Football break....Andy Katz on Hog Basketball

[WindyCityHog]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2135162

#35.

Seems Hog fans aren't the only ones thinking this HAS to be the season...

[ArkansasI]

Thanks for the link.

Off the subject here. . .  Anybody else agree that we need to return to our old mascot?  That comic strip look just doesn't do it for me.

[HornetHog]

Hey Wendy....where ya been man........we got grab a beer.

Listen....we've been on  break since last march.

[Sbrokeski]

A break from football?!   

[Bomis Hawg]

Glad you're still on the Fire Heath Bandwagon last year.


That Texas Tech game might be the true early season measuring stick.  Yeah, they play a brutal schedule in the preseason tournament.  Going into Texas against a Tech team that could be a decent one -- couple spots behind Arkansas.  Maui will see if the kids are ready to answer the bell or if they can take a hit and get back up ready for more.  The Tech game will be interesting to see if they can handle a "Neutral" court away from home -- instead of a game-after-game experience.

Here's to Brewer leading this team through the season.

[Since 1894]

Thanks for the link -

[JD Hogg]

Too bad JFB didn't make a coaching change after last season. He could have Jordan, Magic, Bird, and Shaq, and I'm not sure if he could win. Last year's team looked fairly organized and capable early, but the more time they spent under Heath, the worse they were. By the end, that was the worst basketball team I've ever seen in my life. The last week of the 2004-2005 season and the SECT marked the only time in my life I've ever been ashamed of the HOGS. They've had bad teams before, but they were always laying it on the line TRYING to win. Last year they quit and didn't even care about it. Stan is 100% responsible for that, and he doesn't deserve to coach them anymore.

I will accept your opinion only if you will say the same thing about Nutt.

[Tomhog™]

I say this is definitely the season to make a tremndous stride towards a national power again.  I'm not quite ready to jump on a fire Stan Heath wagon yet.  If we don't get to the dance this year, then it will be time for a change or leadership...

[HogsRule]

We just have to have some defense out on the court this year!!!

with Olu gone. there's a chance of that.

[lunchbox72703]

the defense has been getting considerably better each year.  After all, if I recall right, we led in several categories.  Defense is not the problem, team unity was!!

[lunchbox72703]

could be coaches fault, but really I think it was more the players fault.  I know, I know, this might be going off on a tangent, but anymore college players egos can be as high as a professional's one.  Whose to say that Olu or Modica or Brewer or Sullivan wasn't miffed about something.  I think some of the blame, all be it not all, falls onto the players themselves.

[Biggus Piggus]

the defense has been getting considerably better each year. After all, if I recall right, we led in several categories. Defense is not the problem, team unity was!!

Our defense in SEC play was horrible.  The subject has been covered in great detail on this board.  Heath's first team played good defense given the talent level.  They had to foul a lot.  Heath's second team was miserable on defense, absolutely miserable.  Heath's third team was OK, benefiting from a remarkably soft schedule, till he shifted to slowdown mode for the SEC.  Comparing 2005 with '04, the Hogs were only negligibly improved on defense in the 17 games of SEC play, and that's saying a lot.  And the rebounding was bad too! 

[Bomis Hawg]

I think Sutton is the master of the transfer.  He's been known to take in players and make teams from them.  He did it at Arkansas.  The last run he had was made from transfers.  JamesOn Curry isn't really a transfer, but he did move on to OSU instead of UNC because of his past.  Just something about Sutton and getting transfers and guys who were said to be bad seeds.

[JD Hogg]

We just have to have some defense out on the court this year!!!

Why hasn't it been on the court for the past 3 years? Isn't that the coach's responsibility? Didn't he sit in his introductory press conference and say that regardless of what happens, we will be a team that plays great defense and rebounds well? Didn't he say that? Why hasn't he done it? Seems to me it's somewhat illogical to think that Stan Heath woke up one day this summer with the vision of teaching defense to his team. Fact is, the guy can't do it, and this year will be no different.

And don't limit their deficiencies to the defense. Why hasn't he taught them how to break down a zone when they're on offense? Hell, even if they improve 300% on defense, they're still the worst offensive squad I've ever seen.

I think the same concept of your post could be said of HDN.  He's had SEVEN years and we still do the same stupid stuff.  You're right, it is the coach's responsibility.  I'll say this for Stan Heath, he's admitted that he's not getting the job done and is trying to right the ship.  I've never, ever, EVER, heard Houston Dale Nutt take one bit of responsibility for the many piss poor, redundant decisions he's made both as head coach and offensive coordinator.  To me, if he can't admit that something's wrong, then he'll never try to fix it.  We will find out if you're right about Stan Heath, but at least he's man enough to take on the responsibility of getting this thing back on track and that is one of the reasons I hope he succeeds (the biggest reason of course being that he coaches the Razorbacks).

[HogsRule]

Don't misunderstand me - I want SH to succeed, because if he does, the HOGS do. He's just shown me nothing so far.

My point about HDN is that I saw what he did in 1998 with a stable of good players, and I see the talent finally working its way back up there (slowly). I like our OL, receivers, and backs. I'm anxious to see what Herring can do with the defense. I think the fact that HDN fired Womack and got Herring shows that he too knows there is a problem.

Conversely, I think Stan Heath stuck his head in the sand and refused to admit that he was driving the program into the ground after the tennesuck loss in the SECT. He said he conducted a thorough evaluation of the program and determined a major overhaul was not necessary. For him to come out and say that we're making progress and only minor changes need to be made is pure crap and a total denial of how deep the problems are.

just because its not the amount of progress you had hoped for does not mean its not progress. granted, he started in a whole where there was nowhere to go but up, but the numbers don't lie. I expect a 20 win season this year and NCAA berth. Mark it down

[Biggus Piggus]

I believe major changes are being made.

1. Personnel changes.  Rashard Sullivan is out.  He was one source of problems.  I don't blame him, but he quit buying in, maybe for good reason.  Olu Famutimi is out.  That makes room Modica should have always had.  Having Gary Ervin around even in practice helps.

2. Coaching changes.  Flaska is out.  He was pushing pencils by the end.  Did not mesh at all.  Unfortunate.  Bourdreax went after year one.  Two unfortunate hires.  Thompson came in last year, Hipsher this year.  Big upgrades.  They have to help.  Kyzer is a grad assistant.  He'll help.  Much improvement here.

3. Chemistry changes.  The current roster is in a much better mental place than last year's was.  Maybe it's fragile.  Maybe it sticks.

4. Strategic changes.  Heath will fit his strategic approach to his team rather than fight it.  Honest.  Much improvement here.

5. Schedule changes.  What doesn't kill us makes us stronger.

The team doesn't have enough guards, but Brewer and Modica are the closest they've ever been to being true guards.  I think this may be the first UA hoop season in a long time during which the team exceeds expectations.  Expectations had to get low enough, and the program had to hit bottom, which it did last spring.

[MarieHogFan]

We just have to have some defense out on the court this year!!!

Arkansas was third in the SEC last year in scoring defense so apparently they did put some defense on the court last year.

[JD Hogg]

Don't misunderstand me - I want SH to succeed, because if he does, the HOGS do. He's just shown me nothing so far.

My point about HDN is that I saw what he did in 1998 with a stable of good players, and I see the talent finally working its way back up there (slowly). I like our OL, receivers, and backs. I'm anxious to see what Herring can do with the defense. I think the fact that HDN fired Womack and got Herring shows that he too knows there is a problem.

Conversely, I think Stan Heath stuck his head in the sand and refused to admit that he was driving the program into the ground after the tennesuck loss in the SECT. He said he conducted a thorough evaluation of the program and determined a major overhaul was not necessary. For him to come out and say that we're making progress and only minor changes need to be made is pure crap and a total denial of how deep the problems are.

If you'll remember, Broyles MADE Nutt fire Womack.  Nutt gets no credit for that move.  Womack had to console Nutt when he did it.  SH did not stick his head in the sand, he listened to Broyles and hired an assistant coach with head coaching experience.  If SH has a losing season in his SEVENTH year, then he should be fired.  As for seeing what Nutt can do with a lot of talent, look at the 2003 season in addition to the 98 you mentioned and you'll have your answer.  At least this year we won't go 0 for October (check the schedule).  Remember you heard it here first, the first coach's show in November, HDN will declare that we didn't go 0 for October(thank you Louisiana-Monroe) and that will be heralded as progress and the program's moving in the right direction.  At that point, I will hurl.

[HogsRule]

If the numbers you're referring to are the W-L numbers, well I beg to differ.  They DO lie.  The piddling increase in wins is due solely to playing very poor nonconference opponents.  Their SEC mark was abysmal against the sorriest group of SEC teams we've seen in 20 years.  When his numbers go down this season, be prepared to hold him accountable.  The team took a step backwards this year.  It was plain to see. 

6  SEC wins > 4 SEC wins.   also the 4-5 finish was a lot better than the 1-8 finish of the year before. that's a step forward, its plain to see.

[MarieHogFan]

If the numbers you're referring to are the W-L numbers, well I beg to differ.  They DO lie.  The piddling increase in wins is due solely to playing very poor nonconference opponents.  Their SEC mark was abysmal against the sorriest group of SEC teams we've seen in 20 years.  When his numbers go down this season, be prepared to hold him accountable.  The team took a step backwards this year.  It was plain to see. 

HDN in his 7th year as coach:   SEC conference record of 3-5   .375 winning percentage

Stan Heath in his 3rd year as coach:    SEC conference record of 6-10  .375 winning percentage


Nolan Richardson wasn't right on much but he is definately correct on there being a double standard for the football program and the basketball program, with the main difference being that Stan Heath never took care of Jim Lindsey's yard.

[Bomis Hawg]

I think Nolan has the double-standard mixed with race.  I think there is more heat on Nutt than Heath.

[Jim Harris]

By the end, that was the worst basketball team I've ever seen in my life.

guess you missed the 1985-86 season.

[Biggus Piggus]

We just have to have some defense out on the court this year!!!

Arkansas was third in the SEC last year in scoring defense so apparently they did put some defense on the court last year.

Scoring defense is what?  Points allowed, which is dependent on pace of play, so the so-called scoring defense does not tell you much about defense.  The Hogs were ninth in points allowed per possession (SEC games).  Don't get too proud of that ranking.  The ones below us--Georgia, Auburn and Tennessee--were extremely limited basketball teams.  I can't believe we're discussing this again.  It's not even a legitimate question.

Last year's Hogs had this strange combination (in SEC play) of poor rebounding and mediocre defensive pressure (turnovers).  That's weird to see.  And we allowed 50% shooting from 2-pt range, not as bad as the 51% in 2004, but much worse than good.  At least we had an excuse in 2004, no big men.  The worst a Nolan team ever did in 2-pt FG% defense was 48% in 1992-93, when the only tall guy was Dwight Stewart.  His teams averaged 46%, with a best of 43%.  So 50%, that's bad.

To be clear, the 50% was for SEC play only, but we had a Jekyll-Hyde season, and the SEC wasn't that tough last year.  We lost two games, to Auburn and Tennessee, that were complete rollovers against lousy opposition.  All the numbers tell us was how the team folded up.  Three years in a row, they were done after Valentine's Day, like somebody threw a switch.

[Lanny]

UAGrad95 is correct last years team quit on Stan which is inexcusable.  This is a must year for Stan the honeymoon is over and sometimes you have to realize early you married the wrong woman and move on.

[Tomhog™]

Maybe so. You make a good point. However, you never hear of the great coaches having "chemistry" problems on their teams (Phil Jackson in the Kobe/Shaq years being the exception).

I'd say there is no worse cancer in a locker room than Glen-Dumb Alexander and his father. But Sutton somehow made a team with him on it successful. A good coach will overcome the prima donnas and get the team playing well.

the defense has been getting considerably better each year. After all, if I recall right, we led in several categories. Defense is not the problem, team unity was!!

Again....coach's responsibility. Coach's fault. IF Olu was a cancer, then SH should have seen it early and either adjusted his attitude for him or severed him from the team. Do you see Sutton, Knight, Tubby, Krzyzjlsihnlsky having any trouble doing that?

I FRICKIN LOVE IT!!! I'll take difficult coaches names for $500 Alex!

I thought this was hilarious.  I could see myself doing the same thing with that name.....

[PerryHog]

Specifics aside, we did suck at bball last year.
In spades.

[Porquemada]

A break from football?!   

Does Texas Farmer College not have a basketball program? I guess Texas Farmer College doesn't have enough militant male cheerleaders to field all the major sports.