Stan's situation

[Biggus Piggus]

I keep reading certain people claim that negative message board posts might persuade recruiting prospects that Stan Heath is in trouble.  Seems stupid to me, but high school kids are as a lot susceptible to easy persuasion.  I find that Arkansas beat writers seem to be the ones who take the message board extremism the most seriously.  Or do they?  Are they really talking about the mood of the whole Razorback community?

[WindyCityHog]

Now, ain't you funny?

[wincrimson]

I think Stan is a good guy. I've heard about y'alls up and coming recruiting class. Give him another year or two...

[WindyCityHog]

Damn! A Tide fan....welcome to the board....I wish we had a smorgasboard of SEC posters to argue with......It beats what we've been doing for the past 24.....arguing with Arkansas State fans...although they have our number....even if it it women's college basketball.

[WilsonHog]

Want to know what Stan did?  His team crashed so badly that he removed the stigma of "worst coach on campus" from HDN and put it on himself.

It's like the condemned man getting the call from the governor - except that now the governor, instead of calling, is actually stopping by to take the hot seat himself.

Now HDN just needs the rest of the spring to be uneventful and for Reggie Herring and DVH to keep up the good work.

He may survive this thing yet.   

[Biggus Piggus]

Message No. 10,000 to the assembled print media:

1) Your jobs are doomed.  Newspapers are losing 1 million readers every three years.  Eventually, ad rates must fall.  Imagine if newsprint pricing ever sustains an uptrend (it will, all commodity prices are heading up).

2) Internet message boards do not provide a representative sample of the population.

[davis01]

Stan Heath is an outstanding individual who has his player's best interest at heart.  However, in his 3rd year, statistically we were doing things better in our 1st year.  For example rebounding, field goal percentage.  To go a step further, we were better mid-season than we were in our last game.  Fundamentally, I feel Stan Heath probably makes an excellent assistant coach, or possibly a Head Coach in a much smaller conference. 

For our player's to have such high accolades as recruits, there performance was more indicative of average recruits.  Infact, I venture to say that our worst Team under Nolan Richardson, would have a very good chance of beating the current regime.

To bring Arkansas Basketball back to the levels we have enjoyed in 1978, 1979, 1994, 1995, etc.,  we must put our money where our mouth is.  I firmly believe a committee should be formed with a possible 5 names on the list ranked in order of who we want first, second, etc.,  We need to bring money to the table.  Rick Pitino, Roy Williams, Mike K, etc.,   Successful recruiting will occur when the University has a NAME that players attract to.  Then and only then will we enjoy the glory days of past.  We will never win another SEC Championship or National Championship if we don't earnestly challenge ourselves to make this happen.

[Rocky&Boarwinkle]

I think he got in over his head much too quickly.  If he survives this either by staying or going to a lesser school after the firing, he may ultimately be quite successful.  I think he has a lot of knowledge and knows what he wants to do.  Getting the guys he has assembled together to quit fighting and execute is the problem.  He could've managed that better.  He may recruit/work himself out of this situation, or he may not.  I just wish we didn't have to be taken along for the ride.  I wish we had hired a more established coach and that Broyles would retire.  He has built great facilities, but he can't resist meddling and getting into pissing matches with most of his coaching hires.  There is a reason both Hatfield and Holtz left.  There can be only one "head coach" on campus.  Look at his success in sports he really isn't interested in like track and baseball and in the past :  basketball.  I don't think he would've fired Nolan if he hadn't kept spouting off his mouth all the time.

[Call Mr. Sow]

I think Stan is a good guy. I've heard about y'alls up and coming recruiting class. Give him another year or two...

Forgive me for being sarcasm impaired...you're kidding about the up and coming recruiting class, right? 

[Biggus Piggus]

Field goal percentage?

The 2002-03 Razorbacks shot an incredibly poor 43.8% from 2-pt range and 31% from 3-pt range.  They made 60.9% at the free throw line.

The 2004-05 Razorbacks shot 49.1% from 2-pt range, 37.2% from 3-pt range, and 66.3% at the line.

In SEC games only, the Hogs did 46% from 2-pt range, 33% from 3-pt range, and 67% at the line.

The 02-03 team also was positively awful handling the basketball, because of its lack of guards.  That team got assists on 45% of its field goals compared with 56% this year.

Can't say this year's team was particularly good at anything though, as its stats were inflated by an unusually easy schedule vs. the very difficult ones of 2001-02 and 2002-03.

If you look at this year's team in terms of stats in games where they lost, good lordy they're bad.  In 12 defeats:

Hogs shot 43% from 2-pt range
Allowed 51%

Shot 30% from 3-pt range
Allowed 37%

Shot 64% at the line

Averaged under 61% defensive rebounding vs opportunities (that is scary bad, and the second Tenn game was 48%)

Got outrebounded an average of 5 total

Sent opponents to the line 8 more times

Averaged assists on 49% of field goals (vs 60% in wins)

When the Hogs were bad, they really stank it up.  Curled up and quit.  Especially that last game.  It was total surrender.  Worst defensive and rebounding game of the season.  That was the shocker to me, that supposedly Stan had this big team meeting, his players came out and said who gives a darn.  How can you not totally clean house after having your players tell you to eat darn?

[Oklahawg]

The sports community is increasingly stratifying into 2 camps--the myopic fan base populating message boards, with the least insightful boards looking silly compared to this one; and, the big-money movers and shakers who drive the program fiscally and, therefore, strategically (hiring, firing, etc.).

The print writers have to pander to one or the other for attention and a paycheck. I suspect that if Orville Henry was with us at full strength today he'd be a member of several boards, perusing for insight that occasionally morphs out of fans' posts. Rather than hearing the zealotry in the corner coffee shop he'd read it hear.

[Macgyver_Hawg]

Guys, I talk to men and women everyday with the same opinions that you see on message boards, and these people have never been on them.  Get a group of hog fans together at a table who still have windows 3.0 and you'll hear a lot of the same comments.

This is the new water cooler at the office.

[HogInMemphis]

When the Hogs were bad, they really stank it up.  Curled up and quit.  Especially that last game.  It was total surrender.  Worst defensive and rebounding game of the season.  That was the shocker to me, that supposedly Stan had this big team meeting, his players came out and said who gives a Shiite.  How can you not totally clean house after having your players tell you to eat Shiite?

I"m glad they did. I took Tenn +2 and won $150!  AT least when you need them to lose, they come through for you!

[HogInMemphis]

Want to know what Stan did? His team crashed so badly that he removed the stigma of "worst coach on campus" from HDN and put it on himself.

It's like the condemned man getting the call from the governor - except that now the governor, instead of calling, is actually stopping by to take the hot seat himself.

Now HDN just needs the rest of the spring to be uneventful and for Reggie Herring and DVH to keep up the good work.

He may survive this thing yet.

I hate to say it Wilson, but you possibly could be as effective as HC as the 'NUTTSTER" is?

that's an insult to Wilson. He would be able to do a better job for less money compared to Nutt!