urgency...

They know urgency now.  The SC loss was unexpected to them.  They will be EN FUEGO tomorrow....

[harmonyhog]

This team is finished. They will not win another road game. Heath does not know how to get them out of the road funk. They will win three more home games. finish 16 -14 lose first game in SECT. and reject am NIT offer. This season will play out like 2005. Heath cannot motivate ( the team will quit out of apathy) and he should be relegated to an assistant coach.

[cosmodrum]

If they couldn't win on the road in SC, where the attendance apparently didn't even fill half of the stadium, and the team that resides there is absolutely pitiful, I just don't see them winning on the road period. I'm sure they'll somehow sneak one, but that's it. Stan has to be done after such a resounding failure on the road during his tenure in Fayetteville. It's always been bad, and this year will be his all-time low. And he HAS a good basketball team. My daughter gets more excited filling a diaper than he does for his bball team.

Still rooting though...

WPS

So how were we ahead of Texas AT hostile Texas with 20 seconds to go (Dang you Gary ERRRRVIIIIIIINNNNNNNN!)  Down by 5 @ FLorida with a minute left?

South Carolina and Ole Miss were laughers for sure.. pathethic.... but hey, he was 3-5 on the road in the sec last year.  No reason he can't go 4-4.  (or heck, even 5-3 if we storm into baton rouge)

I couldn't believe my eyes for most of the Texas game, but the universe was back in balance at the final buzzer. Truth is, Texas is good but they are young and that was early in the season, i.e. not much experience.

Anyway, I suppose my point was that if I were a betting man, I would never put a dime on the RoadHogs while Stan Heath is coaching. Not after SC. It just doesn't get any worse than that.

[Tomhog™]

Before each road game the team talks about playing with intensity and under control.  They talk establishing tempo and dominating the boards.  They say it won't happen again on the road (letdowns).  They talk the talk alright, but they have yet to figure out how to walk the walk.  With our big guys, we should be dominating the glass on just about every team we face.  We definitely should have beat all the teams thus far with the exception of Florida.  Heath's teams have always started slow.  Last year was the first time they finished strong.  Will we see that again this year?  I hope so, but I don't think so.  I just don't see the fire in this team on the road that is required.  No sense of urgency...

They know urgency now.  The SC loss was unexpected to them.  They will be EN FUEGO tomorrow....

Urgency would have won the SC game, plain and simple.  They have too much talent to lose there...

[cosmodrum]

If they couldn't win on the road in SC, where the attendance apparently didn't even fill half of the stadium, and the team that resides there is absolutely pitiful, I just don't see them winning on the road period. I'm sure they'll somehow sneak one, but that's it. Stan has to be done after such a resounding failure on the road during his tenure in Fayetteville. It's always been bad, and this year will be his all-time low. And he HAS a good basketball team. My daughter gets more excited filling a diaper than he does for his bball team.

Still rooting though...

WPS

So how were we ahead of Texas AT hostile Texas with 20 seconds to go (Dang you Gary ERRRRVIIIIIIINNNNNNNN!)  Down by 5 @ FLorida with a minute left?

South Carolina and Ole Miss were laughers for sure.. pathethic.... but hey, he was 3-5 on the road in the sec last year.  No reason he can't go 4-4.  (or heck, even 5-3 if we storm into baton rouge)

I couldn't believe my eyes for most of the Texas game, but the universe was back in balance at the final buzzer. Truth is, Texas is good but they are young and that was early in the season, i.e. not much experience.

Anyway, I suppose my point was that if I were a betting man, I would never put a dime on the RoadHogs while Stan Heath is coaching. Not after SC. It just doesn't get any worse than that.

Oh and for Florida, that's what makes this so unbelievable. They don't get spanked on the road. It just seems that no matter how good/bad the team is, we play to their level, always coming up a little short.

[HawgG]

    These guys needs to man up period.Last season's team had Ronnie Brewer and Pookie Modica leading the way.They just got tired of losing and embarrassing themselves and those guys raised the level of their games thus raising the level of there teammates.Brewer and Modica didn't care for each that much, but they had the same goal and that was getting into the NCAAT and they did.
    This team is 20 games into the season and there isn't anything that any of the coaches on staff can say that they haven't heard.The problem is that we have guys on this team that so for have not shown that they have what it takes to go on another team's gym and out work and out hustle them.So many games comes down to who wants it the most.You may not always shoot the ball well, but you can hustle ,defend, and rebound.This team can win 9 of their next 12 if they show that they are willing to take it, because no team is going to give it to them.
     There were people in the media that said that Weems was better then Brewer and Arkansas would not miss a beat w/o Ronnie.The only thing that Sonny Weems has proven is that he can run his mouth.It is time for him,Gary Ervin, and Charles Thomas to lead this team by example, meaning shut-up and play some insired basketball and stop saying we just didn't have intensity after every road defeat.
      As for as predicting a score,I just can't do it until this team so that they got the heart of a winner.I do hope that they win tomarrow.

[Biggus Piggus]

Yes, I'm dead serious.  This team has met and fused together -- they are ready to come out like fire EVERY GAME.  The guys are tired of being 'close'.

At Alabama: good matchup for us, expect we win.
Kentucky at home: we will get strong effort and win.
Auburn at home: they will give us trouble, we still win.
At LSU: good matchup for us, expect we win.
At MSU: they will make us turn over the ball and we lose.
Ole Miss at home: we pound them.
At Auburn: they press us and we lose.
Tennessee: they press us and we lose.
Mississippi State: our home finale, we win.
At Vanderbilt: we lose.

We're 6-4 down the stretch.  SEC record ends at 8-8.  We have enough name wins and schedule strength to make the NCAAT.

[Hollywood_HOGan]

Yes, I'm dead serious.  This team has met and fused together -- they are ready to come out like fire EVERY GAME.  The guys are tired of being 'close'.

At Alabama: good matchup for us, expect we win.
Kentucky at home: we will get strong effort and win.
Auburn at home: they will give us trouble, we still win.
At LSU: good matchup for us, expect we win.
At MSU: they will make us turn over the ball and we lose.
Ole Miss at home: we pound them.
At Auburn: they press us and we lose.
Tennessee: they press us and we lose.
Mississippi State: our home finale, we win.
At Vanderbilt: we lose.

We're 6-4 down the stretch.  SEC record ends at 8-8.  We have enough name wins and schedule strength to make the NCAAT.

I agree with all except the Tennessee game and maybe Bama.

We've always had trouble in Ttown and we usually get screwed up there.

And I dont think we lose to UT at home. No more home losses....hopefully.

[woopig5]

My heart is with you, but my head knows the pattern of failure. 6-10 in the SEC, with a 1st round SEC tourney loss, followed up by a "who-cares" NIT appearance.

** Give me two road wins and I may change my mind, unfortunately that's a check this group can't cash.

[HeathWimp]

It's good that you are maintaining hope...even if that hope is vanishingly small...

I don't see anything better than 6-10 in league play.  My personal prediction has been 4-12 for some time now.

[Biggus Piggus]

I agree with all except the Tennessee game and maybe Bama.

We've always had trouble in Ttown and we usually get screwed up there.

And I dont think we lose to UT at home. No more home losses....hopefully.

We won at Bama last year.  I think their philosophical aversion to fouling (and therefore any pressure on the ballhandler) is very negative for them, and they just aren't playing well.

Our team has lost to anybody who could play disruptive, not passive, defense.  That would include Tennessee, which all healthy is better than Georgia.

[Hollywood_HOGan]

I agree with all except the Tennessee game and maybe Bama.

We've always had trouble in Ttown and we usually get screwed up there.

And I dont think we lose to UT at home. No more home losses....hopefully.

We won at Bama last year.  I think their philosophical aversion to fouling (and therefore any pressure on the ballhandler) is very negative for them, and they just aren't playing well.

Our team has lost to anybody who could play disruptive, not passive, defense.  That would include Tennessee, which all healthy is better than Georgia.

great points but I just dont think we'll lose to them at home down the stretch.

I think late in the year Ervin and Beverley will handle a press much better and be able to get the ball to Townes and Thomas like we did in Knoxville last year.

I couldnt believe the way we lost at bama last season with Jefferson fouling Steele at the end. We had those guys.

[fourthcrusade]

I agree with all except the Tennessee game and maybe Bama.

We've always had trouble in Ttown and we usually get screwed up there.

And I dont think we lose to UT at home. No more home losses....hopefully.

We won at Bama last year.  I think their philosophical aversion to fouling (and therefore any pressure on the ballhandler) is very negative for them, and they just aren't playing well.

Our team has lost to anybody who could play disruptive, not passive, defense.  That would include Tennessee, which all healthy is better than Georgia.

I like your assessment farther up, I think @ MSU is more likely a "L" than @ LSU... however, NO WAY we lose to Tennessee.  At home.  No way...

UT basketball is the single most overrated basketball program of the last 18 months... they get a nice big 12 nonconf win each year, and then fade at the end... 21 wins last year (heath got 22!) and they get a TWO SEED???  a miracle lofton shot avoids the 2-15 disaster loss, and then they are promptly blown out in the 2-7/10 game...  this year?  beat an injured OkState, but now are 2-3 in the league heading INTO RUPP ARENA... look for UT to struggle to finish 7-9, for real.

No way we lose to UT at home.

[Ouachihog]

Freakin South Carolina??? Are you kidding me. I like Coach Heath (he's at least honest) but you cant continue to recruit well and not win with them. If we dont finish with 9 wins and get to the NCAAT, its time for a change.

As much as people call me a HeathHugger, i agree... however, even if he tanks, he just won't be fired this year, even if we go 7-9.  He's got 1 more year, seriously....

But with that said, we WILL get into the NCAAs, and we WILL have a strong stretch.

Remember everyone saying "oh wow, the first 8 games of the year are BRUTAL... if we get through them at 4-4 we will be ECSTATIC!!!!".....  well, we are seeing that.  win @ bama, beat KY at home, we are 4-4... then the stretch where we COULD go 6-2, or even 7-1, happens.... and we play our way in the ncaa by virtue of winning the west.

the schedule is weird, and i bet after we beat Bama and Ky, people say "I EXPECTED TO BE 4-4, BUT NOT THOSE 4 WINS AND THOSE 4 LOSSES"... nevertheless, we will be 4-4 looking at the EASY (other than @lsu-@msu) part of the year left for garbage wins!!!!!!!!!!!

That was also before anyone realized how good Auburn and Vandy are this year.  We will not win at Auburn or at Vandy.  If there is such a thing (there isn't btw) as a "garbage" sec win, I would think south carolina would be the only one qualified for that.  Again, I admire your optimism, and again, I will stick with my 7-9 prediction.  Hopefully you are right though. 

[Hollywood_HOGan]

I agree with all except the Tennessee game and maybe Bama.

We've always had trouble in Ttown and we usually get screwed up there.

And I dont think we lose to UT at home. No more home losses....hopefully.

We won at Bama last year.  I think their philosophical aversion to fouling (and therefore any pressure on the ballhandler) is very negative for them, and they just aren't playing well.

Our team has lost to anybody who could play disruptive, not passive, defense.  That would include Tennessee, which all healthy is better than Georgia.

I like your assessment farther up, I think @ MSU is more likely a "L" than @ LSU... however, NO WAY we lose to Tennessee.  At home.  No way...

UT basketball is the single most overrated basketball program of the last 18 months... they get a nice big 12 nonconf win each year, and then fade at the end... 21 wins last year (heath got 22!) and they get a TWO SEED???  a miracle lofton shot avoids the 2-15 disaster loss, and then they are promptly blown out in the 2-7/10 game...  this year?  beat an injured OkState, but now are 2-3 in the league heading INTO RUPP ARENA... look for UT to struggle to finish 7-9, for real.

No way we lose to UT at home.

I dont think we'll lose to UT at home either but its not like UT will be a pushover.

BP does have a point. They do press the crap out of their opponents and here lately Ervin (and his entire team) have turned the ball over at will.

I do like that the UT game is at home but it'll be a fight.

[socalhogcaller]

I'd like to believe it.  I've even posted (before SC) that I thought we'd come together and go on a win streak.  Now, I have my doubts.  The problems this team has are fixable, but Heath isn't fixing them.  We continue to give up second chance points and wide open threes, turn the ball over, and lack intensity. I really thought after the LSU game that Stan had made the corrections.

[Dugann]

dream on .........we are lucky to make the NIT this year with the chicken choker of a team we got.

[Head Dahn Hog]

I agree with all except the Tennessee game and maybe Bama.

We've always had trouble in Ttown and we usually get screwed up there.

And I dont think we lose to UT at home. No more home losses....hopefully.

We won at Bama last year.  I think their philosophical aversion to fouling (and therefore any pressure on the ballhandler) is very negative for them, and they just aren't playing well.

Our team has lost to anybody who could play disruptive, not passive, defense.  That would include Tennessee, which all healthy is better than Georgia.

We should have won at Bama last year.  Remember that big lead we blew?  It was the game where Dontell fouled Steele on the late 3 attempt and he buried all 3 of them.  We lost in OT.

This team definitely has the talent, but obviously lacks the mental toughness.  I believe the opportunity is still there for them to turn it around, but not sure I see it happening.

[hillhog]

I hope the optimistic predictions are correct. This team should have been tired of being close, tired of losing on the road, tired of giving pitiful teams their 1st conference wins after having beaten ranked teams! I still back them and Heath and will be in BW for the next game hollering, but I really, really would like to see these guys step up and show up for every game like it mattered. I don't see the "killer" instinct in any except maybe Beverley. I am not sure you can coach it into a player.

[fourthcrusade]

I hope the optimistic predictions are correct. This team should have been tired of being close, tired of losing on the road, tired of giving pitiful teams their 1st conference wins after having beaten ranked teams! I still back them and Heath and will be in BW for the next game hollering, but I really, really would like to see these guys step up and show up for every game like it mattered. I don't see the "killer" instinct in any except maybe Beverley. I am not sure you can coach it into a player.

They have it now, they know they have to win.

[The Truth]

Fourthcrusade, this thread is garbage.

We all want the hogs to win. I'll drink champagne for a week if the hogs come close to the finish you're predicting. But let me take a look at WHY anybody believes we can win all these games: it's nothing but a bunch of hocus-pocus. "The team is tired of losing." "The team is really coming together." "The team is due for a hot streak." Blah blah blah. Believing in these ideas is like believing in fairies and gnomes. When you wish upon a star....

Here is a plain fact: Arkansas is 1-4 in in its last 5 games, with the only win coming against a hugely overrated LSU squad that just lost to Vandy by 11 AT HOME. Reckoning with this plain fact--watching and suffering through the actual games played and lost--makes it awfully hard to believe in your fairies and gnomes.

The Truth hurts.

[Ridgerunnerpiggie]

The SEC West is terrible and we still can't win!  Where's the discussion on the direction of the basketball program?  Heath doesn't have what it takes in bigtime basketball I'm afraid.  He's been here long enough and he hasn't won anything......no Western division titles, not even a NCAAT game....why hasn't someone taken out a ad in the newspaper yet?