History of Razorback basketball in Little Rock since 2001......

[RazorBackStrapAssasin]

I'll just leave this here for you guys, thought it was pretty interesting, Thoughts?

Year                       Opponent                    Results
2017                         Troy                         
2016                  Sam Houston St.             W 90-56
2015                       Mercer                       L 69-66 (OT)
2014                 Southeast Mo. State         W 84-76
2013                      South Alabama            W 72-60
2012                     Alabama A & M             W 95-68
2011                     Houston                       L 87-78
2010                      UAB                            L 65-70 (OT)
2009                     Baylor                          L 47-70
2008                     North Texas                  W 86-75
2007                 Appalachian State              L 64-77
2006                  Texas Tech                      L 56-71
2005                         Rice                         W 80-61
2004                        Illinois                       L 60-72
2003                    Jacksonville                   W 85-65
2002                        Illinois                       L 58-62
2001                    Oklahoma State             L 76-85

Since 2001 at Verizon/Alltel Arena we are 7-9

[Hawg414]

We've had some pretty bad teams during this stretch.  Certainly don't think it is the venue considering the Verizon game was one of the best crowds most of these seasons.

[HF#1]

We've had some pretty bad teams during this stretch.  Certainly don't think it is the venue considering the Verizon game was one of the best crowds most of these seasons.

The crowds are good but the background behind the baskets are terrible. Also, that one end where there is 100ft between the floor and bleachers is, awkward.

[Hogs49ers]

At least this shows we have been trending up in road games since MA got here.  (yes, I know it is officially a home game, but it may as well be a road game...) 

I do see the positives of having a game there for our fans in LR and in our biggest recruiting region, but also the negatives of basically taking away one of our home games.  I am fine with scheduling teams like Troy there, just do not think we need to be playing solid teams like Houston, Baylor, and Illinois in LR though.

And to the point above, yes the crowds are great and the LR fans definitely come out to support, but more about the change in background and our players just not being used to the court.

[HogFaninMemphis]

The crowds are good but the background behind the baskets are terrible. Also, that one end where there is 100ft between the floor and bleachers is, awkward.

I completely agree with this. I went to the Houston game in 2011, and it was even more awkward live than it looks on TV. I think they had it in hockey configuration. The black curtains are awful, but it looks like they are selling upper deck tickets on Ticketmaster, so maybe those curtains are a game-time decision?

[daprospecta]

We have two players from Little Rock and Gafford's home is two hours away vs five. Needless to say, we will be amped for this game.

[HognitiveDissonance]

I've been to most of these games. The fans have been phenomenal, but the teams have stunk for the most part.

Didn't have any trouble last year, and not expecting any trouble this year either.

The game on your list that sticks out in my mind was the 2001 game. Crazy game. Arkansas came out EN FUEGO. JJ Sullinger was even draining threes. I recall he hit a 3 to make it 32-10 Hogs. Ok St called a timeout, and slowly started working their way back in the game. By the end of the day they were pulling away.
Illinois brought a couple of really good teams in there too.

[BadHog]

We have had some bizarre losses in LR. I have never been to a game there so I've always wondered why some of these games we just played awful.

[hoglady]

At least this shows we have been trending up in road games since MA got here.  (yes, I know it is officially a home game, but it may as well be a road game...) 

I do see the positives of having a game there for our fans in LR and in our biggest recruiting region, but also the negatives of basically taking away one of our home games.  I am fine with scheduling teams like Troy there, just do not think we need to be playing solid teams like Houston, Baylor, and Illinois in LR though.

And to the point above, yes the crowds are great and the LR fans definitely come out to support, but more about the change in background and our players just not being used to the court.

I don't know why we shouldn't play good teams in state outside of Bud Walton.
I watched the Hogs beat #1 North Carolina w/ Jordan at Pine Bluff Convention Center.

Fans in Central Arkansas will show for Hog basketball whether the team is good or bad.

[Hogs49ers]

I don't know why we shouldn't play good teams in state outside of Bud Walton.
I watched the Hogs beat #1 North Carolina w/ Jordan at Pine Bluff Convention Center.

Fans in Central Arkansas will show for Hog basketball whether the team is good or bad.

Well maybe you are right, and I know the fans will be there, but I just think we have a much bigger edge in Bud Walton where the players are used to the atmosphere and I was also saying that based on our more recent results of playing solid teams and losing in LR.  Maybe that was just because we sucked though lol...

BTW, I am not old enough to have been alive for that UNC game, but I have watched videos of that game on youtube and that was incredible!  I have never seen a place packed in as much as that small gym was during that game, and I am really jealous of you for being there first hand!

[masbas3]

I'll just leave this here for you guys, thought it was pretty interesting, Thoughts?

Year                       Opponent                    Results
2017                         Troy                         
2016                  Sam Houston St.             W 90-56
2015                       Mercer                       L 69-66 (OT)
2014                 Southeast Mo. State         W 84-76
2013                      South Alabama            W 72-60
2012                     Alabama A & M             W 95-68
2011                     Houston                       L 87-78
2010                      UAB                            L 65-70 (OT)
2009                     Baylor                          L 47-70
2008                     North Texas                  W 86-75
2007                 Appalachian State              L 64-77
2006                  Texas Tech                      L 56-71
2005                         Rice                         W 80-61
2004                        Illinois                       L 60-72
2003                    Jacksonville                   W 85-65
2002                        Illinois                       L 58-62
2001                    Oklahoma State             L 76-85

Since 2001 at Verizon/Alltel Arena we are 7-9

I'm not sure what your purpose was in posting this but if anyone wants to look at this all of these games were played during some of the darkest days for Razorback Basketball.   Of the 9 losses, 6 of them were against schools that would to this day give us trouble, whether we played them in Little Rock or Bud Walton Arena, they are consistently top programs.

[masbas3]

Well maybe you are right, and I know the fans will be there, but I just think we have a much bigger edge in Bud Walton where the players are used to the atmosphere and I was also saying that based on our more recent results of playing solid teams and losing in LR.  Maybe that was just because we sucked though lol...

BTW, I am not old enough to have been alive for that UNC game, but I have watched videos of that game on youtube and that was incredible!  I have never seen a place packed in as much as that small gym was during that game, and I am really jealous of you for being there first hand!

The Pine Bluff Convention center is great for basketball, to me it's the best basketball facility in the State, and yes, I'm including Bud Walton Arena in that conversation.  The reason I say that is because of the many games I've been to there watching the Razorbacks play, and yes, I was there to witness Balentine sink UNC in December of 1984.  I used to go there every year to watch the King Cotton Tournament and to me that was the best tournament anywhere, alot of future NBA players made their way there and no game was better than the one between Corliss and Jason Kidd.  With that are a being the size that it is and the shape it is, it keeps the crowd right on top of the action and to me when the Hogs played there it rivaled Barnhill arena.

[popcornhog]

At least this shows we have been trending up in road games since MA got here.  (yes, I know it is officially a home game, but it may as well be a road game...) 

I do see the positives of having a game there for our fans in LR and in our biggest recruiting region, but also the negatives of basically taking away one of our home games.  I am fine with scheduling teams like Troy there, just do not think we need to be playing solid teams like Houston, Baylor, and Illinois in LR though.

And to the point above, yes the crowds are great and the LR fans definitely come out to support, but more about the change in background and our players just not being used to the court.

Totally disagree. It's not football — there are enough home games to give up a good one.

[hoglady]

Well maybe you are right, and I know the fans will be there, but I just think we have a much bigger edge in Bud Walton where the players are used to the atmosphere and I was also saying that based on our more recent results of playing solid teams and losing in LR.  Maybe that was just because we sucked though lol...

BTW, I am not old enough to have been alive for that UNC game, but I have watched videos of that game on youtube and that was incredible!  I have never seen a place packed in as much as that small gym was during that game, and I am really jealous of you for being there first hand!

UALR used to play quite a few games in Pine Bluff - used to drive down there to watch them play, too.
It's been many, many years since either team has played there.

[NWAHog479]

I have been to the last few Little Rock basketball games and I have to say that it has been a great environment each time. When we had Portis/Qualls and Qualls had an emphatic dunk against South Alabama, that place went nuts. Pretty sure we sold the building out/got very close. Should be full on Saturday with how we are playing and the amount of Central/Southern Arkansas players on the roster.

[Hog Fan...DOH!]

I have no problem with the Hogs playing basketball down there every year.  It's good outreach, and hopefully fun for the players.

[HOGINTENNESSEE]

We have had some bizarre losses in LR. I have never been to a game there so I've always wondered why some of these games we just played awful.

Stan Heath and Pel seem to be good answers to your question

[zebradynasty]

The Pine Bluff Convention center is great for basketball, to me it's the best basketball facility in the State, and yes, I'm including Bud Walton Arena in that conversation.  The reason I say that is because of the many games I've been to there watching the Razorbacks play, and yes, I was there to witness Balentine sink UNC in December of 1984.  I used to go there every year to watch the King Cotton Tournament and to me that was the best tournament anywhere, alot of future NBA players made their way there and no game was better than the one between Corliss and Jason Kidd.  With that are a being the size that it is and the shape it is, it keeps the crowd right on top of the action and to me when the Hogs played there it rivaled Barnhill arena.

There are plans to renovate the Convention center and start another King Cotton type tournament don't believe it will ever be as good as the King Cotton. It would take some major corporate sponsorships to do that now days and SEA is not a hot spot for major corporations these days. Probably be a couple of years on the renovations but the tournament might come as early as 2018.

[ShadowHawg]

I don't know why we shouldn't play good teams in state outside of Bud Walton.
I watched the Hogs beat #1 North Carolina w/ Jordan at Pine Bluff Convention Center.

Fans in Central Arkansas will show for Hog basketball whether the team is good or bad.

Because Bud Walton isn't regularly sold out right now. It makes no sense to waste an opportunity to have a near or completely sold out crowd at a different venue. When the Bud crowd returns then playing some good match ups away from home makes sense.

Right now, the Bud crowd needs seeding. I also think you are overstating the crowds. There have been more than a few mediocre crowds at those games. One of the reasons Nolan asked to do away with off campus games was because of mediocre fan support.

[NoogaHog]

The Pine Bluff Convention center is great for basketball, to me it's the best basketball facility in the State, and yes, I'm including Bud Walton Arena in that conversation.  The reason I say that is because of the many games I've been to there watching the Razorbacks play, and yes, I was there to witness Balentine sink UNC in December of 1984.  I used to go there every year to watch the King Cotton Tournament and to me that was the best tournament anywhere, alot of future NBA players made their way there and no game was better than the one between Corliss and Jason Kidd.  With that are a being the size that it is and the shape it is, it keeps the crowd right on top of the action and to me when the Hogs played there it rivaled Barnhill arena.

Yeah, I watched several King Cotton tourneys there. I watched the Eddie's Hogs beat Minnesota and their three 7-footers including then future Hog Mike Carpenter, and I also watched the Hogs erase an 8 point deficit in the last 90 seconds against Ohio State, including William Mills on the free throw line waving to the crowd (WTH?) while he sank 1 of 2 free throws with zeros on the clock to send the game to overtime.

[daprospecta]

Because Bud Walton isn't regularly sold out right now. It makes no sense to waste an opportunity to have a near or completely sold out crowd at a different venue. When the Bud crowd returns then playing some good match ups away from home makes sense.

Right now, the Bud crowd needs seeding. I also think you are overstating the crowds. There have been more than a few mediocre crowds at those games. One of the reasons Nolan asked to do away with off campus games was because of mediocre fan support.

Our football team had games this year where there were 60+ thousand in the stands and our football team has been on the down slope the last two years.  Let's flip that. Our basketball team has been on the uptick dating back to 2015 but we are struggling to 20,000 fans in the stands.  Makes you wonder.

[ShadowHawg]

Our football team had games this year where there were 60+ thousand in the stands and our football team has been on the down slope the last two years.  Let's flip that. Our basketball team has been on the uptick dating back to 2015 but we are struggling to 20,000 fans in the stands.  Makes you wonder.

The students are missing from the basketball games for the most part. The Minnesota game brought them out. Until they start showing back up we should not play a marquee game off campus inside out state's borders.

[Lady Razorback]

I don't know why we shouldn't play good teams in state outside of Bud Walton.
I watched the Hogs beat #1 North Carolina w/ Jordan at Pine Bluff Convention Center.

Fans in Central Arkansas will show for Hog basketball whether the team is good or bad.

Haha!  I was going to bring up the North Carolina game in Pine Bluff!  Kind of hard to believe that caliber of game was played there.  My daughters have competed in gymnastics meets there, so I saw it for 8 years in a row.  I was at the game with my Dad when we beat North Carolina, and it was a pretty special memory. 

[hobhog]

Going to be a great crowd. Only upper level seats left and not tons of those either.....

[hoglady]

Haha!  I was going to bring up the North Carolina game in Pine Bluff!  Kind of hard to believe that caliber of game was played there.  My daughters have competed in gymnastics meets there, so I saw it for 8 years in a row.  I was at the game with my Dad when we beat North Carolina, and it was a pretty special memory. 

I can remember the exact seats I was sitting in.
A whole crew of us piled in the car after work and headed to Pine Bluff - what a great memory.
I still work for the same company and it seems we talk about that game every basketball season.

[HognitiveDissonance]

The Pine Bluff Convention center is great for basketball, to me it's the best basketball facility in the State, and yes, I'm including Bud Walton Arena in that conversation.  The reason I say that is because of the many games I've been to there watching the Razorbacks play, and yes, I was there to witness Balentine sink UNC in December of 1984.  I used to go there every year to watch the King Cotton Tournament and to me that was the best tournament anywhere, alot of future NBA players made their way there and no game was better than the one between Corliss and Jason Kidd.  With that are a being the size that it is and the shape it is, it keeps the crowd right on top of the action and to me when the Hogs played there it rivaled Barnhill arena.

yep...Ark over UNC in 1984. Al McGuire after the upset in front of the raucous crowd 'Don't ever come to Pine Bluff to play!'

King Cotton was huge. Tons of talent came through there. No bigger than Corliss out-dueling Jason Kidd on ESPN to win the title. Then the next year Russellville lost the Final to a team from New Jersey but Corliss had like 38 of the team's 50 points.