Non-conference schedule released

[-Blu]

Also,

Here's some info on the mighty Georgia Tech and Wake Forest teams that apparently we have no shot at beating.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/team/schedule/_/id/59/year/2015/georgia-tech-yellow-jackets (12-19 record)
http://georgiatech.247sports.com/Season/2015-Basketball/Commits (#135 recruiting class)

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/team/schedule/_/id/154/year/2015/wake-forest-demon-deacons (13-19 record)
http://wakeforest.247sports.com/Season/2015-Basketball/Commits (#32 recruiting class)

Yet some fans are getting hounded for projecting wins over these schools?  Come on now...

edit: Also, here's Dayton's recruiting class.... Very Scary, we may as well not even show up.
http://dayton.247sports.com/Season/2015-Basketball/Commits

[Hawg Red]

I actually said 10-3 or 11-2 is what I would predict.  I think they were referring to another person saying 12-1 is delusional, I was just saying it's premature to be running down predictions, still a lot of unknowns. 

Anyways, I think this whole topic is starting to go south over the word delusional, that's my bad.  I just thought the word delusional was kinda harsh.  Regardless, I think I've used that word more than I had hoped today, hopefully we hear some more basketball news soon and get some commits, you know it's slow when there's nothing to do but argue about predictions.

Whether it's harsh or not is beside the point. It's obvious what my point was in saying that the prediction was delusional. It's extremely unlikely that this roster goes 12-1 when we haven't had a non-con record that good in probably 20 years. Insert whatever adjective you think is apt, but 12-1 is just not a realistic possibility in my book.

[Hawg Red]

Also,

Here's some info on the mighty Georgia Tech and Wake Forest teams that apparently we have no shot at beating.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/team/schedule/_/id/59/year/2015/georgia-tech-yellow-jackets (12-19 record)
http://georgiatech.247sports.com/Season/2015-Basketball/Commits (#135 recruiting class)

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/team/schedule/_/id/154/year/2015/wake-forest-demon-deacons (13-19 record)
http://wakeforest.247sports.com/Season/2015-Basketball/Commits (#32 recruiting class)

Yet some fans are getting hounded for projecting wins over these schools?  Come on now...

edit: Also, here's Dayton's recruiting class.... Very Scary, we may as well not even show up.
http://dayton.247sports.com/Season/2015-Basketball/Commits

Those are road games. You want to get into the history of Arkansas road wins under Anderson when Portis isn't on campus? I'm being completely serious with you. You're either acting like Portis is still on campus or that nothing happened before he was on the team. We can even go back to before Anderson was hired at Arkansas. The Hogs have recent history of dropping road games to subpar opponents. With so many question surrounding the team right now, it would seem reasonable for one to not anticipate success on the road. Is that reasonable logic on my part?

[RME]

Those are road games. You want to get into the history of Arkansas road wins under Anderson when Portis isn't on campus? I'm being completely serious with you. You're either acting like Portis is still on campus or that nothing happened before he was on the team. We can even go back to before Anderson was hired at Arkansas. The Hogs have recent history of dropping road games to subpar opponents. With so many question surrounding the team right now, it would seem reasonable for one to not anticipate success on the road. Is that reasonable logic on my part?

+1 to you. I agree 100%. I've come to realize after a short time on these boards that pragmatism and realistic views are categorized as negativity and pessimism. Last year's team, one of the best we've had in a while, still lost 2 non-conf games. How anyone can expect this roster to match or better that record, boggles my mind.

[jry04]

Also,

Here's some info on the mighty Georgia Tech and Wake Forest teams that apparently we have no shot at beating.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/team/schedule/_/id/59/year/2015/georgia-tech-yellow-jackets (12-19 record)
http://georgiatech.247sports.com/Season/2015-Basketball/Commits (#135 recruiting class)

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/team/schedule/_/id/154/year/2015/wake-forest-demon-deacons (13-19 record)
http://wakeforest.247sports.com/Season/2015-Basketball/Commits (#32 recruiting class)

Yet some fans are getting hounded for projecting wins over these schools?  Come on now...

edit: Also, here's Dayton's recruiting class.... Very Scary, we may as well not even show up.
http://dayton.247sports.com/Season/2015-Basketball/Commits

Not sure anyone is saying we have no shot of beating those schools, but to win all of them is unlikely. Also, their recruiting classes are not necessarily relevant. Dayton will be returning almost everyone, and is projected to make the NCAAT for a 3rd straight season. They have a pretty good home environment, and will be very experienced. I would be shocked if we beat them, plus went 2-0 in the NIT.

We lost @ Clemson last season. I would say Wake is going to be similar to Clemson next season, and Dayton is going to be way better, while we are way worse.

[Hawg Red]

I haven't seen anyone ignore anything we've lost.  But, I have seen people ignore the fact the some players can step up.  It happens every year.  And the non-conference schedule is easier than last year as well.  I don't think predicting 10+ wins in non-conference is anything outrageous considering we'll be favored in at least 9 of them.  I would even say we'll be favored in 10, because I think we'd be favored over GA Tech on a neutral court.  Nobody is predicting them as a tourney team, but there are some that think we'll have a shot.

I'm accounting for players stepping up. I just think most of the players on the team aren't equipped to step up to the level necessary to achieve the kind of success you're talking about (multiple road wins and double digit non-con wins). And that isn't their fault. Many of them play their roles well. We're lacking bell cows. We have Whitt, who hasn't played a single college game, but I'm giving him that tag. After that? Kingsley? Who knows how good he's going to be or what kind of leap he's going to make. Thompson and Miles? Two guys that barely played last year. Durham, Bell, and Hannahs are role players. People are talking about Bell leading the team in scoring. We're in trouble if that happens because he hasn't shown much consistency in his 3 years at Arkansas and he's mostly a catch-and-shoot guy. Not a creator of offense. Jenkins was headed to prep school to get better offers. Maybe we got lucky, but more likely, he's going to take some time. And that's fine......if you have reasonable expectations for this roster. Justifying predictions of success for a roster that doesn't look like, on paper, it can match that, to me, is unreasonable/delusional/whatever you want to call it.

[hawginbigd1]

+1 to you. I agree 100%. I've come to realize after a short time on these boards that pragmatism and realistic views are categorized as negativity and pessimism. Last year's team, one of the best we've had in a while, still lost 2 non-conf games. How anyone can expect this roster to match or better that record, boggles my mind.

BOOM there goes a relative rookie bringing the wood! +1 sir.

No truer words have ever been written on HV or any other board.

[-Blu]

Those are road games. You want to get into the history of Arkansas road wins under Anderson when Portis isn't on campus? I'm being completely serious with you. You're either acting like Portis is still on campus or that nothing happened before he was on the team. We can even go back to before Anderson was hired at Arkansas. The Hogs have recent history of dropping road games to subpar opponents. With so many question surrounding the team right now, it would seem reasonable for one to not anticipate success on the road. Is that reasonable logic on my part?

I'm perfectly aware of who is on campus and who the coach is.  And FYI GA Tech is a neutral site game.  GA Tech won a whopping 2  games outside of their arena last year, so if we are going off of who did what in the past then Hogs should win this game in your mind, because obviously we are doing better than them outside their arena, and we got better players.

And I don't even know why we keep going back to previous years and arguing what last year's team did. What in the world does that have to do with this year's roster and OOC schedule? Throw previous years out the window, because it really doesn't matter, it's a different year with different players.  Strictly looking at THIS YEAR'S ROSTER on THIS YEAR'S OOC SCHEDULE.  We have a better roster on paper than 12 out of 13 scheduled teams.  Expecting a coach in year 5 to win 10 or 11 games against inferior teams is something all the fans should expect.  Maybe I hold CMA to a higher standard than some of you.... I don't know.  But, I would bet that any analyst that looks at our non-conference schedule completely unbiased would say that is a schedule where the hogs could easily win 10 or 11 games, I'm sure that was the thought process of the staff as well when they made it.

[RME]

BOOM there goes a relative rookie bringing the wood! +1 sir.

No truer words have ever been written on HV or any other board.

Appreciate it. I calls 'em like I sees 'em.

[Hawg Red]

I'm perfectly aware of who is on campus and who the coach is.  And FYI GA Tech is a neutral site game.  GA Tech won a whopping 2  games outside of their arena last year, so if we are going off of who did what in the past then Hogs should win this game in your mind, because obviously we are doing better than them outside their arena, and we got better players.

And I don't even know why we keep going back to previous years and arguing what last year's team did. What in the world does that have to do with this year's roster and OOC schedule? Throw previous years out the window, because it really doesn't matter, it's a different year with different players.  Strictly looking at THIS YEAR'S ROSTER on THIS YEAR'S OOC SCHEDULE.  We have a better roster on paper than 12 out of 13 scheduled teams.  Expecting a coach in year 5 to win 10 or 11 games against inferior teams is something all the fans should expect.  Maybe I hold CMA to a higher standard than some of you.... I don't know.  But, I would bet that any analyst that looks at our non-conference schedule completely unbiased would say that is a schedule where the hogs could easily win 10 or 11 games, I'm sure that was the thought process of the staff as well when they made it.

Neutral court = road. Counts the same to me.

Also, I'm sorry, -Blu, but I'm not convinced we have better players than Georgia Tech. Our leading returning scorer averaged 8 PPG and they have double digit guys returning (well, Mitchell averaged 9.8 PPG). They have Nick Jacobs transferring in from Bama and he averaged 8 PPG there. I don't think it's situation where Arkansas is clearly more talented. We may be, but we could not be as well. We're losing our two best guys and they're returning theirs. On a neutral court, I just don't see where the Hogs have an advantage just based on returning talent.

[MikePiazza]

11/13 Southern W
11/18 Akron W
11/20 Charleston Southern W
11/26 Georgia Tech W
11/27 Villanova or Stanford L
12/1 Northwestern St. W
12/4 at Wake Forest W
12/8 Evansville W
12/12 Tennessee Tech W
12/19 Mercer W
12/22 North Florida W
12/30 at Dayton L
1/30 TTU W

11-2, but SEC play will have already started before they play Texas Tech.

If you go 11-2 and go 9-9 in the SEC, 20-11 going into Nashville puts you in NIT for sure and MAYBE on the bubble, assuming you can win two in Nashville. 22-12 might get you a play-in game in Dayton for a 11 or 12 seed.

[jry04]

11/13 Southern W
11/18 Akron W
11/20 Charleston Southern W
11/26 Georgia Tech W
11/27 Villanova or Stanford L
12/1 Northwestern St. W
12/4 at Wake Forest W
12/8 Evansville W
12/12 Tennessee Tech W
12/19 Mercer W
12/22 North Florida W
12/30 at Dayton L
1/30 TTU W

11-2, but SEC play will have already started before they play Texas Tech.

If you go 11-2 and go 9-9 in the SEC, 20-11 going into Nashville puts you in NIT for sure and MAYBE on the bubble, assuming you can win two in Nashville. 22-12 might get you a play-in game in Dayton for a 11 or 12 seed.

I do not see us going 9-9 in SEC play, though.

[TomBigBeeHog]

11/13 Southern W
11/18 Akron W
11/20 Charleston Southern W
11/26 Georgia Tech W
11/27 Villanova or Stanford L
12/1 Northwestern St. W
12/4 at Wake Forest W
12/8 Evansville W
12/12 Tennessee Tech W
12/19 Mercer W
12/22 North Florida W
12/30 at Dayton L
1/30 TTU W

11-2, but SEC play will have already started before they play Texas Tech.

If you go 11-2 and go 9-9 in the SEC, 20-11 going into Nashville puts you in NIT for sure and MAYBE on the bubble, assuming you can win two in Nashville. 22-12 might get you a play-in game in Dayton for a 11 or 12 seed.

I like those apples! I would take that record right now.

[MikePiazza]

I do not see us going 9-9 in SEC play, though.

When does the SEC release the conference basketball schedule? We should get Kentucky and Florida at home, we know we've got Mizzou twice (that should be two wins) and we play A&M and LSU twice.

9-9 will be tough but doable.

[hogsanity]

When does the SEC release the conference basketball schedule? We should get Kentucky and Florida at home, we know we've got Mizzou twice (that should be two wins) and we play A&M and LSU twice.

9-9 will be tough but doable.

Mizzu should be two wins? Last years team, the best Hog team in a decade had to survive two missed free throws at the end of the game to get out of Columbia with a win.

[MikePiazza]

Mizzu should be two wins? Last years team, the best Hog team in a decade had to survive two missed free throws at the end of the game to get out of Columbia with a win.

They lost Johnathan Williams III. He was basically their team last year and they were DREADFUL.

[Hawg Red]

Mizzu should be two wins? Last years team, the best Hog team in a decade had to survive two missed free throws at the end of the game to get out of Columbia with a win.

Agreed. Rivalry game, too. Probably the most winnable road game we have on the conference schedule (maybe the schedule period), but there are no "should win" road games this year. Hope we can win as many as possible but I think we're looking at one or two road wins this year. Maybe Mizzou is one of them (or the one).

[ErieHog]

11/13 Southern W
11/18 Akron W
11/20 Charleston Southern W
11/26 Georgia Tech W
11/27 Villanova or Stanford L
12/1 Northwestern St. W
12/4 at Wake Forest W
12/8 Evansville W
12/12 Tennessee Tech W
12/19 Mercer W
12/22 North Florida W
12/30 at Dayton L
1/30 TTU W

11-2, but SEC play will have already started before they play Texas Tech.

If you go 11-2 and go 9-9 in the SEC, 20-11 going into Nashville puts you in NIT for sure and MAYBE on the bubble, assuming you can win two in Nashville. 22-12 might get you a play-in game in Dayton for a 11 or 12 seed.

21 or 22 wins with this roster would be little short of miraculous.   I'm expecting 15-17.

[Hawg Red]

They lost Johnathan Williams III. He was basically their team last year and they were DREADFUL.

Also lost Montque Gill-Cesar. They will be bad. But everyone here knows how bad we've been on the road outside of when he had Bobby Portis. We did pretty well on the road/neutral courts the last two years, but this team now has to re-prove themselves without Portis and Qualls. With no star or second star, where is the confidence coming from? Even if Whitt is a stud freshman, is that enough to win multiple road games?

[hogsanity]

21 or 22 wins with this roster would be little short of miraculous.   I'm expecting 15-17.

22 wins with this roster should get MA National coach of the year.

[TomBigBeeHog]

21 or 22 wins with this roster would be little short of miraculous.   I'm expecting 15-17.

with or without Beard and Williams?

[ErieHog]

with or without Beard and Williams?

That's taking an optimistic angle, and hoping that Beard returns, but only after a suspension.

[Hawg Red]

Williams is officially gone.

[jry04]

Mizzu should be two wins? Last years team, the best Hog team in a decade had to survive two missed free throws at the end of the game to get out of Columbia with a win.

While I will not pencil in any game as wins, Missouri may be worse than us next season. I do not care what had to happen last year.

[JayBell]

While I will not pencil in any game as wins, Missouri may be worse than us next season. I do not care what had to happen last year.

Agreed.  Arkansas should still beat almost all of their conference opponents at home.  But they're likely to slide back into "historically bad" territory on the road.

[HoopS]

A couple of these games will be very difficult regardless of our roster. Dayton and whoever we play between Nova and Stanford. Every other game is definitely winnable. But until we know Beard's status, I won't hazard a guess on our record. But GT and Wake should prove to be games we *can* win.

The other thing is -- until we see this group together, we just can't know how it'll blend. A guy like Watkins barely scored but he also barely shot last year. Miles is a big unknown. Hannahs and Bell can both stroke it. Will they thrive with higher expectations? What about Kingsley? Will knowing he has to step up make a difference?

I can see this thing playing out a lot of ways. I tend to lean towards us being better than .500 but short of an NCAAT bid. Really going out on the limb, I know.

Let's find out about Beard and reassess.