State of the Hogs

[Thepigdoctor]

I'd like to see some honest self-evaluation from the board, regarding where we currently stand as a program.

I'll start it off, in my eyes, I see a program still recovering from Pelphrey's roster disasters, which were started by Heath's lack of control.

Our roster numbers are completely unbalanced, in no season should you be looking at replacing over five players, but that's exactly what the current staff has to do. Pel reached on way too many players, because Heath had us spiraling out of control, as he had no respect from his players, had a terrible locker room culture, and was clearly in over his head. That in turn resulted in his firing, Pel's hiring, setting off multiple transfers, suspensions, etc in the following years, all contributing in the need for the current staff having a depleted roster to build from, little interest nationally from elite recruits, and a program that was a shell of its former self.

Anderson and staff were forced to add depth through transfers and JUCO players to fill scholarships, just to have enough players to run a scrimmage in practice.  We still continue to struggle with the unbalanced roster and are just in the last couple seasons gaining recruiting traction. Somewhere lost in Razorback basketball history, is just how far we had fallen and how far removed from elite recruits radars we really were.

I'm still amazed that so many overlook just how bad of shape we were in when Anderson was hired and just how far we've come; how impressive it was to have the season we just had after being so far down for so long. It's great to reflect on past success, but it's also important to remember we were nearly 20 years removed from national relevance before last season. Nothing more than an after thought on the national scene.

Whether you like Anderson or not, whether you wanted him to be hired, whether you like or dislike his style, and whether you think he is a good coach or not, the fact is at the time he was hired, there was very little reason to think we would have gotten a coach with anywhere near his qualifications and accomplishments. When Anderson was hired, we were on a prayer that he'd come back, or it was roll the dice on yet another Pelphrey type who likely wouldn't have generated the excitement or fan support that Anderson did.

This is what highly recruited 2016 forward Tyler Cook had to say:
Arkansas: "I really like Coach [Mike] Anderson. I feel like he's a genuine guy. I like the way they play. I want to play fast at the next level because I feel like with my athleticism I can use that to my advantage. The way that they play and the way they develop their players now is an attractive thing that they have. Their coaches are really genuine people. I feel like when I get to campus [for a visit] I'll be able to get a better feel for them."

Of the 6 schools he cut his list to, we were the only one where he directly referenced visiting. Highly recruited players are once again paying attention to Arkansas. They see a coach who will develop them as individuals and basketball players, and who has just put two players into the NBA draft. One of which, Qualls, was a recruiting afterthought, a raw athlete at the time he committed to Arkansas, with no other listed offers and interest from Louisiana Tech. At what point do those critiquing the current staff acknowledge his development?

As for recruiting and the perception that this staff isn't getting it done, in the last three seasons they've landed 5 ESPN100 players in Portis, Kingsley, Beard, Whitt, and Kapita. Portis left after just two years, but had said all season he was focused on being a Hog next year. In what reality would our staff have had a true replacement for him, just waiting to hear we had a spot?

For those scoring at home, take note of UK's spring recruiting. It was widely known that they'd have at least 5, as many as 9 kids leaving for the NBA. How many spring signees have they landed? Zero. So the guy known to be gold standard for recruiting, has swung and missed on every target he had. Obviously, the late recruiting period is far from an exact science, even when you know you're going to have openings, which our staff didn't.

Another thing with recruiting, it's not like we are getting beaten out by Sun Belt teams. Late targets we went after, Vick - Kansas, Izundu - Miami. Hopes were up that Allen would flip, but the reality is, the staff couldn't recruit him because he never asked for his release from Florida, after acknowledging he went there because of the phenomenal coach that Billy Donovan is.

Hopes are high for 2016's class. With a few years of stability here, a return to the tournament, 27 win season, two players going to the NBA, a talented returning core, and ample playing time to offer, that is the class we can most fairly judge this staff by. In addition to the above mentioned Cook, we're in the final five for 4 star, top 50 PF De'Ron Davis. A once in a generation Arkansas talent in Malik Monk. Five star SG Terrance Ferguson who like Monk could easily be one and done. Four star PG Jaylen Fisher, five star PG De'Aaron Fox.

We'll have the following players set.
PG - Beard - JR
SG - Whitt - SO, Hannahs - SR
SF
PF - Thomas - JR, Kapita - SO
C - Kingsley - SR, Thompson - JR

Now, are we likely to land the above mentioned 6 world beaters? Almost certainly not. For starters, that's too much competition for playing time against established players and other highly recruited signees. Can anyone look at the core for '16 and honestly tell me that doesn't excite you with the likelihood that we land at least two or three of those guys though? A late add JUCO this year, some other talented JUCO names being bounced around for '16, and things aren't nearly as bleak as some might have you believe.

Is it discouraging that after our best season in 20 years, we'll likely take a step back in '15? Sure it is. Fact is, we lose two players to the NBA, a SR captain, and a guy in Harris that lead all players on the team last year in career scoring at over 1,200 points. That's a lot to replace and we've got three players coming in who some on here aren't even giving a chance.

I'm excited for the upcoming season. I believe this will be Anderson's first Arkansas squad that truly plays the "Fastest 40 Minutes." This team is going to be scrappy, they're going to be aggressive, and they're going to surprise some people.

Feel free to smite away, I know this will rub many of you the wrong way, and I'm ok with that. If the staff fails to capitalize on their relationships with kids in the '16 class and we are left scrambling to field a team, I'll dig this post out of the trash and be the first to acknowledge that it's time for a change. Until then though, let's see how things play out and get ready for a look at a true Mike Anderson team, that isn't relying almost exclusively on one or two guys to score, and a lot of poor defensive effort.

I love you all, my fellow Hog fans, at the end of the day, we all want the same thing, and that's for the Razorbacks to hang some more banners.

[hawginbigd1]

Legitimate points abound in OP post. Some I agree and others I don't. 5 years in, and our performance last season, and the seasons before tell me Heath/pel era as a reason holds little to no validity. I think it is very important, I don't see ANYBODY calling for a firing of MA.

I posted in February and got blasted like I was clueless about the fact that MQ and BP were gone and that we should have signed or offered A minimum of 3 players, and probably 4. This didn't appear to be happening, like the next day or two Kapita committed and I walked it back a little. Here we are now almost to June and we have had 1 visit since. My frustration only revolves around a seemingly poor recruiting effort, and the negative impact it could have on next season and a very important recruiting year. Next years recruiting class could be transformational! A top 5 class seems possible and could make Arkansas a destination for top tier players for many years to come. An 18-12 type season next year could derail this recruiting haul.

[Thepigdoctor]

Legitimate points abound in OP post. Some I agree and others I don't. 5 years in, and our performance last season, and the seasons before tell me Heath/pel era as a reason holds little to no validity. I think it is very important, I don't see ANYBODY calling for a firing of MA.

I posted in February and got blasted like I was clueless about the fact that MQ and BP were gone and that we should have signed or offered A minimum of 3 players, and probably 4. This didn't appear to be happening, like the next day or two Kapita committed and I walked it back a little. Here we are now almost to June and we have had 1 visit since. My frustration only revolves around a seemingly poor recruiting effort, and the negative impact it could have on next season and a very important recruiting year. Next years recruiting class could be transformational! A top 5 class seems possible and could make Arkansas a destination for top tier players for many years to come. An 18-12 type season next year could derail this recruiting haul.

Very valid concern and I'll give you the hindsight on MQ/BP. My question remains, how do you convince and elite recruit to commit or "sit-tight" until those two declare? Especially when we are just rebuilding our recruiting anyway?

[Hollywood_HOGan45]

I believe we are still in recovery. A lot of kids weren't even born the last time we were a national power.

Next year it will have been 20 years since our last sweet 16 appearance.
Mike has done a good job considering the depths the program has seen.

Mike is a good coach with a proven track record. We have two top 50 recruits coming in next year.

We will be fine.

[Atlhogfan1]

Tpd - I appreciate the effort.  Nice job.  But this seems more like a continuation of the same arguments that have been going on in the forum rather than where we stand as a program. 

[bigdaddyhawg]

I think it's a little lame blaming anything on Pelphrey at this point.

Basketball is the one men's sport where you can turn around things in short order IF IF IF IF you can recruit big time players.

As far as losing the 5 players after this year, that's a reality of the current one and done system.  IMO CMA could have, should have made contingency plans for their loss, but he was caught short.

IMO that's not good, and it will affect us negatively in the 15-16 season.

We just simply shouldn't be taking a big step back after we're in this deep into his stint.

I think eventually he'll get things going at a higher level, but it shouldn't be acceptable for that time to be another couple of years off.

[bigdaddyhawg]

Tpd - I appreciate the effort.  Nice job.  But this seems more like a continuation of the same arguments that have been going on in the forum rather than where we stand as a program. 

True, but what else is there to talk about??

[hawginbigd1]

Very valid concern and I'll give you the hindsight on MQ/BP. My question remains, how do you convince and elite recruit to commit or "sit-tight" until those two declare? Especially when we are just rebuilding our recruiting anyway?

Well my assertion was regardless of what those 2 did, you sign/recruit 3 and if they didn't leave then miles has to go. They did leave and so did Babb, so now we are farther behind. The other thing is there are almost as many recruits who weren't signed as there were in the early period. You continue recruiting even if you don't offer, so at the time they declared for the draft there should have been at least a couple decent recruits really interested in being Razorbacks IMO. They may not be top 200 guys, but players who fit what you are looking for.

[elviscat]

An excellent review of the current state of the hogs basketball program. Mike, has done a great, if only we give him time to finish the job.

[Atlhogfan1]

True, but what else is there to talk about??

In this thread, the state of the program. 

[Atlhogfan1]

The program is at a crossroads whose direction will be largely impacted by the 2016 recruiting class after a transition season.  It appears stable off the court in terms of academics and discipline and it of course is stable in the coaching leadership.  The practice facility can be a positive both in development and recruiting but we don't know the actual effect yet.  Beyond that there is too much unknown due to the upcoming roster turnover.  This staff has never been anywhere beyond 5 seasons as well.

Beyond this, it would be getting into even more opinion that would go away from the state of the program and back to arguing, excuse making or refuting and overselling. 

[Inhogswetrust]

In this thread, the state of the program. 

Last time I checked it was the state of Arkansas......................have they moved it?

[Atlhogfan1]

Last time I checked it was the state of Arkansas......................have they moved it?

Can we?  I have some areas that would help football recruiting. 

[Breems]

We're fresh off our best season in decades. Like 20 years worth. It ended no more than 2.5 months ago.

We took a major hit with 2 talented players leaving for the draft, one of which probably would've been back if it weren't for a stellar end to the season. The key note I take from that is 2 players are going to the NBA draft. When is the last time the Arkansas Razorbacks sent 2 players to the NBA draft from the same roster (who actually have a shot at getting drafted)?

Recruiting isn't that bad. The failed '11 experiment didn't help the jump start. The '12 class landed only 1 star player who took a few years to reach his full potential. The mediocre '12 class is the main reason we're looking at a down year next year. There aren't really any seniors left to lead the young talent. '13 started to address the lack of a frontcourt and gave us great talent in Portis & Kingsley. '14 started to address the backcourt situation with a solid guard in Beard, and if last year was any indication, he'll get better every year. '15 gives us the standout guard Whitt and highly-rated forward Kapita.

The results have gotten exponentially better, not worse. Recruiting is getting better, not worse. Why are we arguing the "unstable" state of the program? I understand the concerns for next year, but they happen. Everywhere. The "state of the program" looks fine.

Can no one see clearly now that the rain is gone?

[Breems]

It's also worth noting that had Allen decided to be a Razorback a few days ago, this conversation wouldn't be happening.

Things can change in an instant, for better or worse.

[TheRazorbackGuy]

It's also worth noting that had Allen decided to be a Razorback a few days ago, this conversation wouldn't be happening.

Things can change in an instant, for better or worse.

Breems, while your statement is true. The Hogs got zero spring signings. It was a disappointment to the fan base. We offered 3 or 4 guys and swung and missed on all. We got one transfer in but no freshmen that were targeted in the spring. Its just a little bit disappointing that we lose our two stars and go fail to sign No recruit. No one in the spring signed with Arkansas despite our success last year.

[Breems]

Breems, while your statement is true. The Hogs got zero spring signings. It was a disappointment to the fan base. We offered 3 or 4 guys and swung and missed on all. We got one transfer in but no freshmen that were targeted in the spring. Its just a little bit disappointing that we lose our two stars and go fail to sign No recruit. No one in the spring signed with Arkansas despite our success last year.

Spring is a cluster, bottom of the barrel situation. Frazier looked like one of our best bets and then apparently didn't qualify. We weren't going to come anywhere close to replacing even half of what we lost. I was disappointed we didn't land the couple of good targets left, but nothing is guaranteed when scrambling in the Spring. I'm also glad we didn't just add filler - something that must be eliminated. We at least had a good Fall.

Capitalizing on the '16 class is essential. We're on several high-profile targets. Recruiting up to this point has been good, but not great. '16 will tip the scales very heavily.

[Kevin]

It is bush's fault.

[wheelspigharvey]

In addition to the Hill being a tougher place to recruit to in the past (and the staff's insistence on serving recruits sub-par meat trays), Long had this to say about the trajectory of Mike's program-building, basically saying that we were only able to add his "system" guys incrementally, since he needed to have Pel's guys stay as long as possible for APR reasons.  He said this a lot towards the end of the season, including many times on Bo's show.  Long's going to paint a rosy picture for sure, but he's usually pretty honest.

Jones: If your basketball teams don't win another game this weekend, has this season been a success?

Long: Absolutely, it's a successful season because of where we've come and in particular the way we've come like with Mike Anderson in men's basketball. What he has had to overcome behind the scenes with the APR issues we've had and all those things, that takes effort. I've said this a number of times and I think maybe we've talked about it, Matt, in the old days, a new coach comes in, he clears out what he doesn't want and starts over. Now you can't do that. You lose scholarships. Mike Anderson and coaches like Mike have to mold the kids who are there. They have to take kids that are maybe a different system, recruited by a different coaching staff and they have to work with them to make them understand how they can fit in. I've bragged many times about Mike's academic record and what they're doing. I think we'll have a 1,000 in the APR and I think we'll have a GPA that is the highest in our records for men's basketball. When you put all those things together and now we're playing our style of basketball, he's getting more of his kind of players in and they're high-character kids who play hard, and I think Razorback fans love that. They love how hard our young people play and how much they care. I think that's important to our fans.

http://www.wholehogsports.com/news/2015/mar/21/q-jeff-long/

[Granny]

The results have gotten exponentially better, not worse. Recruiting is getting better, not worse. Why are we arguing the "unstable" state of the program? I understand the concerns for next year, but they happen. Everywhere. The "state of the program" looks fine.

Can no one see clearly now that the rain is gone?

Totally agree.  And next year I bet we get Macon and at least 2 of the above mentioned highly recruited players.  I feel we are very close to being an annual NCAA tournament team again. To tear down and start over now would be foolish.

[Marshfieldhog]

The signing class this upcoming November will make or break Anderson. Monk is a must get, can't let him get away to UK. Anderson must sign a Top 15 class, he signed 2 good players this year but numbers wise he failed to compensate for Portis and Qualls leaving. Fans even knew they would likely not both come back, Anderson should have known that.

[HawgAdvocate]

Frazier looked like one of our best bets and then apparently didn't qualify.

'Best bets' based on what?

His academics were being openly questioned last June.

[TheRazorbackGuy]

'Best bets' based on what?

His academics were being openly questioned last June.

HA he went to Tulane and that's an academic school. You can't be not smart and go to Tulane

[Breems]

'Best bets' based on what?

His academics were being openly questioned last June.

Best bet based on being interested in Arkansas and potentially making an impact next year.

[HognitiveDissonance]

I'd like to see some honest self-evaluation from the board, regarding where we currently stand as a program.

I'll start it off, in my eyes, I see a program still recovering from Pelphrey's roster disasters, which were started by Heath's lack of control.

Our roster numbers are completely unbalanced, in no season should you be looking at replacing over five players, but that's exactly what the current staff has to do. Pel reached on way too many players, because Heath had us spiraling out of control, as he had no respect from his players, had a terrible locker room culture, and was clearly in over his head. That in turn resulted in his firing, Pel's hiring, setting off multiple transfers, suspensions, etc in the following years, all contributing in the need for the current staff having a depleted roster to build from, little interest nationally from elite recruits, and a program that was a shell of its former self.

Anderson and staff were forced to add depth through transfers and JUCO players to fill scholarships, just to have enough players to run a scrimmage in practice.  We still continue to struggle with the unbalanced roster and are just in the last couple seasons gaining recruiting traction. Somewhere lost in Razorback basketball history, is just how far we had fallen and how far removed from elite recruits radars we really were.

I'm still amazed that so many overlook just how bad of shape we were in when Anderson was hired and just how far we've come; how impressive it was to have the season we just had after being so far down for so long. It's great to reflect on past success, but it's also important to remember we were nearly 20 years removed from national relevance before last season. Nothing more than an after thought on the national scene.

Whether you like Anderson or not, whether you wanted him to be hired, whether you like or dislike his style, and whether you think he is a good coach or not, the fact is at the time he was hired, there was very little reason to think we would have gotten a coach with anywhere near his qualifications and accomplishments. When Anderson was hired, we were on a prayer that he'd come back, or it was roll the dice on yet another Pelphrey type who likely wouldn't have generated the excitement or fan support that Anderson did.

This is what highly recruited 2016 forward Tyler Cook had to say:
Arkansas: "I really like Coach [Mike] Anderson. I feel like he's a genuine guy. I like the way they play. I want to play fast at the next level because I feel like with my athleticism I can use that to my advantage. The way that they play and the way they develop their players now is an attractive thing that they have. Their coaches are really genuine people. I feel like when I get to campus [for a visit] I'll be able to get a better feel for them."

Of the 6 schools he cut his list to, we were the only one where he directly referenced visiting. Highly recruited players are once again paying attention to Arkansas. They see a coach who will develop them as individuals and basketball players, and who has just put two players into the NBA draft. One of which, Qualls, was a recruiting afterthought, a raw athlete at the time he committed to Arkansas, with no other listed offers and interest from Louisiana Tech. At what point do those critiquing the current staff acknowledge his development?

As for recruiting and the perception that this staff isn't getting it done, in the last three seasons they've landed 5 ESPN100 players in Portis, Kingsley, Beard, Whitt, and Kapita. Portis left after just two years, but had said all season he was focused on being a Hog next year. In what reality would our staff have had a true replacement for him, just waiting to hear we had a spot?

For those scoring at home, take note of UK's spring recruiting. It was widely known that they'd have at least 5, as many as 9 kids leaving for the NBA. How many spring signees have they landed? Zero. So the guy known to be gold standard for recruiting, has swung and missed on every target he had. Obviously, the late recruiting period is far from an exact science, even when you know you're going to have openings, which our staff didn't.

Another thing with recruiting, it's not like we are getting beaten out by Sun Belt teams. Late targets we went after, Vick - Kansas, Izundu - Miami. Hopes were up that Allen would flip, but the reality is, the staff couldn't recruit him because he never asked for his release from Florida, after acknowledging he went there because of the phenomenal coach that Billy Donovan is.

Hopes are high for 2016's class. With a few years of stability here, a return to the tournament, 27 win season, two players going to the NBA, a talented returning core, and ample playing time to offer, that is the class we can most fairly judge this staff by. In addition to the above mentioned Cook, we're in the final five for 4 star, top 50 PF De'Ron Davis. A once in a generation Arkansas talent in Malik Monk. Five star SG Terrance Ferguson who like Monk could easily be one and done. Four star PG Jaylen Fisher, five star PG De'Aaron Fox.

We'll have the following players set.
PG - Beard - JR
SG - Whitt - SO, Hannahs - SR
SF
PF - Thomas - JR, Kapita - SO
C - Kingsley - SR, Thompson - JR

Now, are we likely to land the above mentioned 6 world beaters? Almost certainly not. For starters, that's too much competition for playing time against established players and other highly recruited signees. Can anyone look at the core for '16 and honestly tell me that doesn't excite you with the likelihood that we land at least two or three of those guys though? A late add JUCO this year, some other talented JUCO names being bounced around for '16, and things aren't nearly as bleak as some might have you believe.

Is it discouraging that after our best season in 20 years, we'll likely take a step back in '15? Sure it is. Fact is, we lose two players to the NBA, a SR captain, and a guy in Harris that lead all players on the team last year in career scoring at over 1,200 points. That's a lot to replace and we've got three players coming in who some on here aren't even giving a chance.

I'm excited for the upcoming season. I believe this will be Anderson's first Arkansas squad that truly plays the "Fastest 40 Minutes." This team is going to be scrappy, they're going to be aggressive, and they're going to surprise some people.

Feel free to smite away, I know this will rub many of you the wrong way, and I'm ok with that. If the staff fails to capitalize on their relationships with kids in the '16 class and we are left scrambling to field a team, I'll dig this post out of the trash and be the first to acknowledge that it's time for a change. Until then though, let's see how things play out and get ready for a look at a true Mike Anderson team, that isn't relying almost exclusively on one or two guys to score, and a lot of poor defensive effort.

I love you all, my fellow Hog fans, at the end of the day, we all want the same thing, and that's for the Razorbacks to hang some more banners.

Good post, and I will not smite, but it reminds me of a bone I'd like to pick with some.
I am so tired of hearing about 'how bad a shape the program was in...'
This isn't a bash Anderson point.
It is to make the point that the team Anderson inherited won 10 SEC games. TEN.
How in the heck is that a horrible situation?
Yet you get the impression that we were coming off an SMU-like death penalty or something. 'The program was in turr-ble shape, just turr-ble...'
Let's make it also clear: nobody cares about the APR. It's something you'd rather not have your program involved in. That's it. We lost a scholarship. That's it. UCONN took an APR hit and all they did was win the national title the next year. Losing one schollie is like telling Trey Thompson he can't play. Oh wait, he didn't play anyway. Fact is, it's NOT an on-court penalty. It affects wins and losses hardly at all. It's just a minor stigma that yes, you'd rather not have, but that's it. So stop using that as an example of how terrible the program was.

This is all about wins and losses, and any coach who takes over a team that can go 10-8 in the SEC, led by solid SEC players in BJ Young and Marshawn Powell, is not walking into a bad situation.

[warriorlion]

It is bush's fault.

Global warming is a big part of the basketball teams problem to.

[SexyBeast77]

Arkansas Basketball had stalled out under Pelphrey. Few thought he could get us going again. We went back to the old girlfriend and made a sentimental & nostalgic hire.  The number of wins has improved but we're not truly competitive, not really. And why is that?

Anderson can't recruit depth. He can't recruit a 7 or 8 man rotation of players that can contribute and compete on the highest levels. Having 2 players worthy of the NBA Draft and a bunch of sidekicks is not good enough to compete.   When our second team came in last season, there was a substantial drop off. Now that's the 1st team.   More specifically, Anderson hasn't recruited any players that can score inside or in the post.  This is why it's Nolan light - ( 3 pointers and jump shots) with no easy baskets inside. 
    The basketball program is a bubble waiting to burst and it may be bursting now. The win total has gone up but we can't make it past the first weekend of the tournament. Now, when 2 players leave it's a possible collapse and rebuild. Again, because Anderson can't recruit a whole team that can compete. All of this nonsense about best season since the 90s and NBA Drafted players, that's paper victories. We want actual victories.  If we miss the tournament next year, and maybe miss the NIT, that would be 1 Tournament appearance in 5 years, and not exactly a promising list of All Stars on the roster.
       But still, Sooooo many people on Hogville and outside of Hogville got sold soooo hard on Anderson, they will not admit it may not be working out.  It's spin spin spin for the guy they campaigned for.    If Anderson can't do better than 1 NCAA Tournament appearance in 5 years, he needs to go. We can't keep a coach that's not getting the job done because of nostalgia and sentimental reasons if all he's giving us is "wins" on paper.

[wheelspigharvey]

The reason we think that next year will be OK is that we have already had an Anderson led team lose their best two players and still manage to take a big step forward.  People were saying whacked out stuff like "that JUCO guy will make a big leap" and "this recruit is for real" and "that guy just needs a little more polish," and predicting better team ball.  Isn't that exactly what the optimists are saying now?

From that '12-'13 season into the '13-'14 season it can be argued that we didn't really replace BOTH BJ and Marshawn one-for-one (and certainly not with any late signings) but we found a mix that worked and I think we even got a few good "real" wins in too.

I'm not saying we will win more games than last year but for some of you to say we are definitely going to fall off a cliff means you are spending less energy paying attention than you are pontificating.

[Thepigdoctor]

The reason we think that next year will be OK is that we have already had an Anderson led team lose their best two players and still manage to take a big step forward.  People were saying whacked out stuff like "that JUCO guy will make a big leap" and "this recruit is for real" and "that guy just needs a little more polish," and predicting better team ball.  Isn't that exactly what the optimists are saying now?

From that '12-'13 season into the '13-'14 season it can be argued that we didn't really replace BOTH BJ and Marshawn one-for-one (and certainly not with any late signings) but we found a mix that worked and I think we even got a few good "real" wins in too.

I'm not saying we will win more games than last year but for some of you to say we are definitely going to fall off a cliff means you are spending less energy paying attention than you are pontificating.

This guy gets it.

[hogsanity]

The reason we think that next year will be OK is that we have already had an Anderson led team lose their best two players and still manage to take a big step forward.  People were saying whacked out stuff like "that JUCO guy will make a big leap" and "this recruit is for real" and "that guy just needs a little more polish," and predicting better team ball.  Isn't that exactly what the optimists are saying now?

From that '12-'13 season into the '13-'14 season it can be argued that we didn't really replace BOTH BJ and Marshawn one-for-one (and certainly not with any late signings) but we found a mix that worked and I think we even got a few good "real" wins in too.

I'm not saying we will win more games than last year but for some of you to say we are definitely going to fall off a cliff means you are spending less energy paying attention than you are pontificating.

It is not falling off a cliff, it is just that right after they finally make it back to the ncaat, they are in scramble mode trying to fill spots, are looking at being a bubble team, AT BEST, and basically hoping that Malik Monk shows up for his one college season in 2016/2017.

I do not expect a losing record next year, but I do expect making the 68 team NCAAt field is going to be tough. Relying on newcomers in Whitt, Kapita and Hannahs to shoulder the load because of almost no scoring returning is a tough way to try to play college basketball, especially in a quickly improving sec.

[psooie]

All i know is the next two years will tell the tale for coaching and recruiting.

[nwahogfan1]

This guy gets it.

All depends on what you call success.  We pay our Coach and staff top 15 Pay and should expect Top 15 results. We have top 15 facilities and again should expect top 15 results.

CMA is a good guy and a good coach but if he doesn't start getting us top 15 results soon then he should make changes.  Maybe first will have  to be to his staff and then we need to remove him if he cannot get it done. 

That is the reason CEOs get paid the big bucks because shareholders(fans) want great results now and often or they want your head.  All about Business guys.

[Thepigdoctor]

All depends on what you call success.  We pay our Coach and staff top 15 Pay and should expect Top 15 results. We have top 15 facilities and again should expect top 15 results.

CMA is a good guy and a good coach but if he doesn't start getting us top 15 results soon then he should make changes.  Maybe first will have  to be to his staff and then we need to remove him if he cannot get it done. 

That is the reason CEOs get paid the big bucks because shareholders(fans) want great results now and often or they want your head.  All about Business guys.

I don't disagree with a word you just said. For me, the jury is still out. Next season and a 2016 recruiting class away from making my final decision. I can see both positives and negatives with the program, but I see more positives than I have in the last 10-15 years.

[bigdaddyhawg]

The reason we think that next year will be OK is that we have already had an Anderson led team lose their best two players and still manage to take a big step forward.  People were saying whacked out stuff like "that JUCO guy will make a big leap" and "this recruit is for real" and "that guy just needs a little more polish," and predicting better team ball.  Isn't that exactly what the optimists are saying now?

From that '12-'13 season into the '13-'14 season it can be argued that we didn't really replace BOTH BJ and Marshawn one-for-one (and certainly not with any late signings) but we found a mix that worked and I think we even got a few good "real" wins in too.

I'm not saying we will win more games than last year but for some of you to say we are definitely going to fall off a cliff means you are spending less energy paying attention than you are pontificating.

Solid points you're making here, sir.

I do think there are significant differences in those comparisons that you're not considering, mainly that BJ and Powell were thought to be contributors to team chemistry problems, and their departure eliminated those issues.  I don't think that's the case we have now, though IMO we may have had a little bit of that with a couple of our departures.

I don't think it's realistic we're going to take a step forward, though.  I'm not one of those who believe we're going to fall off the cliff, but if Mike/staff are able to coach that team to keep it a tourney team, then IMO he should be coach of the year in the SEC.

I was actually kind of excited about the possibilities next year, but that was mainly due to replacing Madden with Babb, which I believe would have been a very nice improvement (never was a KM fan).  But losing Babb dampened my spirits.  I believe we're going to miss that kid for the next couple of years.

[hawginbigd1]

All i know is the next two years will tell the tale for coaching and recruiting.

Yep!

Just for clarity, I think most believe like I do, and in most years the 16-19 win range while not actually a losing record, is a losing season. Generally there are about 10 built in W's or cupcakes. So that results in your conference and high level OOC record being more like 6 to 9 wins vs. 12 to 14 losses If you finish with these win totals.

[MikePiazza]

Good post, and I will not smite, but it reminds me of a bone I'd like to pick with some.
I am so tired of hearing about 'how bad a shape the program was in...'
This isn't a bash Anderson point.
It is to make the point that the team Anderson inherited won 10 SEC games. TEN.
How in the heck is that a horrible situation?
Yet you get the impression that we were coming off an SMU-like death penalty or something. 'The program was in turr-ble shape, just turr-ble...'
Let's make it also clear: nobody cares about the APR. It's something you'd rather not have your program involved in. That's it. We lost a scholarship. That's it. UCONN took an APR hit and all they did was win the national title the next year. Losing one schollie is like telling Trey Thompson he can't play. Oh wait, he didn't play anyway. Fact is, it's NOT an on-court penalty. It affects wins and losses hardly at all. It's just a minor stigma that yes, you'd rather not have, but that's it. So stop using that as an example of how terrible the program was.

This is all about wins and losses, and any coach who takes over a team that can go 10-8 in the SEC, led by solid SEC players in BJ Young and Marshawn Powell, is not walking into a bad situation.

Anderson coached BJ Young and Marshawn Powell to 10-8 in the SEC. Are you saying that because he didn't recruit those players?

Because the situation he inherited was 25-39 in the SEC over the previous four years. Not 10-8.

[wheelspigharvey]

Solid points you're making here, sir.

I do think there are significant differences in those comparisons that you're not considering, mainly that BJ and Powell were thought to be contributors to team chemistry problems, and their departure eliminated those issues.  I don't think that's the case we have now, though IMO we may have had a little bit of that with a couple of our departures.

I don't think it's realistic we're going to take a step forward, though.  I'm not one of those who believe we're going to fall off the cliff, but if Mike/staff are able to coach that team to keep it a tourney team, then IMO he should be coach of the year in the SEC.

I'd agree with the first paragraph, there was certainly some addition by subtraction chemistry-wise with those two, but we also know that Portis and Qualls had some holes in their games that are well-documented on this board.  For example, while we might miss Qualls' high-flying feats and sheer offensive production, we also bemoaned his ball-handling.  I don't know much about watching film, but Jimmy Whitt's ball handling skills get me pretty pumped even if he's not as explosive yet. 

I guess what I mean is that every team has strengths and weaknesses, and losing anyone can be looked at as gloom and doom or it can be looked at as an opportunity to improve in other areas, and play to the strengths of the guys coming back.

As far as progress, I would say that making the tournament for the second consecutive year would be a major step forward in the long-term even if we don't win as many games in the regular season.  The last guy to do it back-to-back was Heath starting in '06-'07.  Maybe that's optimistic, but I'm going to remain so until the season really gets going.

[GlassofSwine]

Arkansas Basketball had stalled out under Pelphrey. Few thought he could get us going again. We went back to the old girlfriend and made a sentimental & nostalgic hire.  The number of wins has improved but we're not truly competitive, not really. And why is that?

I don't think you know what the definition of competitive is. Pelphrey didn't stall out Arkansas basketball he proved to be one of the worst coaches in our history. Your post is  just about the most delusional drivel someone could write.

[WorfHog]

Let's give him a chance to build this team and go compete.  We'll have a good idea of what kind of team we have after a few games are played.  There are a lot of unknowns next year, but you guys condemning Mike already are bonkers.

Why even worry about posting on Hogville when you obviously have the predictive abilities to forecast outcomes months in advance? You should be cashing in bets on the NBA Finals and playing the stock market.

I'd bet that most of you guys can't forecast what you'll have for dinner tonight.   

[HognitiveDissonance]

Anderson coached BJ Young and Marshawn Powell to 10-8 in the SEC. Are you saying that because he didn't recruit those players?

Because the situation he inherited was 25-39 in the SEC over the previous four years. Not 10-8.

One of those years earlier years Powell missed extensive time due to injury.

He and BJ were solid SEC talents. Some others, too, that I liked(Madden, Mickelson---I still like him). The roster wasn't bad at all. J Nobles, too. Not good enough to win the league, but far, far from the doom and gloom you hear, for some unknown reason.

I give Anderson credit due for winning those 10 games with the team he inherited, and I give credit to guys staying healthy and continuing to develop from year to year, as you might expect.

I'm saying that the team Anderson took over had good talent. Not great, not poor, but pretty good. Good enough to win 10 league games, which is pretty good in this league by anyone's measure.

[TheRazorbackGuy]

Let's give him a chance to build this team and go compete.  We'll have a good idea of what kind of team we have after a few games are played.  There are a lot of unknowns next year, but you guys condemning Mike already are bonkers.

Why even worry about posting on Hogville when you obviously have the predictive abilities to forecast outcomes months in advance? You should be cashing in bets on the NBA Finals and playing the stock market.

I'd bet that most of you guys can't forecast what you'll have for dinner tonight.   

Chance to Build? Its year 5. Its past the building stage

[Kevin]

Chance to Build? Its year 5. Its past the building stage

hope the practice facility does not take that long

[WorfHog]

Chance to Build? Its year 5. Its past the building stage

I'm going to try and be as plain as possible because you must be a moron.

Every year is a rebuild because every year brings change. Players develop and refine skills, form new bonds and  (hopefully) learn to play as a team. It's the coach's job to prepare (i.e. build) his team during the offseason.  So why don't you take a breather and let Mike work on his team this offseason and judge the finished product come November? You won't though because it's more fun to troll the board with doom and gloom.

[MikePiazza]

One of those years earlier years Powell missed extensive time due to injury.

He and BJ were solid SEC talents. Some others, too, that I liked(Madden, Mickelson---I still like him). The roster wasn't bad at all. J Nobles, too. Not good enough to win the league, but far, far from the doom and gloom you hear, for some unknown reason.

I give Anderson credit due for winning those 10 games with the team he inherited, and I give credit to guys staying healthy and continuing to develop from year to year, as you might expect.

I'm saying that the team Anderson took over had good talent. Not great, not poor, but pretty good. Good enough to win 10 league games, which is pretty good in this league by anyone's measure.

His first year, they went 6-10 in the SEC under the old scheduling system. Marvell Waithe and Michael Sanchez started a lot of games.

[TheRazorbackGuy]

I'm going to try and be as plain as possible because you must be a moron.

Every year is a rebuild because every year brings change. Players develop and refine skills, form new bonds and  (hopefully) learn to play as a team. It's the coach's job to prepare (i.e. build) his team during the offseason.  So why don't you take a breather and let Mike work on his team this offseason and judge the finished product come November? You won't though because it's more fun to troll the board with doom and gloom.

Its not doom and gloom. This team will be competitive and win some they aren't suppose to and lose some they aren't suppose to. That's what happens with a young team. The disappointing side is that we lost SEC player of the year and our other star in Qualls. Aside that two seniors leave in Madden and Harris. Those guys were veterans. Babb then transfers. 5 guys off the roster and only bring in 2 freshmen? There will be a transition period. According to 247sports Arkansas was 7th in the SEC in recruiting. The conference is getting tougher but this team being a 27 win team in 2016 SEC is going to be extremely difficult w a team this young.

[WorfHog]

Its not doom and gloom. This team will be competitive and win some they aren't suppose to and lose some they aren't suppose to. That's what happens with a young team. The disappointing side is that we lost SEC player of the year and our other star in Qualls. Aside that two seniors leave in Madden and Harris. Those guys were veterans. Babb then transfers. 5 guys off the roster and only bring in 2 freshmen? There will be a transition period. According to 247sports Arkansas was 7th in the SEC in recruiting. The conference is getting tougher but this team being a 27 win team in 2016 SEC is going to be extremely difficult w a team this young.

Why not be hopeful that the guy getting paid $1.6 million+ knows how to build a team and develop the players he has? We don't have to be a 27 win team to make the dance and make a run, you're almost guaranteed a ticket at 24 wins. Since we don't know what our schedule looks like yet, there's literally no way to even start to predict how many wins we'll have. As lackluster as the spring recruiting has been, it'll only take some expected development from a few players to field a competitive team.

Qualls is the hardest to replace since we don't know how rusty Kapita is, but Kapita's got some real talent. If Jacory works on his shot he'll be better. If Moses and Thompson can put in work this summer and develop they'll be able to help ease the loss of Portis.  Madden was a good guard for us, but we have a much better guard coming in with Whitt. Losing Babb literally means nothing because he contributed next to nothing. Durham should be better equipped to contribute after a year in the SEC. Beard will only get better. Anthlon Bell will likely continue to be Anthlon Bell, but Dusty Hannahs should pick up some of the scoring slack. Miles has had injury issues, if he stays healthy he will contribute. 

It's a lot of "if's", but it's not as bad as you guys are making it out to be. Portis and Qualls stepped up their game last season, it'll be interesting to see who steps up this season.

[SexyBeast77]

I don't think you know what the definition of competitive is. Pelphrey didn't stall out Arkansas basketball he proved to be one of the worst coaches in our history. Your post is  just about the most delusional drivel someone could write.

Um 1 tournament appearance in 4 years is fact, not delusional drivel. It's just not impressive. Any coach not named Mike Anderson would be on the hot seat after that going into year 5. The only way that record is impressive or acceptable is by this actually delusional drivel of revisionist history whereby Mike Anderson brought Arkansas back from the depths of a Death Penalty like program.

[wheelspigharvey]

Um 1 tournament appearance in 4 years is fact, not delusional drivel. It's just not impressive. Any coach not named Mike Anderson would be on the hot seat after that going into year 5. The only way that record is impressive or acceptable is by this actually delusional drivel of revisionist history whereby Mike Anderson brought Arkansas back from the depths of a Death Penalty like program.

If you start with one and then have a three year drought, getting worse each year, that's not the same as starting from scratch, improving each year, and finally getting one.  Thankfully, context is important to those who make decisions.

[bigdaddyhawg]

Thankfully, context is important to those who make decisions.

Give me a break.  Jeff Long knew he had one realistic option when he was hiring, and that was Mike Anderson.  It was a good choice, for many reasons, but the main reason was Mike's connection to the glory days.

And Mike will have to screw that proverbial pooch big time to get fired.

How's that for context??

[bigdaddyhawg]

Why not be hopeful that the guy getting paid $1.6 million+ knows how to build a team and develop the players he has? We don't have to be a 27 win team to make the dance and make a run, you're almost guaranteed a ticket at 24 wins. Since we don't know what our schedule looks like yet, there's literally no way to even start to predict how many wins we'll have. As lackluster as the spring recruiting has been, it'll only take some expected development from a few players to field a competitive team.

Qualls is the hardest to replace since we don't know how rusty Kapita is, but Kapita's got some real talent. If Jacory works on his shot he'll be better. If Moses and Thompson can put in work this summer and develop they'll be able to help ease the loss of Portis.  Madden was a good guard for us, but we have a much better guard coming in with Whitt. Losing Babb literally means nothing because he contributed next to nothing. Durham should be better equipped to contribute after a year in the SEC. Beard will only get better. Anthlon Bell will likely continue to be Anthlon Bell, but Dusty Hannahs should pick up some of the scoring slack. Miles has had injury issues, if he stays healthy he will contribute. 

It's a lot of "if's", but it's not as bad as you guys are making it out to be. Portis and Qualls stepped up their game last season, it'll be interesting to see who steps up this season.

Yes.  Yes, it is a LOT of "ifs".

But that could be said for any and every team in the entire country.  IF our returning players play way above their head, and IF the new recruits come in and fill our every hope and dream, and IF they all stay healthy, and if their chemistry together works out great, and IF they all work super hard in the off-season to improve, THEN we might have a chance to have a good season.

I refer to a post made a couple of weeks ago by another Hog brother, regarding the recruiting "lay of the land" BEFORE all the dominos fell against us: (paraphrased) "If we get Vick, and Izundu (sp?), and Kevaughn, and if Whitt and Kapita come in and produce as we hope, then we're going to have a tourney team again."

Well, of that handful of "ifs" we're O fer at this current junction.  I share this in an attempt to help you see that in real life it rarely if ever happens where all the "ifs" fall into place like you want. 

It's just not realistic.