We have a Team

[WilsonHog]

I love this team.

The most impressive thing to me about our win yesterday was Rickey Scott - because of what his quality minutes said about the current culture of our program. With a 48-hour turnaround after our emotional win at Rupp, the greatest dangers yesterday were lack of focus and being just plain tired. We needed someone like Scott - who could easily be disgruntled at the way his senior year has gone - to step up...and he did. Ten quality minutes. Five points, three rebounds, no turnovers, and solid defense.

Drake Wade is another example; just waited his turn, kept a great attitude, and over the past few games he's given us 10 to 20 quality minutes a night.

Joe Dean, Jr. said yesterday that Mike thinks the defining point of the season was how the team reacted to his suspensions of Michael and Alandise. Hard to argue with it.

It's amazing what can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit.

[Overtheroadtruckdriver]

You and I agree (for once).

Different folks step up at different times.  Qualls is reminding me of Darrell walker.   First time I can remember being excited about hog basketball. 

[thirtythree]

I was more impressed with RS's comments in the press conference. It just summed up what team is and what kind of team mate he is.

I wondered about the fatigue of the team as well, but they came out even more fierce than they did against UK. That energy has to keep up for every game!

[Smithian]

They're playing how we hoped they would.

I wish they had capitalized more early on but they turned it up and are getting it done in the stretch run. Have to be happy with that.

[dj shanon "Notshavin" smeya]

I love this team.

The most impressive thing to me about our win yesterday was Rickey Scott - because of what his quality minutes said about the current culture of our program. With a 48-hour turnaround after our emotional win at Rupp, the greatest dangers yesterday were lack of focus and being just plain tired. We needed someone like Scott - who could easily be disgruntled at the way his senior year has gone - to step up...and he did. Ten quality minutes. Five points, three rebounds, no turnovers, and solid defense.

Drake Wade is another example; just waited his turn, kept a great attitude, and over the past few games he's given us 10 to 20 quality minutes a night.

Joe Dean, Jr. said yesterday that Mike thinks the defining point of the season was how the team reacted to his suspensions of Michael and Alandise. Hard to argue with it.

It's amazing what can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit.

I agree Wilson!

And the credit goes to.........








All of them! 

If you are a high seeded team who happens to have to play us...who do you prepare for?

MA and gang deserve this and I'm going to go ahead and say I believe!  I would love for them to be able to cut down the nets for Coty especially if we were able to win the SEC Tourney.

Oh, and FREE THROWS while you are tired!  That is something you can only do well if you WORK at it in practice.  Their conditioning and focus on the little things got them over this "away" game hump.  The other teams are sucking air by the middle of the 2nd half.

WPS!!!!!  :razorback:

[TMc]

You and I agree (for once).

Different folks step up at different times.  Qualls is reminding me of Darrell walker.   First time I can remember being excited about hog basketball. 

I do agree about being excited about Hog basketball again.  We are playing team ball.., as long as they shoot the ball decently, they can play with a lot of teams.  One thing they have learned is this style of defense, and that has been the difference.  They are playing as hard as they can, and that's all you can ask.

[k.c.hawg]

I love this team.

The most impressive thing to me about our win yesterday was Rickey Scott - because of what his quality minutes said about the current culture of our program. With a 48-hour turnaround after our emotional win at Rupp, the greatest dangers yesterday were lack of focus and being just plain tired. We needed someone like Scott - who could easily be disgruntled at the way his senior year has gone - to step up...and he did. Ten quality minutes. Five points, three rebounds, no turnovers, and solid defense.

Drake Wade is another example; just waited his turn, kept a great attitude, and over the past few games he's given us 10 to 20 quality minutes a night.

Joe Dean, Jr. said yesterday that Mike thinks the defining point of the season was how the team reacted to his suspensions of Michael and Alandise. Hard to argue with it.

It's amazing what can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit.

My wife and I were discussing this yesterday. The upperclassman leadership on this team has been nothing less than outstanding. Wade, Kikko and now Scott. Wade hung in there through tough times and has been huge going down the stretch. Kikko stepped up to the line, cold off the bench against Kentucky and all but sealed that game with :18 left. Ricky Scott, what can you say.....he had not seen the floor in the last 3 games and he got his chance in a big game and came up big. Throw in the outstanding play of Coty and I think all of our young guys are seeing what will be required of them to lead a winning program when it becomes their turn. I always love it when a guy whose playing career hasn't been quite what he hoped still comes up big at a time when he is really needed. If you walk with your degree and have some moments like that it was all worth it and very much part of the Razorback way.

[JackJohnson]

They're playing how we hoped they would.

I wish they had capitalized more early on but they turned it up and are getting it done in the stretch run. Have to be happy with that.

Agreed.  Had we won the UF game and at Mizzou we would be looking at an RPI likely in the 30s and would only be playing for seeding right now.  However- as it stands right now we are literally playing every game as though it is the most important of the season and that could actually end up being better for us.  A team playing for seeding is more likely to slip up and play their way out of a bid with a couple late bad losses as opposed to a team playing to get in an taking nothing for granted and winning 9 out of their last 10 which would be us if we win these next 2

I like where we are right now.  No let downs and everything to play for

[jjdlc]

I'm impressed with how our secondary group has gelled the past several weeks.  They obviously don't have the offensive potential of the first group, but they are giving teams fits on D.

[-Blu]

I was more impressed with RS's comments in the press conference. It just summed up what team is and what kind of team mate he is.

Very good response from Rickey, not letting the DNPs get him down.  Just been praying and keeping God first, and being there for his teammates, great attitude.  And when you have a team that thinks like that, great things will happen.  And really everyone that's on the bench for CMA should think like this, if you practice hard and bring something to the table, your going to get a chance with the way he plays.  When we get in the SEC tournament, guys like Rickey and JaCorey will be needed on those back to back games, and they gotta be ready.

[The_Iceman]

If Bell sulks and doesnt keep working,  we also aren't where we are today. So many contributors. But he provides so much with his shooting.

[ThrillaHog]

I had to remind myself Nolan wasn't the coach while watching that game yesterday....


WPS Hog ball is almost back!

[rude1]

Totally agree about Scott. How many seniors who have played major minutes their whole career could keep a positive attitude while not getting to play their senior season, and still be ready when coach calls his number to go in and help the team? I really have an appreciation for this young man, you know it can't be easy for him to sit.

[k.c.hawg]

If Bell sulks and doesnt keep working,  we also aren't where we are today. So many contributors. But he provides so much with his shooting.

I love the fact that our coach might might sit a struggling player but doesn't forget a struggling player. No one on this team can score in bunches like Bell.....his performance in the Miss St game was the kind of hammer you love to have on the road. 19 pts in 17 minutes can cure a lot of road ills. Once again he hit some huge shots against Kentucky and even though he only got 5 yesterday when he hits a quick bomb it buys that second unit some time to get it going. It seems CMA has been pushing all the right buttons in the second half of the season.

[onebadrubi]

Next is Williams, can you say coming out at bama?  The irony...

[WilsonHog]

In his post-game comments yesterday, Mike said that our players have taken ownership. No matter the type of organization, when the people on the ground take ownership of the process, good things are going to happen.

That is the main difference, right now, between us and Kentucky: Mike has been able to create a "team" culture where players have taken ownership. Cal has been unable to do that with the Cats.

[JayBell]

A lot of guys on the team are playing as good now as they have all season.  Madden and Portis are the notable exceptions. Haydar and Kingsley were better at other times, as well.

Guard minutes are tough to earn for everybody.  Bell, Wade, Scott and Gulley are all as good right now as they have been all season.  The suspension really seemed to wake up Qualls and Harris.

[kaiserhog]

Wilson, you could see it in the Kentucky game.  Qualls did not play in the OT but he was a leader on the bench.  You could see it in Bobby Portis pregame comments about the importance of the Kentucky game.  I love this team and I would not want draw the Razorbacks in the early rounds of the NCAA.

[hogblitz]

I love this team.

The most impressive thing to me about our win yesterday was Rickey Scott - because of what his quality minutes said about the current culture of our program. With a 48-hour turnaround after our emotional win at Rupp, the greatest dangers yesterday were lack of focus and being just plain tired. We needed someone like Scott - who could easily be disgruntled at the way his senior year has gone - to step up...and he did. Ten quality minutes. Five points, three rebounds, no turnovers, and solid defense.

Drake Wade is another example; just waited his turn, kept a great attitude, and over the past few games he's given us 10 to 20 quality minutes a night.

Joe Dean, Jr. said yesterday that Mike thinks the defining point of the season was how the team reacted to his suspensions of Michael and Alandise. Hard to argue with it.

It's amazing what can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit.

But....I wonder what kind of grades these players are making?  I wonder if they are going to graduate?  Are the players honest and nice?  How do we look winning?  Are Jeff Long and Mike Anderson saying the right things to the press? Are we being viewed in a positive or negative light publicly?  Are we winning what some would call the right way?  These are MUCH more important aspects!!!

[kaiserhog]

But....I wonder what kind of grades these players are making?  I wonder if they are going to graduate?  Are the players honest and nice?  How do we look winning?  Are Jeff Long and Mike Anderson saying the right things to the press? Are we being viewed in a positive or negative light publicly?  Are we winning what some would call the right way?  These are MUCH more important aspects!!!

I have heard that the team is doing better academically than ever.

[hogblitz]

I have heard that the team is doing better academically than ever.

That's great.  To some folks, that is much more important than winning!

[kaiserhog]

Echoing Wilson, I really loved it that Ricky Scott came off the bench to give us a lift at a critical time. 

[Boarcephus]

What's great about this team is it's peaking at the right time.

[WilsonHog]

That's great.  To some folks, that is much more important than winning!

You miss one minor, but critical, point.

I am not a "glass half empty" or "glass half full" guy.

I'm a "fill my glass" guy.

I want wins AND a solid program academically.

I want wins AND a group of players who know how to act.

I want wins AND a coach who is a great representative of my alma mater.

I see no reason so sacrifice one for the other.

With Mike at the helm of our program, I don't have that worry.

[kaiserhog]

You miss one minor, but critical, point.

I am not a "glass half empty" or "glass half full" guy.

I'm a "fill my glass" guy.

I want wins AND a solid program academically.

I want wins AND a group of players who know how to act.

I want wins AND a coach who is a great representative of my alma mater.

I see no reason so sacrifice one for the other.

With Mike at the helm of our program, I don't have that worry.

Me too, why not the best. 

[razorback93]

I've been waiting to see if this team could handle success, because that has been a problem in the last several years.  I don't know that they are playing a whole lot better, except maybe on defense.  It seems weird to me, but they seem to have a significant scoring drought in the middle of the second have in every game.  However, they are overcoming it because they just keep playing through it and competing.  I love the attitude they've shown during this run, and I think they have finally turned a corner.

[Pork Twain]

I still think we are a year away from being really good but I think we have all seen the turning point for this team and I believe it is only going to get better.

[Biggus Piggus]

One thing MA made clear, and keeps doing it - he insists that things be done his way. He all but sacrificed the LSU road game to make that point. He benched Qualls at Kentucky to make that point. Don't stand and stare when you are supposed to help on defense. Getting this odd mixture of a team to buy in has been a challenge, because it's not the optimal way to play for all of them - individually. MA's putting in the system. He has stuck with it. It is the way they are going to play, and now they know they can win that way.

[Nipsey Mussle]

I have to give Harris credit for his play since the suspension. He's doing exactly what he's supposed to do. He's coming off the bench and scoring when he's out there with players who have difficulty scoring for themselves. His defense has also been top notch.
We wouldn't have won 7 of 8 without Harris.

[JayBell]

Remember the folks who were claiming this team would be worse off without some of the guys from last season?

[farmhawg]

One thing MA made clear, and keeps doing it - he insists that things be done his way. He all but sacrificed the LSU road game to make that point. He benched Qualls at Kentucky to make that point. Don't stand and stare when you are supposed to help on defense. Getting this odd mixture of a team to buy in has been a challenge, because it's not the optimal way to play for all of them - individually. MA's putting in the system. He has stuck with it. It is the way they are going to play, and now they know they can win that way.

This and they have bought in.

[WILL CLINTON]

I don't know if I've had a happier time watching 2 games in all of the time I've been following the Hogs than I have the past 2 games. It's nice to see that type of basketball again after such a long, long, long time.

[Hoggish1]

In his post-game comments yesterday, Mike said that our players have taken ownership. No matter the type of organization, when the people on the ground take ownership of the process, good things are going to happen.

That is the main difference, right now, between us and Kentucky: Mike has been able to create a "team" culture where players have taken ownership. Cal has been unable to do that with the Cats.

More and more people @ KY are starting to realize that Cal's style of continuous abrasive, abusive, upbraiding, has ruined what chemistry can be had with "one and dones."

He is not long for that job, IMO

[-Blu]

I have to give Harris credit for his play since the suspension. He's doing exactly what he's supposed to do. He's coming off the bench and scoring when he's out there with players who have difficulty scoring for themselves. His defense has also been top notch.
We wouldn't have won 7 of 8 without Harris.

I was actually going to make a thread giving Harris some props, he's really one of the unsung heros in this run we've made.  He's really starting to figure out how to score against bigger and taller SEC opponents, it took him a while to adjust.  He's realizing now, he's either going to be quicker than the guy guarding him or stronger.  Against taller guys like Kentucky, he's cutting to the lane and getting layups, and running the court in transition.  And against smaller teams like Miss State he's posting up and and using his strength to get to the basket.  He's realized now he doesn't have to do the "Harrison Twin Tactic" which is run full speed to the basket with your head down and hope for a foul.

[WilsonHog]

More and more people @ KY are starting to realize that Cal's style of continuous abrasive, abusive, upbraiding, has ruined what chemistry can be had with "one and dones."

He is not long for that job, IMO

I've thought that myself. Kentucky is one of the few college jobs where the legitimate claim can be made rhea the program is bigger than John Calipari. Not to say that he'll he fired, but I can see him deciding to move.

[Smithian]

I've thought that myself. Kentucky is one of the few college jobs where the legitimate claim can be made rhea the program is bigger than John Calipari. Not to say that he'll he fired, but I can see him deciding to move.

I think Calipari is going to burn out at Kentucky. He already has a National Championship, Final Four, and Elite Eight so his tenure will be a success but if he can't win with Julius Randle then something in that program is broken.

I just can't see him leaving with how much he is being paid by Kentucky unless he wants another shot at the NBA or if a Texas or USC decides to get serious with basketball.

[rzrbackramsfan]

But....I wonder what kind of grades these players are making?  I wonder if they are going to graduate?  Are the players honest and nice?  How do we look winning?  Are Jeff Long and Mike Anderson saying the right things to the press? Are we being viewed in a positive or negative light publicly?  Are we winning what some would call the right way?  These are MUCH more important aspects!!!

I'm not sure if you're being sarcastic, but I believe those are the foundation for success, yes.

[rzrbackramsfan]

Remember the folks who were claiming this team would be worse off without some of the guys from last season?

They were looking right for a while and us in the group that said better team bball were looking dumb. 

Fortunately the principles of winning basketball haven't changed avd were on the right end.

[Breems]

I'm so happy to watch a winner again. I truly thought the wheels were coming off @LSU and was ready to mail it in. The turnaround Mike Anderson and his players have accomplished is incredible.

Assuming we beat Ole Miss at home, we've punched a ticket to some type of postseason. It's been so long.

[Breems]

They were looking right for a while and us in the group that said better team bball were looking dumb. 

Fortunately the principles of winning basketball haven't changed avd were on the right end.

We weren't looking any better because we were *loosely* reliving Young/Powell through Madden/Portis. The rest of the team has stepped up, and we have guys with the mindset required to win road games (Qualls has the swag stuff and looks like a leader).

[JayBell]

They were looking right for a while and us in the group that said better team bball were looking dumb.

Fortunately the principles of winning basketball haven't changed avd were on the right end.

Right.  I was so frustrated earlier in the season because there was no reason this team shouldn't have been better than they were last season.

[Oklahawg]

Glad I got to watch it first-hand yesterday (Great seats courtesy of a great friend).

Teams like this one become the opponent no one wants to see in their NCAA bracket.

It has been a long drought, but I am once again able to enjoy March as a hoops fan.

[thirtythree]

In his post-game comments yesterday, Mike said that our players have taken ownership. No matter the type of organization, when the people on the ground take ownership of the process, good things are going to happen.

That is the main difference, right now, between us and Kentucky: Mike has been able to create a "team" culture where players have taken ownership. Cal has been unable to do that with the Cats.

It is very hard to do when you have constant turnover within the team. Cal will never be able to do that because they will always be young/immature. You have to have that veteran leadership on the team to show what that ownership means.

Very good point.

[870hogfan]

I was very proud of Rickey Scott on Saturday. Came in and played some good minutes and did not complain about his minutes.

[VT HOG]

They're playing as a team, that's what it's all about. We haven't had a team like this in a long time. Rickey Scott is the man for putting the team before himself even though he hadn't played much this year

[hogsanity]

Funny part is, imo, the increased use of a much maligned Pel recruit ( Wade ) has really helped the D  as has less but more effective pressing.

[thirtythree]

Funny part is, imo, the increased use of a much maligned Pel recruit ( Wade ) has really helped the D  as has less but more effective pressing.

I loved Pel. I loved what he stood for.

That being said, it is time to get away from who recruited who and who did/done this.


It is time to be behind this team as they are Razorbacks...Not specific recruits.

[Breems]

Funny part is, imo, the increased use of a much maligned Pel recruit ( Wade ) has really helped the D  as has less but more effective pressing.

Are we still surviving without this stuff?

[Porked Tongue]

http://www.hogville.net/yabbse/index.php?topic=562971.0

This is roughly what I was after on the thread linked above.

Lots of parts here.  Good parts. 

[HF#1]

I think a few things have come together to help this team come together...

1. The suspension of Harris and Qualls absolutely sent a message.

2. Everybody is contributing.  Up and down the bench.

2A. Madden has somewhat struggled offensively the last 3-4 games.  He is still finding ways to be effective without costing the team any W's and his team mates are stepping up for him.  Qualls, Gulley, Wade, and recently Scott have all picked up their shooting it seems.  I thought Madden's tre (from the hog snout no less) to stop Georgia's run was the key play in the game.

Finally, Saturday really took me back to the 90's.  Possibly for the first time in Mike's tenure.  The win against Kentucky in BWA was loud and exciting but vs Georgia that arena was at full throat for almost 40 minutes.  The best way to gauge if we are doing everything right is to look and see if we are frustrating everyone on the opposing bench.  From the players to the coaches.  I think we saw that Saturday.  Mark Fox was beside himself most of the game.  Got T'd up due to that frustration.

We are rolling and I'm not sure we will be stopped until we see Florida again.  It's possible we slip up but if we didn't see it against a good Georgia squad then I don't see a slip up against Ole Miss or Bama.