Chill Out

[The Hogfather]

I think it's hilarious that everyone here who was "wait and see, it's too early" after 6 wins have decided the team's NIT fate after 2 losses.

The loss was troubling and concerning, but it can be redeemed. Every team on ESPN during Selection Sunday has a bad loss column beside their name, and many of them come early in the season.

I'm going to wait until we tank to declare we've tanked, and I'll wait until we're in the tournament to declare we're back.

We'll have more.  We still have road games against a bunch of bad SEC teams.

[RyeHogFan]

I'm usually a pretty chill guy but this loss just really pissed me off. There's still way too many wide open 3's for the opponent. And they are getting the ball inside way too easy. For Pete's sake, we were playing a zone and their guy kept getting the ball easily 4 feet from the basket. Then he'd either shoot it for an easy basket or after seemingly all 5 of our players crashed down on him, he'd pass it to the perimeter for one of those annoyingly open 3 pointers. And don't even get me started on the ineptness of our offense. Outside of Portis and Qualls, we had jack. Our guards chucked up way too many quick 3's and didn't look to Portis enough. Madden had an awful game and Bell wasn't much better. We better get our stuff together or we can just leave our dancing shoes in the closet where they've been for way too long.

[bigdaddyhawg]

The loss was troubling and concerning, but it can be redeemed.

Well, the loss actually cannot be redeemed, but your point is valid: the season can certainly be redeemed.

But where is the evidence that this team is going to start playing much better basketball?

As I pointed out after the SMU game, a win, their play was so uneven and undisciplined.  At times they look great, mainly because of considerable talent, but at times they are so hulley-gulley they look like a .500 team at best.

Which is exactly what they exhibited yesterday.  And you know way too well that this level of play will not produce a consistent quality level of play enough to get the road wins to get into the tourney.

Can the season be redeemed? Absolutely.  Will it be redeemed? Very, very uncertain.

[bigdaddyhawg]

We'll have more.  We still have road games against a bunch of bad SEC teams.

But how will it impress the selection committee to lose to every halfway decent team on the road and only beat a few truly bad teams?

Do you think that resume' will impress enough folks to get us into the tourney?

I doubt it.  And unless the team does a 180 turnaround on the road we will not beat the decent teams on the road that we need to.

[latrops]

I thought all teams talked about RPI and record.  I haven't been to the Kentucky board since last year, but I remember a thread of them discussing RPI and records and they are the best B-Ball program in America.

And what's ironic about this whole thing is, we made a prediction thread before the season started, and most people had us going 11-2 in the non-conference with losses to SMU and Iowa State, we look on pace to do that 11-2, just lost to Clemson instead of SMU.  As jry04 we still have a good RPI, if the tournament started tomorrow we'd be in the field, we just have to finish our non-conference strong and take care of business when conference play starts, nobody should be stressing about us not making the tournament over 1 game in early December.

It's not just that we lost a game to Clemson....it is that we once again look lousy on the road.  It was projected that, after winning a few on the road last year, this team led by upperclassmen and Portis would break through with 6 or so road wins to go along with the 19 wins at home.  That would be 25 wins and a very likely spot in the NCAAT.  It is all still possible....maybe even probable, but the road improvement that we thought was a lock following the SMU win is now much more in question.  A 3-6 road record in the SEC would probably have us needing to win a game or two in the SECT.

[Dwight_K_Shrute]

I'm pissed about the loss but the overall negativity is stupid.

1.  We have a coach that represents the university well and is glad to be here.
2.  We have a group of talented players that stay out of trouble.
3.  We were just ranked in the top 25 for the first time in God knows when.

People are doing cartwheels because the football team finished 6-6 2-6 in conference and going to a bowl game.  If the same % of teams made the post season in FB as they do in BBall the FB team would likely be staying home.

I'm ecstatic at that 6-6 record considering all the circumstances, but in that 2-6 conference record are games that quite honestly we had no business losing.  Should have beat A&M and probably State or Missouri.  In those loses are things the coaches and or players could have or should have done differently.  But that is overlooked because why?  Because of how we finished and the body of work as a whole and where they came from.

It's amazing how "fans" come out of the wood work to bash and criticize 8 games into the season.  The players and the coaches rep the program much better than most on here.  If the players do need to pull themselves on by the bootstraps get and attitude adjustment or give more effort what helps them more?  Fans that may be pissed about a loss but have a "We got your back attitude" or fans that just can't wait to chug the haterade and let everyone know what the players and coaches should be doing and that they never really supported the Anderson hire in the first place.

Everyone seemed to be fine doing that for the FB team mired in a much deeper funk.  Come on guys keep trying, you will get  there we got you.  Screw the rest of the conf and country we know you are better than this even though it doesn't show on the scoreboard. 

One thing we lost last year that is overlooked is the leadership.  Qualls has stepped up to replace some of CC's stats but Clark was a senior as was Haydar and Scott.  Kikko was a leader, cheerleader, and calming influence.  We need some guys to step up in those roles and not just on the stat sheet.  We also need a guy to be the leader, and I'm not seeing him yet.  The coach can't appoint or anoint it has to be taken.

Like others have said let the season play out then feel free to jump off the bandwagon.  I learned a lot supporting the football team.  What it means to be a real fan, and keep supporting the team no matter what.  And it doesn't matter if the coach is in his second year, fourth, or tenth.  Support the team and the players until the season is over see what the actual outcome is not your negative a$$ perceived outcome based on 1/4 of the season playing out.  Go back over the last 40 years of Razorback basketball and you will find 1 or more bad losses even in very successful seasons, or keep calling out Mike saying how you never supported him, how his style is outdated or whatever.  Just don't call yourself a Razorback, because you are not, you are an observer.

[Atlhogfan1]

I'm pissed about the loss but the overall negativity is stupid.

1.  We have a coach that represents the university well and is glad to be here.
2.  We have a group of talented players that stay out of trouble.
3.  We were just ranked in the top 25 for the first time in God knows when.

People are doing cartwheels because the football team finished 6-6 2-6 in conference and going to a bowl game.  If the same % of teams made the post season in FB as they do in BBall the FB team would likely be staying home.

I'm ecstatic at that 6-6 record considering all the circumstances, but in that 2-6 conference record are games that quite honestly we had no business losing.  Should have beat A&M and probably State or Missouri.  In those loses are things the coaches and or players could have or should have done differently.  But that is overlooked because why?  Because of how we finished and the body of work as a whole and where they came from.

It's amazing how "fans" come out of the wood work to bash and criticize 8 games into the season.  The players and the coaches rep the program much better than most on here.  If the players do need to pull themselves on by the bootstraps get and attitude adjustment or give more effort what helps them more?  Fans that may be pissed about a loss but have a "We got your back attitude" or fans that just can't wait to chug the haterade and let everyone know what the players and coaches should be doing and that they never really supported the Anderson hire in the first place.

Everyone seemed to be fine doing that for the FB team mired in a much deeper funk.  Come on guys keep trying, you will get  there we got you.  Screw the rest of the conf and country we know you are better than this even though it doesn't show on the scoreboard. 

One thing we lost last year that is overlooked is the leadership.  Qualls has stepped up to replace some of CC's stats but Clark was a senior as was Haydar and Scott.  Kikko was a leader, cheerleader, and calming influence.  We need some guys to step up in those roles and not just on the stat sheet.  We also need a guy to be the leader, and I'm not seeing him yet.  The coach can't appoint or anoint it has to be taken.

Like others have said let the season play out then feel free to jump off the bandwagon.  I learned a lot supporting the football team.  What it means to be a real fan, and keep supporting the team no matter what.  And it doesn't matter if the coach is in his second year, fourth, or tenth.  Support the team and the players until the season is over see what the actual outcome is not your negative a$$ perceived outcome based on 1/4 of the season playing out.  Go back over the last 40 years of Razorback basketball and you will find 1 or more bad losses even in very successful seasons, or keep calling out Mike saying how you never supported him, how his style is outdated or whatever.  Just don't call yourself a Razorback, because you are not, you are an observer.

This has been the best and most honest discussions this board has had in a long time.  A bandwagon or real fan post wasn't necessary.  And the accusation of coming out of the woodwork to bash or hate has been addressed. 

If Qualls is leading this team, then there is the first sign of trouble.  He is the "X factor" many games just as he was last season.  Portis should be the leader since we don't have a G capable. 

[bigdaddyhawg]

People are doing cartwheels because the football team finished 6-6 2-6 in conference and going to a bowl game.  If the same % of teams made the post season in FB as they do in BBall the FB team would likely be staying home.

If BB's FB teams are struggling to the same level Mike's BB teams are struggling in a couple of years, the "negativity" will be a while lot worse than you're seeing now.

Also, if/when BB assembles as much talent as MA currently has, and you see us play so poorly, and are so poorly coached, you'll see most Hog fans call for him to be fired.

[bigdaddyhawg]

One thing we lost last year that is overlooked is the leadership. 

While this may be true, it is a pretty weak excuse to try to cover this team's inadequacies.

It's Mike's job to develop that leadership, to develop the team chemistry, performance, etc..

And what makes his failure in that area so much worse is this team is pretty experienced.  Madden is a senior, Bell a junior, Qualls a junior, Williams a junior, Harris a senior.

He's had plenty of time to develop leadership.  So what has kept him from doing so?  Why is this team leaderless?

[cbhawg03]

This was significantly worse than the Iowa State loss.

That has to be the biggest understatement of the season.

[Knot2brite]

Is it negative to want a team to do the fundamental things correct? Is it being a bandwagon fan to say that in the last ten years under three different coaches we have not seen the basic concept of half court defense and or half court offense implemented. This isn't just about MA, but not about how that we have not seen improvement on the court for the basic things. Attacking the opposing defense and going to the goal. Stopping the dribbler from attacking our goal. Playing help side defense when the ball is away from you. Working the ball into the low post and feedif what inside game we have to draw fouls from the opposing teams bigs. Yeah we have the pressure on the inbounds but honestly that isn't working like it used to with the emphasis on the hand checking rules. Like I have said before, this isn't about wanting MA fired. This is about playing basketball and doin the small things right. I keep hearing that we are only 8 games into a season. That is 25% of the season down. How much more do we have to see before we can officially want something better. If the next 75% is different and all the above things are done and we still fall short then I really have no room to gripe. But it isn't happening and after watching this happen over and over for ten years, I think we as fans have earned the right to gripe

[Kevin]

Football 2nd year of the coach
Basketball 4th year of the coach

Expectations should be different

[lefty08]

He was hired for nostalgia; not his coaching ability.

That's a bunch of buckshot and you know it

[urkillnmesmalls]

It goes under the bad loss category when March comes around. Really, need to beat Dayton now.  Not sure outside of Kentucky, where a quality win is going to come from in the conference

That's what I'm worried about.  That should have been viewed as, and played as though it was a MUST WIN.  I know I'll get arguments refuting that, but after beating SMU and now losing to ISU and Clemson, we're left to have the committee pick us based on the merits of success beating up mostly SEC teams left on the schedule.  That's not going to impress anyone unless we clip KY, and LSU at the very least. 

I know...it's always the same thing.  "We can make up for that."  Well...no, you can't make up for it leaving the lasting impression that we can't rise up and win big games away from home against other conferences' doormats.  That chance is GONE...POOF. 

It's one thing to win those three OOC games and then blow through the SEC with an occasional loss to a hot team on the road.  It's an entirely other thing to lose those, and then lose several SEC road games, because we saw last year that the SEC ain't sending many teams to the NCAAT.  I don't look for that to change at all this season. 

That's what irked me.  They should have been playing that game as if it was a tournament play in game, and that is NOT WHAT I saw on the court.  Period. 

[Ramtough]

If MA can't get into the tourney this year I'm not sure what we lose by letting him go. I see plenty of talent but you have to turn talent into wins and that takes coaching.

[reddogjcss]

Mike said tonight the lose was on him. His fault.
This just means the rest of the road games are more important.
In fact need to win 75% of road games and they will. Just a brain fart and early is best time for that to happen. This will make the team more focused and play with more determination.

[urkillnmesmalls]

If MA can't get into the tourney this year I'm not sure what we lose by letting him go. I see plenty of talent but you have to turn talent into wins and that takes coaching.

I don't think that will happen...Mike's here for awhile.  The impact of those two losses will only be felt if we continue to struggle on the road and lose to inferior SEC teams by showing up and playing with a lack of effort.  Then those losses will be looked back on unfavorably.  Odds are, we are one of the best three teams in the SEC, so hopefully...they'll take at least 3 this year!!   

In the mean time, as long as he's bringing in talent and there is improvement, he's not going anywhere.  It's a matter of getting the right chemistry and some kids that refuse to lose, and we can potentially make a big leap forward. 

For those waiting for MA to be a great X's and O's coach, saddle up and make a sammich...   We'll only do great things when we get kids who are tenacious on defense, scrappy, and we add a kid like Monk and a nasty Center to play with him to give us some offense.  It will never come from superior execution in the half court offense...EVER.     

[Kevin]

I think it will take 24 wins to get in

[urkillnmesmalls]

I think it will take 24 wins to get in

I think it will take being at least the 3rd best team in the SEC, regardless.  I don't see the SEC sending more than 3 to the dance this year based on the perception of the conference...maybe 4, but that's being hopeful.  I think the pressure to take at least 3 is our best shot, and how many wins that takes is the only question. 

[Danny J]

I think it will take being at least the 3rd best team in the SEC, regardless.  I don't see the SEC sending more than 3 to the dance this year based on the perception of the conference...maybe 4, but that's being hopeful.  I think the pressure to take at least 3 is our best shot, and how many wins that takes is the only question.

I think you are probably right but I think it will be best to wait and see how things continue to unfold before looking that far ahead. I still think we can finish 2nd in the SEC. I am holding firm. I think there are a few lineup tweaks that need to be made and a few things on defense that need to change to get us there and I think CMA will figure it out. Remember guys....a lot of new pieces this year that are going to get minutes and the sub patterns are totally different from last year.

[urkillnmesmalls]

I think you are probably right but I think it will be best to wait and see how things continue to unfold before looking that far ahead. I still think we can finish 2nd in the SEC. I am holding firm. I think there are a few lineup tweaks that need to be made and a few things on defense that need to change to get us there and I think CMA will figure it out. Remember guys....a lot of new pieces this year that are going to get minutes and the sub patterns are totally different from last year.

I'll give you that...it's still early.  But...we've seen it for three years now.  No offensive sets, no true point guard, and sometimes you get great intensity and effort on defense, and sometimes you don't. 

I really hate it, but I don't see a recipe for winning games on the road.  I want to see it....don't see it. 

When we play a team that has a TRUE point guard, we're going to struggle.  It's been that way for awhile now.  Hopefully, one of the youngsters will develop into that role, and Madden can move to a true 2 guard, which I think makes us a stronger team. 

None of that changes what I think is our biggest issue.  We have athletes...but not basketball players with basketball IQ's.  The exception may be Portis, but even he needs to become more aggressive.  He's had THREE foul shots in the last two games...COMBINED.  Not aggressive enough. 

If multiple people on this board, my friends, and the analysts are seeing the same issues that we've had for the past three seasons, then at that point I consider it a concern.  I hope we overcome that, find some chemistry, and blow everyone out.  I really do. 

[Justifiable Hogicide]

If MA can't get into the tourney this year I'm not sure what we lose by letting him go.

We would have to again endure Nolan Richardson trying to burn the Arkansas basketball and entire athletic department to the ground.
We will have to keep Mike for quite a while longer.

[Smithian]

We would have to again endure Nolan Richardson trying to burn the Arkansas basketball and entire athletic department to the ground.
We will have to keep Mike for quite a while longer.

The limited bump in attendance from Pelphrey to Anderson shows most people really don't care about Nolan Richardson any more. Razorback die hards? We all have opinions, one way or another. I think most fans just want to win, whoever the coach is.

It is too early to consider what would happen with a coaching change, but if it happens the Nolan factor will be negligible at best. Arkansas had to pay Anderson massive money (at the time, top 10 salary) to attract him.

Money and support counts. Not connections to the past.

[Dominicanhog]

Mike's not going anywhere and we'll be a good team by tournament time.. we need people to learn roles and get experience.. we'll take some lumps but we'll win a lot of games THIS YEAR... :razorback:

[RAD]

Likely a ridiculous thought, one I'm sure others have thought of, and I see about zero chance of it happening, but...

Maybe the magic of the 90s was because of Nolan AND Mike. Maybe offer NR an assistant job, or some kind of advisory role in the program. Something more "official" than just someone that Mike talks to on the phone every day. From hearing some of his speeches, he still has the fire and passion, and he hasn't forgotten how to coach. It's a waaaaaayyyy long shot of course, and something he might have zero interest in doing, but possibly he would like to try to make one last run to bring the Hogs back to where we once were.

[Breems]

The limited bump in attendance from Pelphrey to Anderson shows most people really don't care about Nolan Richardson any more. Razorback die hards? We all have opinions, one way or another. I think most fans just want to win, whoever the coach is.

It is too early to consider what would happen with a coaching change, but if it happens the Nolan factor will be negligible at best. Arkansas had to pay Anderson massive money (at the time, top 10 salary) to attract him.

Money and support counts. Not connections to the past.

Smithian, this is one of the few reasons why not being tied to the past benefits us.

Correct on all accounts. I don't care who the coach is. Mike Anderson's success means nothing to me other than the fact that it means my team is winning. I'll be a fan long after he's fired/retired.

Money will override connections if the time comes. I believe we have an AD that values that.