Expectations

[hogsanity]

That is not his goal to just stay around, he wants a championship I'm sure you know. He isn't just saying it, it is his obsession.

Didn't say it was his goal, but it is the reality of it. Do you think any coach not named Mike Anderson would have survived 1 NCAAT in 5 seasons, and going 16-16 with no post season in yr 5?

[Fan701]

Didn't say it was his goal, but it is the reality of it. Do you think any coach not named Mike Anderson would have survived 1 NCAAT in 5 seasons, and going 16-16 with no post season in yr 5?

Some of us look at 2014-15, 2016-17, and 2017-18 and think, "Gee, three out of the last four years, MA has given us the best teams at UA since the 90's.  Considering how hopeless it looked when he took over, that's an exciting improvement.  Maybe even better is to come."  But many on here seem to think, "MA sometimes loses a game, even two in a row.  He hasn't won a national championship, not even been to a final four or sweet sixteen. We need to blow it all up and start over again, even at the risk of going from good and maybe up-and-coming to being bad again." Considering how much better we've become under MA, it's hard for me to understand the controversy and dislike he inspires, but it's there every season.  Some think it's our God-given right to win almost every game and be national champions regularly.  For them, just being good isn't good enough. Fortunately, I don't think there's an AD in the country who'd be crazy enough to fire MA at this point, so the question is moot.

[hogsanity]

Some of us look at 2014-15, 2016-17, and 2017-18 and think, "Gee, three out of the last four years, MA has given us the best teams at UA since the 90's.  Considering how hopeless it looked when he took over, that's an exciting improvement.  Maybe even better is to come."  But many on here seem to think, "MA sometimes loses a game, even two in a row.  He hasn't won a national championship, not even been to a final four or sweet sixteen. We need to blow it all up and start over again, even at the risk of going from good and maybe up-and-coming to being bad again." Considering how much better we've become under MA, it's hard for me to understand the controversy and dislike he inspires, but it's there every season.  Some think it's our God-given right to win almost every game and be national champions regularly.  Just being good isn't good enough. Fortunately, I don't think there's an AD in the country who'd be crazy enough to fire MA at this point, so the question is moot.

Didn't look hopeless when he took over. Hogs had been middle of the pack and had a great ( on paper ) class coming in.

I do not think the Hogs have a God given right to anything, nor do I expect sweet 16's every year.

As for blow it all up and start over, blow what up, making the ncaat 2 out of 6 seasons and winning 2 ncaat games in 6 years? Blow up being told, yet again, we just have to wait for the next recruiting class to get here? Wouldn't take much to blow that up, that's for sure.

[MountieDawg]

name a coach that can come into Arkansas and win a natty? You are just making yourself look bad! Nolan won a championship because he had a different type of game then most!

Are there any coaches out there that can get the Hogs to a Sweet 16?

[jjdlc]

Didn't look hopeless when he took over. Hogs had been middle of the pack and had a great ( on paper ) class coming in.

I do not think the Hogs have a God given right to anything, nor do I expect sweet 16's every year.

As for blow it all up and start over, blow what up, making the ncaat 2 out of 6 seasons and winning 2 ncaat games in 6 years? Blow up being told, yet again, we just have to wait for the next recruiting class to get here? Wouldn't take much to blow that up, that's for sure.

Yeah, it pretty much did look hopeless.  The last two Pelphrey years were the most disillusioned I have ever been with a Razorback sport in over 40 years.  The incoming class had some excitement to it, but proved to be fools gold, not sure why people keep bringing it up as a reason things were actually better than they really were. 

You can quote the 2 out of 6 all you want, doesn't change the fact that the program is finally trending up (2 of the past 3, and very possibly could be 3 of the past 4 after this year), and some just want to see if continues trending up rather than start over and hope the next guy can do it faster.

[Fan701]

Didn't look hopeless when he took over. Hogs had been middle of the pack and had a great ( on paper ) class coming in.

I do not think the Hogs have a God given right to anything, nor do I expect sweet 16's every year.

As for blow it all up and start over, blow what up, making the ncaat 2 out of 6 seasons and winning 2 ncaat games in 6 years? Blow up being told, yet again, we just have to wait for the next recruiting class to get here? Wouldn't take much to blow that up, that's for sure.

Before MA, we were regularly under .500 in the SEC West, which in those days was by far the weaker half of the conference.  Let's not try to sugar-coat it:  We were bad when MA took over.  What you'd be blowing up now is a program that has given us the best teams since the 90's three of the past four years and NCAA tournaments, most likely, three of the past four years.  Since no sane AD would pull the trigger now, it's really not worth wasting so much time discussing.

[Fan701]

Yeah, it pretty much did look hopeless.  The last two Pelphrey years were the most disillusioned I have ever been with a Razorback sport in over 40 years.  The incoming class had some excitement to it, but proved to be fools gold, not sure why people keep bringing it up as a reason things were actually better than they really were. 

You can quote the 2 out of 6 all you want, doesn't change the fact that the program is finally trending up (2 of the past 3, and very possibly could be 3 of the past 4 after this year), and some just want to see if continues trending up rather than start over and hope the next guy can do it faster.

I'm with you.  Those last Pelphrey years almost cured me of ever following UA basketball again.  Every year, after that disastrous second year, you knew there was no chance we were going anywhere.  Could MA have done better faster?  Sure.  But three of the past four years he's put very good teams on the floor.  Could they have been better?  Yeah, I guess so, but then you start to wonder at what point you start to let the best be the enemy of the good.

[hogsanity]

Yeah, it pretty much did look hopeless.  The last two Pelphrey years were the most disillusioned I have ever been with a Razorback sport in over 40 years.  The incoming class had some excitement to it, but proved to be fools gold, not sure why people keep bringing it up as a reason things were actually better than they really were. 

You can quote the 2 out of 6 all you want, doesn't change the fact that the program is finally trending up (2 of the past 3, and very possibly could be 3 of the past 4 after this year), and some just want to see if continues trending up rather than start over and hope the next guy can do it faster.

Look, I predicted 23-8 reg season this year, so it is not like I think the wheels had or will fall off. I just think Mike has a low ceiling of just making the ncaat and not making it past the 1st weekend. And I said that before he was hired.

Since no sane AD would pull the trigger now, it's really not worth wasting so much time discussing.

Who said anything about firing him?

[jjdlc]

Look, I predicted 23-8 reg season this year, so it is not like I think the wheels had or will fall off. I just think Mike has a low ceiling of just making the ncaat and not making it past the 1st weekend. And I said that before he was hired.

Who said anything about firing him?

Thats where we disagree, I think his ceiling is higher.  NC high? maybe, maybe not, but since he has taken other schools past the opening weekend before I can't really see setting his ceiling at NCAAT week 1.  For the record many if not all of the best coaches in college basketball have had strings of not making it past opening weekend.  It's a tough tournament.

[rzrbackramsfan]

I dislike knowing that seemingly a dozen times a year we will lose because the opponent just could not miss. People always are complaining about how " so and so just got lucky and we caught them on a night no one could beat them!." At some point you have to wonder why so many teams have great shooting nights against the Hogs. I dislike knowing that, at some key spot in the game the opponent will get a key offensive board because the Hogs are too busy trying to run out on a miss. I dislike knowing that we will commit a couple of silly fouls 80 ft from the basket getting the team or a key player in foul trouble. I dislike knowing that if a team can keep the Hogs from fast breaking, the offense will bog down into 4 guys watching one guy dribble for 25 seconds then jack up a wild shot at the end of the shot clock. But most of all I dislike knowing that the HC will not change his style to try and correct any of this. They lose games now just like they lost games in his 1st season.

Why don't you just care about success?

Fro your desription it sounds like you like Bobby Knight or Frank Martin kind of ball, or Kansas, however, mike Anderson teams have consistently knocked the snot out of such "fundamental" teams. 

[rzrbackramsfan]

We were middle of the pack in Pel's last two seasons. 7-9 in both.  Fell to 6-10 Mike's first season and then back to back 10-8 seasons.  Over this time we finished 7, T8, 9, 7 and 5th. SEC stopped divisions in Mike's first season and went to 14 teams his second.

You should really be banned for such a post.  Owls best sec record was 9-7!!! With a 2-14 record in between two 7-9 seasons in a VERY WEAK SEC West. Maybe we were on the upper edge of the bottom feeders, I mean we finished in the bottom of our division, the bad one, the last two years.

Now where you really should be suspended temporarily is from your recollection of mikes record. You said when Mike took over we finished 7th, 8th, 9th, 7th and 5th... in reality when mike came in we finished  9th, 7th, 5th, 2nd, 8th, 3rd - in that order. 

You ommited a second and third place finish, called a 5th place finish a 7th place finish, and Didn't put the finishes in chronological order to hide the progress that's been made.  At least Hogsanity doesn't lie or bend the truth way out of context.  If I was a mod...

[Atlhogfan1]

You should really be banned for such a post.  Owls best sec record was 9-7!!! With a 2-14 record in between two 7-9 seasons in a VERY WEAK SEC West. Maybe we were on the upper edge of the bottom feeders, I mean we finished in the bottom of our division, the bad one, the last two years.

Now where you really should be suspended temporarily is from your recollection of mikes record. You said when Mike took over we finished 7th, 8th, 9th, 7th and 5th... in reality when mike came in we finished  9th, 7th, 5th, 2nd, 8th, 3rd - in that order. 

You ommited a second and third place finish, called a 5th place finish a 7th place finish, and Didn't put the finishes in chronological order to hide the progress that's been made.  At least Hogsanity doesn't lie or bend the truth way out of context.  If I was a mod...

I didn't say that. You are too stupid to read which isn't my fault. I said over that time which was last 2 years of Pel and first 3 of Mike.  Make sure you are right little millennial snowflake before accusing someone of lying.

What I did was state where our finishes under Pel finished in the SEC overall.  If you had done a little more research, you would know I'm right. 

As far as the SEC West, we still play an unbalanced schedule and ours has been one of the easier ones in the SEC.  2014-15 we played the easiest in conference schedule. 

[rzrbackramsfan]

Didn't say it was his goal, but it is the reality of it. Do you think any coach not named Mike Anderson would have survived 1 NCAAT in 5 seasons, and going 16-16 with no post season in yr 5?

That's is why Mike was safe during the 16-16 season and why I think any coach should have been given another year, The progress he had made before that season, the NIT season was pretty good actually, he was coming off an NCAAT, lost his two best players to the draft, with personnel it was easy to see anything that could've gone did.

And here's the real kicker on why he was safe during the 16-16 season that people probably forget: Arkansas had lined up a top 25 recruiting class for 16, a top 20 class for 2017, and the number 1 class for 2018. 

[rzrbackramsfan]

I didn't say that. You are too stupid to read which isn't my fault. I said over that time which was last 2 years of Pel and first 3 of Mike.  Make sure you are right little millennial snowflake before accusing someone of lying.

Message board tough guy, data-cherry-pickin',pel-lovin, son of a...

[Atlhogfan1]

Message board tough guy, data-cherry-pickin',pel-lovin, son of a...

Didn't data pick anything.  You said we were a bottomfeeder which we weren't those last 2 Pel seasons.  You were also wrong in talking about how close we were to an NCAAT in season 3.  We weren't when you consider the seeding we received in the NIT. 

[rzrbackramsfan]

Didn't data pick anything.  You said we were a bottomfeeder which we weren't those last 2 Pel seasons.  You were also wrong in talking about how close we were to an NCAAT in season 3.  We weren't when you consider the seeding we received in the NIT.

You left out Pels 2-14 year and left out Mike's third and second place year?  Is that not cherry picking. 

[rzrbackramsfan]

Didn't data pick anything.  You said we were a bottomfeeder which we weren't those last 2 Pel seasons.  You were also wrong in talking about how close we were to an NCAAT in season 3.  We weren't when you consider the seeding we received in the NIT.

We were a game away, and a lot of that is just how bad the Sec was and how few teams got in.  Regardless, I don't think that NIT year was the end of the world, I think we were snubbed, maybe not, but that was still a fun year that I think Arkansas built on.

[Atlhogfan1]

You left out Pels 2-14 year and left out Mike's third and second place year?  Is that not cherry picking.

I look at those seasons as taking us immediately from bottom feeders of the sec immediately into a middle of the pack sec team, which, I'm fine with.  That third year was dang close to an NCAAT too.  I'm not even going to like, even though their was no NCAA, mainly because the SEC was perceived as being so weak ( only 3 sec teams in the tournament I believe), I still enjoyed that year!  It was a fun team. 

Then of course the next three years and going into the the fourth we've been the second or third best team in the sec over that time span.

I have a question for you, what is your greatest dislike about mike Anderson, it has to be playing style right?  I can't believe it's just results.  That would be like dropping a wife that's an 8.5 when you're a seven looking for that perfect 10.

You said immediately.  I took the seasons immediately before the coaching change and after.  Need a definition of immediately? 

My greatest dislike is his fan boys.  I have no dislike for Mike. 

[BannerMountainMan]

You said immediately.  I took the seasons immediately before the coaching change and after.  Need a definition of immediately? 

My greatest dislike is his fan boys.  I have no dislike for Mike.

my greatest dislike is his haters after EVERY loss.

[Atlhogfan1]

my greatest dislike is his haters after EVERY loss.

Or posters who continue to create new accounts. 

The "haters" and fan boys are equally bad.  After the wins this week, it will be just as obnoxious.  No in between allowed in JB. 

[rzrbackramsfan]

You said immediately.  I took the seasons immediately before the coaching change and after.  Need a definition of immediately? 

My greatest dislike is his fan boys.  I have no dislike for Mike.

Clearly, you took my whole argument and decided to attack that.  I think a 2-14 year followed by two 7-9 years where our overall record puts us in bottom feeder territory, can you find four teams Arkansas was clearly better than in that time period?

[rzrbackramsfan]

You said immediately.  I took the seasons immediately before the coaching change and after.  Need a definition of immediately? 

My greatest dislike is his fan boys.  I have no dislike for Mike.

Also, CMA fan boy is not appropriate for me or most others. 

Im a fan or Razorback basketball, if Mike got fired or left, he'd probably get another job and turn them from a dumpster fire into a team that can reach the sweet sixteen or elite eight just like he did at UAB, Missouri and here. 

If that happened, I'd still be a fan of Razorback basketball, but we'd probably suck, and that's why I defend mike, not because I just like him as a person ( I do like him as a person though)

[3of5-2]

Also, CMA fan boy is not appropriate for me or most others. 

Im a fan or Razorback basketball, if Mike got fired or left, he'd probably get another job and turn them from a dumpster fire into a team that can reach the sweet sixteen or elite eight just like he did at UAB, Missouri and here. 

If that happened, I'd still be a fan of Razorback basketball, but we'd probably suck, and that's why I defend mike, not because I just like him as a person ( I do like him as a person though)

When did we get to the Elite 8 with MA as the head coach.

[Atlhogfan1]

Also, CMA fan boy is not appropriate for me or most others. 

Im a fan or Razorback basketball, if Mike got fired or left, he'd probably get another job and turn them from a dumpster fire into a team that can reach the sweet sixteen or elite eight just like he did at UAB, Missouri and here. 

If that happened, I'd still be a fan of Razorback basketball, but we'd probably suck, and that's why I defend mike, not because I just like him as a person ( I do like him as a person though)

Didn't like that comment?  Most all of us are fans of Razorback basketball.  Just some have different opinions of it than you.  They aren't haters as you claim. 

[rzrbackramsfan]

When did we get to the Elite 8 with MA as the head coach.

I'm saying he produces teams capable of it, evidenced by Missouri.  Last years team was capable but got a bad draw, I believe this team is capable. 

[rzrbackramsfan]

Didn't like that comment?  Most all of us are fans of Razorback basketball.  Just some have different opinions of it than you.  They aren't haters as you claim.

I liked the comment, gives me a chance to put the notion that I am just a CMA fan to bed.

Yes, some of us have a different opinion me and then SOME cherry pick data, bend the truth and make stuff up to support their differing opinion.

[Atlhogfan1]

I liked the comment, gives me a chance to put the notion that I am just a CMA fan to bed.

Yes, some of us have a different opinion me and then SOME cherry pick data, bend the truth and make stuff up to support their differing opinion.

Still want to take that line.  Ok.

You are both then - a fan boy of Mike and the program.   

[rzrbackramsfan]

Still want to take that line.  Ok.

You are both then - a fan boy of Mike and the program.

Why do you think I'm a fan of Mikes?

[3of5-2]

I'm saying he produces teams capable of it, evidenced by Missouri.  Last years team was capable but got a bad draw, I believe this team is capable.

Okay, I know this is low hanging fruit, but I will ask anyway. If a coach produces a team capable of reaching the Elite 8, and doesn't, please tell me how many years does he get a chance to do it? Heck, what about the Sweet 16? Tell me, how many years does he get? Not including the bad draw years of course.

[rzrbackramsfan]

Good question, I have a feeling we'd all just know.  1 is not the answer though. 

There's no reason to think that Mike isn't capable of winning in the tournament.  My thinking is, go to the tournament enough times and good things will happen.inkean, how many tourneys did it take Gonzaga to get to the finals?!

[3of5-2]

Good question, I have a feeling we'd all just know.  1 is not the answer though. 

There's no reason to think that Mike isn't capable of winning in the tournament.  My thinking is, go to the tournament enough times and good things will happen.inkean, how many tourneys did it take Gonzaga to get to the finals?!

Just so we are on the same page here. MA has been here almost 7 years, not 1, and who cares about Gonzaga? I've already said in another thread that I think MA is the best coach we have had since Nolan, but I would still like you to answer my question. If a coach is capable of producing a team to get to the Elite 8, and doesn't, how many years does he get?

[rzrbackramsfan]

I guess it would depend on how often he produces those teams and what it looks like going forward.

[3of5-2]

I guess it would depend on how often he produces those teams and what it looks like going forward.

Well, so far, we are 0-6 making the Sweet 16 or the Elite 8. Do we wake up 6 years from now with any change to that scenario?

[rzrbackramsfan]

Oh yea, he'll make at least a sweet sixteen in the next six years, for sure.

[3of5-2]

Oh yea, he'll make at least a sweet sixteen in the next six years, for sure.

Well let's hope it's sooner and further.

[rzrbackramsfan]

Well let's hope it's sooner and further.

This year!

[3of5-2]

A ton of Arkansas fans are racist as s***. Drive through backwoods towns and go to the local bar to watch a razorback game and you'll see what I mean. These same people made every excuse, as to why Bielema should have been retained.

Well it must not be a ton of them, because i don't know of anyone that wanted to keep Bert.

[BigHog396]

Good question, I have a feeling we'd all just know.  1 is not the answer though. 

There's no reason to think that Mike isn't capable of winning in the tournament.  My thinking is, go to the tournament enough times and good things will happen.inkean, how many tourneys did it take Gonzaga to get to the finals?!

There is a very good reason to believe Mike isn't capable of winning the tournament... it's called his own coaching history.  And bringing Gonzaga up is a joke.  We are one of the elite programs in NCAA history.  We had a 25 year run where we only missed the dance 3 times.  In that time we had a stretch of making it to at least the Sweet 16 in 10 out of 19 years.

If you want to talk about taking over a dumpster fire, Eddie Sutton took over a dumpster fire.  Mike did not.  In Eddie's third year he had us in the round of 32.  In his fourth year he had us in the Final Four.  In his 11 years here, he had us to at least the round of 32 six times, and in the dance every year after his second.

Nolan came in and had to completely change the culture of the program, to get his kind of players here.  In his third year he had us in the dance.  In his fourth year round of 32.  In his fifth year, the Final Four.  He had us in the Elite 8 three times in his first six years.

Now, look at Mike's time here, and... please, tell us what makes you think he is ever going to get us to that kind of level?  We were consistently one of the top programs in the nation, and Mike can barely get us in the Top 25 at all.

Mike is not even close to the level of Sutton and Richardson.  He has proven that.  I'm not saying we should fire him right now, but he has proven he is not capable of getting us back to that level.  His coaching deficiencies now, are the same deficiencies we have seen continuously for 6.5 years now.  Some of us expect better, and know that the program is capable of it... we will just have to get rid of Mike to ever have a shot at it.

I hope he proves me wrong.  I'm just tired of seeing the same things cost us game after game, especially when it is obvious to everyone watching what is getting us beaten, and it should be easy stuff to fix.

At some point you have to realize when someone's ceiling is not the same as the program's ceiling, and then decide whether you want to program back where it should be... or if you are satisfied with mediocrity.

[nwahogfan1]

I guess Hawgfan4life is pretty happy with our losses the last two games and we are not suppose to complain when Mike losses to these teams by not having a half court offense or no inside game.  Mike has such a horrible road winning pct. 

What I get mad about is our lack of toughness of Mike's team.  Mike's teams are very seldom physical and it kills us in the Tournament.   Mike needs to correct it with recruiting but he does not so I will complain until he does.

[rzrbackramsfan]

There is a very good reason to believe Mike isn't capable of winning the tournament... it's called his own coaching history.  And bringing Gonzaga up is a joke.  We are one of the elite programs in NCAA history.  We had a 25 year run where we only missed the dance 3 times.  In that time we had a stretch of making it to at least the Sweet 16 in 10 out of 19 years.

If you want to talk about taking over a dumpster fire, Eddie Sutton took over a dumpster fire.  Mike did not.  In Eddie's third year he had us in the round of 32.  In his fourth year he had us in the Final Four.  In his 11 years here, he had us to at least the round of 32 six times, and in the dance every year after his second.

Nolan came in and had to completely change the culture of the program, to get his kind of players here.  In his third year he had us in the dance.  In his fourth year round of 32.  In his fifth year, the Final Four.  He had us in the Elite 8 three times in his first six years.

Now, look at Mike's time here, and... please, tell us what makes you think he is ever going to get us to that kind of level?  We were consistently one of the top programs in the nation, and Mike can barely get us in the Top 25 at all.

The roster and state of he program that Mike took over was really bad, you can’t argue that, michael Sanchez, waithe, Ricky Scott, wade...

The rest of your post is just you living in the past.  Mike has had some really good teams at UAB, Missouri and Arkansas starting his third and fourth years.  If Mike hadn’t left Missouri, who knows how much he could’ve grown that program.  They were really really taking off as a perennial top 10 program.  Arkansas is on the verge of that right now. Sorry if that’s not good enough for you but I take the good with the bad and enjoy the ride. 



Mike is not even close to the level of Sutton and Richardson.  He has proven that.  I'm not saying we should fire him right now, but he has proven he is not capable of getting us back to that level.  His coaching deficiencies now, are the same deficiencies we have seen continuously for 6.5 years now.  Some of us expect better, and know that the program is capable of it... we will just have to get rid of Mike to ever have a shot at it.

I hope he proves me wrong.  I'm just tired of seeing the same things cost us game after game, especially when it is obvious to everyone watching what is getting us beaten, and it should be easy stuff to fix.

At some point you have to realize when someone's ceiling is not the same as the program's ceiling, and then decide whether you want to program back where it should be... or if you are satisfied with mediocrity.

What about mikes history says he can’t win the tournament?

I brought up Gonzaga bc someone said how many good teams does a coach get without making the sweet 16?  So I brought up Gonzaga, they’ve been an elite program the last ten years but have mainly been a first or second round exit until last year when they finally made the finals. 

[porkinsons disease]

What about mikes history says he can't win the tournament?

I brought up Gonzaga bc someone said how many good teams does a coach get without making the sweet 16?  So I brought up Gonzaga, they've been an elite program the last ten years but have mainly been a first or second round exit until last year when they finally made the finals. 

I'll play. Not bashing your optimism, but I don't share it. Mark Few led Gonzaa to sweet sixteens his 1st 2 years. They hit a lull, but made the tourney every year (I concede we have a tougher road). 5 sweet 16's, an elite 8, and a runner-up in 18 years is much better than we can expect with CMA without drastic changes or improvements. Like I said, I wish I could share your optimism, but simply cannot basing it on Mikes achievements so far. Go Hogs!

[Hogsfan1981]

Things have been better with Mike. People forget quickly how bad it was. I have hope again.

Mike will give us a real chance every few seasons.

We lost great players to other schools because kids don't remember the Hogs being great. I think Mike is turning this around.

We were great for a short time in history. I don't think those days will ever happen again. Even if they do it is still damn hard to win a natty.

People that don't like the coach never will but he is successful and unless he retires will be here awhile.

Couple players stay and we don't pull UNC I think things would look even better. He has faults but there has been some nasty bad luck.

This team will improve and should finish strong.

Just win. Only way to beat the haters.

[HogCzar1]

The key to happiness is to meet expectations.

The key to meeting expectations is to lower them.

How about the key to happiness is exceeding expectations.

Meeting expectations is average. In other words a "C" in school.

[Torqued pork]

Mike Anderson is steady.

Never will he have a terrible season. Never will he have a great season

Win enough to make the NCAA tournament. Then lose on the first weekend

As proven, most hog fans are happy with that.

That is what two bad coaching hires have done to the fan base. Lowered expectations to where mediocre is acceptable

It is sad really to us that remember the great years of Sutton & Richardson

It is sad. Too many Hog fans seem perfectly content in the fetal position.

[Cinco de Hogo]

A ton of Arkansas fans are racist as s***. Drive through backwoods towns and go to the local bar to watch a razorback game and you'll see what I mean. These same people made every excuse, as to why Bielema should have been retained.

You do know Bielema only got five years don't you...and everybody and their brothers wanted him fired.  I would say YOU are racist and full of s***!

[Razorod]

For this season, I'd like to see the Hogs do at least one of three things:

Win the regular season conference title (champ or co-champ) and/or
win the SEC tourney and/or
get out of the first weekend of the NCAA tournament.

Anderson is in his seventh season and has not done any of the above.

If he accomplishes one of these three things then I'd feel better moving forward because it is less likely that he'll accomplish any of them next season--year eight.

I don't think any of the above goals/expectations are unreasonable for a coach at Arkansas within a seven-year time span.

All three goals are still attainable this season.

Here's to getting back on track this week with two very winnable home games.

[Nickle-Pig]

Didn't say it was his goal, but it is the reality of it. Do you think any coach not named Mike Anderson would have survived 1 NCAAT in 5 seasons, and going 16-16 with no post season in yr 5?

Probably not but to say the past is the present or future is silly. It is not reality it is your projection.

[BigHog396]

What about mikes history says he can't win the tournament?

I brought up Gonzaga bc someone said how many good teams does a coach get without making the sweet 16?  So I brought up Gonzaga, they've been an elite program the last ten years but have mainly been a first or second round exit until last year when they finally made the finals. 

The fact that he hasn't done anything here in the tournament.

The fact that he has had a team past the first weekend of the dance a grand total of only twice in his 15 year coaching career.

The fact that his teams have only made the dance 8 times in his 15 year coaching career.

The fact that his teams cannot run a consistent half-court offense.

The fact that his teams are typically one of the worst around in 3-point defense.

The fact that his teams typically are not good FT shooting teams (last year was a great exception to that rule).

The fact that his teams consistently get crushed on the boards.

The fact that his teams play soft.

The fact that his teams play token full court press.

Need I go on?

[blu]

After we had that low in the middle of last season, I 'bout gave up on MA - just being honest - and I was wrong.
It's very  likely this team will improve and reach the NCAAT again this year. From there, as always it will depend on the draw and the matchups. Overall, I'm happy with CMA, and he has a very strong class coming in next year. We're in good hands.

[rzrbackramsfan]

The fact that he hasn't done anything here in the tournament.

The fact that he has had a team past the first weekend of the dance a grand total of only twice in his 15 year coaching career.

The fact that his teams have only made the dance 8 times in his 15 year coaching career.

The fact that his teams cannot run a consistent half-court offense.

The fact that his teams are typically one of the worst around in 3-point defense.

The fact that his teams typically are not good FT shooting teams (last year was a great exception to that rule).

The fact that his teams consistently get crushed on the boards.

The fact that his teams play soft.

The fact that his teams play token full court press.

Need I go on?

No you don't need to ramble any more. 

Let's start with the tournament 8/15 years - that's not bad, first off, but when you consider that mike has taken over programs in bad shape it gets even better.  Let's say you give him 2 years to rebuild st each spot, that give him the tournament 7 out 9 years. 

Then a sweet sixteen run and elite eight run out of 8 tournament appearances isn't great but it's also not the worst in the world.  Lots of second round exits in that span too.  I don't think mikes teams have leaked here though.

His tournament success here doesn't seem like an indicator that we won't ever be good enough for a NC, it doesn't mean we ever will be good alenough either.  I wonder if you apply this logic to your own basketball game?  Like you shoot a three, Miss, shoot another three, Miss and then you say, gee, I won't ever be able to make a three pointer.

Then you pick out some flaws you think you see that you think can't be corrected not acknowledging that every team has them.