It's Tournament or bust for Anderson right??

[latrops]

It doesn't matter if it is time to move on or not. With Mike's new buyout in his contract, he is here for 7 years guaranteed, unless a booster hates Mike so much he'll pay the millions just to get rid of him.

Not so.  The buyout is 1 million a year.  He is making over 2 million a year now.  If he were let go and replaced with an up and comer at 1 million a year or less, we'd actually be saving money on coaching salary.

He is almost surely safe through 5 years.  After that it depends on whether the program is progressing at a rate that Long is satisfied with.  Long will consider factors other than how many times we made the NCAAT....though fan support will certain be a meaningful consideration.  I doubt there will be much fan support if this year doesn't end strong or next year looks like something Pelphrey would put together.

[Atlhogfan1]

I didn't include him because he doesn't fit the stereotype that the Mike-haters use when referring to "athletes." Clarke was a very smart and fundamentally sound player. Yeah, he was 6'6", but he could shoot, rebound, handle the ball, and pass.

Well he does seem to like those athletes.  Maybe a little underrecruited because they still need to learn how to play the game.  Qualls is a good example. Williams, Mukubu, Eddins

A question is will Mike be able to get those 6-8 or so versatile forward types he had at Mizzou?  He obviously sees the need based on who is being recruited. 

[hawginbigd1]

MA will be here at least 2 more years, the unfortunate thing is next year we will be worse than this year. Portis and Qualls are both gone, who on this team can replace them? Nobody!

[elksnort]

Let's see how the year plays out. If he doesn't make the tournament, then Jeff Long should sit down with him in early April and evaluate the program.

By evaluate the program, it's:

JL: You're doing everything right off the court. Let's be more consistent on it.

By consistent, I mean:

-win 23 regular season games every year
-win at LEAST one SEC Tournament game every year
-make the NCAA Tournament every year
-Don't miss out on top talent in-state, and if you do, you better have a talented class to back it up

If these goals are not accomplished, starting with the 2015-16 season, you will be terminated.

This is very fair.

[Porkem]

I  believed, before conference started, 12-6 in the SEC regular season, maybe 11-7 and a win in the SEC tournament, would punch our ticket to the Big Dance. I had assumed we'd go 9-0 at home, and win 3 on the road (Miss. State, Auburn, and either Missouri or Tennessee). Now, the Hogs are going to need to win 4 of their remaining 7 on the road (assuming they win out at home). Where are these wins going to come from? There's going to be a logjam of teams, like us, fighting for the same bids. It's not looking good.

[bigdaddyhawg]

MA will be here at least 2 more years, the unfortunate thing is next year we will be worse than this year. Portis and Qualls are both gone, who on this team can replace them? Nobody!

Not sure you realize just how many assumptions, all negative, you're making in this statement.

But sometimes the total can be greater than the sum of the parts.  It happens quite a lot in basketball.

Not saying this will happen, but next year you could have a team that is truly balanced, especially on the defensive end.  You could have a team without egos, and that would be a HUGE improvement over this year IMO.

And I think some of those young guys, including Whitt, might show you they are much better basketball players that you can see now.

[Breems]

Not sure you realize just how many assumptions, all negative, you're making in this statement.

But sometimes the total can be greater than the sum of the parts.  It happens quite a lot in basketball.

Not saying this will happen, but next year you could have a team that is truly balanced, especially on the defensive end.  You could have a team without egos, and that would be a HUGE improvement over this year IMO.

And I think some of those young guys, including Whitt, might show you they are much better basketball players that you can see now.

I don't like the outlook for next year but this could be partly true. Madden exploded when he was able to take over the ball when Young left. We all know what's happened since but still...

[GuvHog]

Not so.  The buyout is 1 million a year.  He is making over 2 million a year now.  If he were let go and replaced with an up and comer at 1 million a year or less, we'd actually be saving money on coaching salary.

He is almost surely safe through 5 years.  After that it depends on whether the program is progressing at a rate that Long is satisfied with.  Long will consider factors other than how many times we made the NCAAT....though fan support will certain be a meaningful consideration.  I doubt there will be much fan support if this year doesn't end strong or next year looks like something Pelphrey would put together.

I agree, Mike will be back next season no matter how this one ends but if the Hogs fail to make the NCAA Tournament this season, Mike's seat will be extremely hot next season and making the NCAA Tournament will become an absolutely "have to" case or there won't be a 6th year for him IMHO.

[pigmailyen]

This is a one time top five program in the Nation guys, and it was allowed to go down the toilet even during the last 5 or so years during Nolan's years here.

Top 5 programs would be UCLA, Kentucky, North Carolina, Duke, Kansas, Indiana, UConn, Louisville, Michigan State--all programs with multiple conference and NCAA titles.  Arkansas has one SEC championship and one NCAA title.  A good start, but not top 5...yet...

[Thepigdoctor]

Let me preface my statement below by saying I am a CMA supporter, wanted him brought back and I believe he will get us where we want to go eventually. Having said all that if we don't make the Big Dance this year or the next and we find out that Monk has decided to go elsewhere then I think we should start looking for another coach. I hope it doesn't come to that but that is the cold hard reality of high level Power 5 conference sports.

Same here. He comes back regardless next year, but if we miss the tourney this year, with the potential we have, it's not good. I still don't think we are as talented as others do, which is why we are so inconsistent. I'd like to see him get two more recruiting classes, 15 and 16. To me, that's giving him a fair chance to resurrect this program. Years 1-2 were about building stability and getting our feet back under us after years of awful roster management/turnover/bad recruiting decisions (some of which even had reason under Pel - he had to field a team). Years 3-4 are about bringing in talent, or projects who just need to realize their talent (see Qualls, Michael). In years 5-6, that is when Mike is fully accountable for the team he has put on the floor.

Don't give me the, but only one player isn't his, because like I said, years 1-2 were a wreck. You have to put a team on the floor and that means taking kids you might not have normally, or going to transfers and jucos in the hope that they can provide enough to stabilize the program.

I see that this has all been accomplished, which to me is the reason I think we are on track. Again though, 15 and 16 must be home runs and must bring back truly talented players who can fit in this system. 6 years, if you can't look at a team by that point and say, yes, this coach knows what he is doing and we have the players to do it, then turn the page Mr. Seger.

[Thepigdoctor]

Not sure you realize just how many assumptions, all negative, you're making in this statement.

But sometimes the total can be greater than the sum of the parts.  It happens quite a lot in basketball.

Not saying this will happen, but next year you could have a team that is truly balanced, especially on the defensive end.  You could have a team without egos, and that would be a HUGE improvement over this year IMO.

And I think some of those young guys, including Whitt, might show you they are much better basketball players that you can see now.

Addition by subtraction...happens a lot in sports. Couldn't agree more, +1

[hogsanity]

Addition by subtraction...happens a lot in sports. Couldn't agree more, +1

IF, and I say IF both Portis and Qualls leave early, along with Madden graduating, that is the bulk of the points.

[bigdaddyhawg]

IF, and I say IF both Portis and Qualls leave early, along with Madden graduating, that is the bulk of the points.

Now we hadn't even thought of that.

(It's probably the bulk of the rebounds as well.)

[MikePiazza]

Stan Heath's fourth year, they were 12-5 and 1-3 in the league at this point, and ended up making the tourney fairly comfortably.

It can still turn around.

[hogsanity]

Now we hadn't even thought of that.

(It's probably the bulk of the rebounds as well.)

Lots have thought about it, some appear to be trying to ignore it ( not saying you ). While addition by subtraction can happen, it is not likely. We all heard we would not miss Powell or Young when they left, but the team struggled to replace them.

[porkinsons disease]

He's back regardless. Wonder if he needs to ask for a "2 year pass"?

[HF#1]

He's back regardless. Wonder if he needs to ask for a "2 year pass"?

He already got it...  Right before the Georgia game.

[EastexHawg]

Jeff Long is not about to fire Mike less than four months after extending his contract; that's John Whitish, and Long is no John White.

Why should his contract have been extended?

As for whether he should be fired if we don't make the NCAA tournament, the goal posts keep getting moved.  If you could go back and read comments from last year, a common theme was, "I'm giving him through next year.  If we don't make the Dance then, I'll agree that it's time for him to go."

This is next year.

[Atlhogfan1]

Why should his contract have been extended?

As for whether he should be fired if we don't make the NCAA tournament, the goal posts keep getting moved.  If you could go back and read comments from last year, a common theme was, "I'm giving him through next year.  If we don't make the Dance then, I'll agree that it's time for him to go."

This is next year.

Go read some from when he was at UAB and Mizzou of what he would do at Arkansas if he were brought back. 

[porkinsons disease]

He already got it...  Right before the Georgia game.

haha....I meant in addition to that since old problems are resurfacing with our lack of D and subsequent losses. If Qualls bails in addition to Portis and Madden, we don't have too many legit scorers next season or on the horizon.

[Sivad]

I don't think its a stupid question...but I do think a better question is why wouldn't it be tournament or bust? I believe the answer to that is because of who Mike Anderson is, and in particular his past connections with the program. If not for that, he would be long gone if no ncaa tournament appearance this year, in my opinion.

True.
Nostalgia 4
Razorbacks 0

[Paul]

Stan Heath's fourth year, they were 12-5 and 1-3 in the league at this point, and ended up making the tourney fairly comfortably.

It can still turn around.

And didn't he get fired?

[WilsonHog]

Why should his contract have been extended?

As for whether he should be fired if we don't make the NCAA tournament, the goal posts keep getting moved.  If you could go back and read comments from last year, a common theme was, "I'm giving him through next year.  If we don't make the Dance then, I'll agree that it's time for him to go."

This is next year.

Who said that last year?

Btw, if it was me, I said earlier today he needed to be relieved of his duties if we don't make the NCAA Tournament this year. So, I haven't moved anything.

[latrops]

Why should his contract have been extended?

As for whether he should be fired if we don't make the NCAA tournament, the goal posts keep getting moved.  If you could go back and read comments from last year, a common theme was, "I'm giving him through next year.  If we don't make the Dance then, I'll agree that it's time for him to go."

This is next year.

Thankfully, the fans don't have final say.  They have a voice and when the fan base turns against a coach it is likely that he will be replaced, but we really aren't as close to that as some think.  It is a vocal minority that demands that CMA be fired now or at the end of this season (say we win 22 but miss the NCAAT).  It is also a less vocal minority that expects him to be here for several (3+) more years regardless of results.  In reality, the rest of this year and next are likely to be evaluated while also taking into consideration projections for 2017 and beyond based on returning players and commited recruits...and then a decision will be made.

[EastexHawg]

while also taking into consideration projections for 2017 and beyond based on returning players and commited recruits...and then a decision will be made.

2017? In these days of the best players in college basketball playing one or two years and with the nucleus of a good team only being 8-9 players, there is no reason why it should take a good coach 5-6 years to build a program.  It definitely shouldn't take one of the top 20 or so highest paid coaches in America that long.

When did the primary objective of Arkansas basketball become to make sure Mike Anderson has enough time to eventually succeed?  As a follow-up question...what is the definition of success?  Is it merely making the tournament?

[rude1]

It's not tournament or bust, not nearly. There was more than just basketball wrong with this program when CMA took over, while he has been mediocre on the basketball court, he has been outstanding at fixing all the other ills the program was having. While as fans we care more about the wins, I am sure his boss will be more lenient on the lack of wins because of how well he has managed to fix all the off the court problems.

[EastexHawg]

I am sure his boss will be more lenient on the lack of wins

On that point I don't think anyone could possibly disagree.

[Thepigdoctor]

It's not tournament or bust, not nearly. There was more than just basketball wrong with this program when CMA took over, while he has been mediocre on the basketball court, he has been outstanding at fixing all the other ills the program was having. While as fans we care more about the wins, I am sure his boss will be more lenient on the lack of wins because of how well he has managed to fix all the off the court problems.

Very true, but you know, we have been winning more games as well, and there continues to be more wins each year than the previous year. So one could argue, he's doing it all.

Let's face it, losses happen and you typically look flawed in those, other wise, they'd be wins. Seldom does a team play a near flawless game and get beat. I'm not saying some of our same problems haven't existed all season and even dating back to last year, but that's a simple truth. The majority of our minutes are going to the same players as last year, and we expected a juco, a fairly highly regarded recruit in Beard, and two lightly recruited players in Babb and Thompson to make us better.

Fact is, none of those players could make up for losing Coty Clark, none (and few players in the country) played with the heart of Haydar, and Wade/Scott were decent bench performers. We lost a great deal of leadership, heart, and energy in Coty and Kiko, more so than what many people acknowledged. There is a serious leadership void existing on the court. A couple years ago, a kid named Archie Goodwin played on a UK team that was one of the most talented in the country. They ended up losing in the first round of the NIT because they had zero on court leadership. Successful teams have this and unfortunately there is little any coach can do to manufacture that.

[lrcentral]

It's not tournament or bust, not nearly. There was more than just basketball wrong with this program when CMA took over, while he has been mediocre on the basketball court, he has been outstanding at fixing all the other ills the program was having. While as fans we care more about the wins, I am sure his boss will be more lenient on the lack of wins because of how well he has managed to fix all the off the court problems.

Heath left problems for Pel to clean up and after Anderson it will be that Anderson left a mess and so on and so on. There are always excuses when people arent cutting it.   

[lrcentral]

I get that you can not fire a guy without letting him get set up but i believe most rational people think that this is the year to get into the tournament. Next year we will probably lose our two best players. So if not this year then next year is doubtful as well. That is 10 million plus on a coach and no tournament. We could have gotten those results for a fraction of that cost...

This is good for Arkansas. After this there is no more nostalgia left from the 90s.I hope it forces everyone to move on from 40MH and to just accept any style that wins.

[mhuff]

Let me preface my statement below by saying I am a CMA supporter, wanted him brought back and I believe he will get us where we want to go eventually. Having said all that if we don't make the Big Dance this year or the next and we find out that Monk has decided to go elsewhere then I think we should start looking for another coach. I hope it doesn't come to that but that is the cold hard reality of high level Power 5 conference sports.

I agree..... But why did we extend his contract when we didn't have to do that? Were we afraid that someone was going to pay him more? I know next year is an important recruiting year..... perhaps it was a guarantee that he would be here..... more than likely. Oh well, there's a lot of games left.

[Inhogswetrust]

I am a Mike Anderson guy. Have been since the day he was hired.

However, I am a Razorback first.

Despite what I said above about how I think this will play out, if we don't make the NCAA Tournament this season, he needs to be relieved of his duties as our basketball coach.

With the expanded tournament field and a vastly weakened SEC, four years is enough.

I too agree four years out of the tourney is enough. In light of the recent contract extension I suspect he will get at least two years to recruit with the new practice facility.

[Inhogswetrust]

Stan Heath's fourth year, they were 12-5 and 1-3 in the league at this point, and ended up making the tourney fairly comfortably.

It can still turn around.

Sure it can and I think 99% of us want that to happen.

[hamARchy in the USA]

The media inaccurately reported the buyout as a straight $1 million.

It's actually a cumulative $1 million for each year left on the contract, if he is "terminated for convenience."  And it is mirrored.

So if he was fired after this season, he would be owed $6 million; if fired after next season, owed $5 million, and so on . . .

That could be offset with Jeff Long's former salary. 

[Pig Worshipper]

I am a Mike Anderson guy. Have been since the day he was hired.

However, I am a Razorback first.

Despite what I said above about how I think this will play out, if we don't make the NCAA Tournament this season, he needs to be relieved of his duties as our basketball coach.

With the expanded tournament field and a vastly weakened SEC, four years is enough.

I concur.
However, I think MA will get 3 years more no matter whether we make the tournament or not. I really like Mike Anderson but want better results. I think Jeff Long will go to great lengths to give MA every chance to succeed including keeping him a couple of years longer than he would keep anyone else.

[Danny J]

I agree..... But why did we extend his contract when we didn't have to do that? Were we afraid that someone was going to pay him more? I know next year is an important recruiting year..... perhaps it was a guarantee that he would be here..... more than likely. Oh well, there's a lot of games left.

You said it....recruiting. Also the practice facility was built according to what he wanted. So those two things show long term commitment to CMA.

[cityhog]

I believe he will be here next year no matter what happens this year. What no one is talking about though is with the departure of Gearhart this year you can look for Long to be not far behind.  When Long goes all bets are off for
Anderson to be here long term.

[cityhog]

I get that you can not fire a guy without letting him get set up but i believe most rational people think that this is the year to get into the tournament. Next year we will probably lose our two best players. So if not this year then next year is doubtful as well. That is 10 million plus on a coach and no tournament. We could have gotten those results for a fraction of that cost...

This is good for Arkansas. After this there is no more nostalgia left from the 90s.I hope it forces everyone to move on from 40MH and to just accept any style that wins.

Amen and amen.

[jgphillips3]

If he doesn't get to the NCAA this year and win a game, Long needs to have a lengthy sit down.  I'd say he probably would get his fifth and six years but could be gone after six if we aren't a solid NCAA team by then.  I don't see how any coach should be allowed to survive at Arkansas if they can't make the NCAA and win 1 game in their first six years.  Hopefully we pull it together, get to the dance and win a game or two so there isn't a need to discuss this with more urgency.

[lefty08]

IF, and I say IF both Portis and Qualls leave early, along with Madden graduating, that is the bulk of the points.

True, it's also the majority of shots.....