How much has the sting worn off?

[ErieHog]

The Babb departure bothers me more than the Qualls/Portis departure;  I was resigned to Portis' departure before this season began, and recognized Qualls was likely gone, after the Alabama game very early in conference play.

Next year is going to be hard.   How much the new guys can contribute, and what the team chemistry is like, is going to be vital;  Beard's progression, in terms of avoiding foul trouble, and Moses' defensive consistency are the big questions that will tell me how much the returning core will be able to achieve maximum results.

There's no reason for despair.  Enjoy the future.

[Kevin]

I remember losing brewer, Delph & Counce from a final four team, then going back to an eight eight the next year. Yes we had Sidney, but lost a lot

[Richard_white]

What two All-SEC players do you see on the roster?

That's where the wait and see comes in.  I don't have a clue what our lineup will be other than speculate.  Nor do I know about any of their progressions or regressions for that matter.

Like I said next year will be a great year to gauge how good of a coach Mike is. 

[Hawg Red]

That's where the wait and see comes in.  I don't have a clue what our lineup will be other than speculate.  Nor do I know about any of their progressions or regressions for that matter.

Like I said next year will be a great year to gauge how good of a coach Mike is.

That's the thing, though -- All-SEC players typically don't sneak up on you. So, if we likely don't have any, I think it's smart to temper expectations. And I think everyone can agree that, in order to make the Big Dance, you probably are going to have to have at least one All-SEC player on your roster.

[Southern Hogspitality]

Like I said next year will be a great year to gauge how good of a coach Mike is.

I agree with this ^.

[ArkieBrat]

What are you basing your expectations on if you also need to wait and see them play first?

On CMA past record plus the fact that I think he is an excellent coach.  I am not  predicting gloom and doom b/c  Portis & Qualls have left.  We could still have a very good season & make the NCAA tourney.  I am anxious to see the progress that the team has made through the summer.  That is all.

Other posters seem to have a "wait & see" attitude also.  Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

I am outta here.  I have an appointment for a manicure.  Gotta get moving!

Peace!

[dhornjr1]

I can almost guarantee you he does not want to play for a non-NCAA tournament team.

I would imagine there aren't too many kids who want to play for a team that doesn't make the NCAA Tournament.

I can almost guarantee *you* that Malik Monk thinks he's good enough to take *any* team to the tournament. All great players have that type of ego.

[Hawg Red]

I can almost guarantee *you* that Malik Monk thinks he's good enough to take *any* team to the tournament. All great players have that type of ego.

Um, really?

Why do most of the great recruits each year gravitate towards the elite programs, then? Why is it so hard to recruit more of those types of kids to a great program and university like Arkansas?

Face it, they almost always want to play for a winner. And more and more these days, we're seeing elite recruits team up (even if for just one year). We're seeing it at the NBA level, too. I think you're greatly underestimating the role NCAA tournament stability plays in their decision.

[dhornjr1]

Um, really?

Why do most of the great recruits each year gravitate towards the elite programs, then? Why is it so hard to recruit more of those types of kids to a great program and university like Arkansas?

Face it, they almost always want to play for a winner. And more and more these days, we're seeing elite recruits team up (even if for just one year). We're seeing it at the NBA level, too. I think you're greatly underestimating the role NCAA tournament stability plays in their decision.

You know as well as I do that boosters at many of those elite programs offer much more than just making the NCAA Tournament.

I've been saying for years that one of our problems in recruiting in football and basketball is that we are terrible cheaters.

[-Blu]

The sting has wore off for me.  And it really hurt after that Qualls announcement, I thought even if Portis left as long as we had Qualls everything would be good.  But, I think we'll be alright next year.  I like the recruits we are on to finish up the 2015 class and I really like the recruits we're on for 2016. 

[HawgAdvocate]

Like I said next year will be a great year to gauge how good of a coach Mike is. 

He'll have at least seven JRs & SRs on his roster next season, so experience certainly shouldn't be an issue.

[popcornhog]

In MA I trust. I still expect 22+ wins next season with Anton Beard being the leading scorer and Dusty the second leading scorer next season.

Ted and Jimmy indicates recruiting is doing very good. I guess the 3 departures is what has called for some to criticize the recruiting efforts.   :razorback:

Wow. Which 22 games do you have us winning?


I think we'll be fine the year after next and going forward, but if we win 20+ CMA will definitely be coach of the year.

[-Blu]

The Babb departure bothers me more than the Qualls/Portis departure;  I was resigned to Portis' departure before this season began, and recognized Qualls was likely gone, after the Alabama game very early in conference play.

Next year is going to be hard.   How much the new guys can contribute, and what the team chemistry is like, is going to be vital;  Beard's progression, in terms of avoiding foul trouble, and Moses' defensive consistency are the big questions that will tell me how much the returning core will be able to achieve maximum results.

There's no reason for despair.  Enjoy the future.

I agree, I didn't like the Babb departure, and now looking at no Qualls, I could easily have seen Babb having a good off-season and possibly starting next year.  Hopefully we can get a JUCO or prep guy in to replace that spot in the late period.

Also, I think I owe you an apology for the Portis decision, you said all along he was gone, and I gave you a hard time about it.  Looking back on it, seems kinda silly that I thought he would stay, potential lottery guys rarely do.

[3kgthog]

The second example is the Boston Celtics. No one expected that roster to make the playoffs. A lot of Hogs are feeling that way about the Hogs next season. Hogs could surprised quite a few people and make the tournament. I don't think anyone outside of confident/optimistic Hog fans are expecting Arkansas as an NCAA tournament team after losing Portis and Qualls, even with adding Whitt and Kapita.

Stevens is a coach with 2 Final Fours, 3 conference championships, and 3 coach of the year awards. I wouldn't exactly attempt to compare him to Mike Anderson because Mike's resume just doesn't match up. If Mike makes the dance next season with this roster, it'll be worthy of National COY honors.

And yes, my expectations of next season are still very, very low.

[ErieHog]

I agree, I didn't like the Babb departure, and now looking at no Qualls, I could easily have seen Babb having a good off-season and possibly starting next year.  Hopefully we can get a JUCO or prep guy in to replace that spot in the late period.

Also, I think I owe you an apology for the Portis decision, you said all along he was gone, and I gave you a hard time about it.  Looking back on it, seems kinda silly that I thought he would stay, potential lottery guys rarely do.

Unnecessary.  I would rather have been wrong.

[Hawg Red]

Stevens is a coach with 2 Final Fours, 3 conference championships, and 3 coach of the year awards. I wouldn't exactly attempt to compare him to Mike Anderson because Mike's resume just doesn't match up. If Mike makes the dance next season with this roster, it'll be worthy of National COY honors.

And yes, my expectations of next season are still very, very low.

I didn't compare them in any way. Just a raw comparison of expectations. Obviously the NBA and NCAA are wildly different.

[pfrg999]

Just waiting to see who we add!!! I was never ever Mad...It was always Good Luck, and thanks... Now who is coming in...

[Breems]

Breems, I would say going immediately from NCAA tournament to rebuilding (your words) is not sustaining success. I'm interested to see how many people claim to have expected a drop-off season all along that were also claiming we were "back" during this past season.

Just as I posted, you're thinking at the season level.

How do you convince Malik Monk to be a Hog if you can't show him you can make the NCAA tournament regularly?

You don't. Arkansas cannot currently sell that it is a power program that makes the NCAAT regularly because it isn't. If that's the argument we need, I suppose you could look at Anderson's track record of getting his teams to the NCAAT regularly. Otherwise, sell him on the idea of helping build his home school up to that point.

[Hawg Red]

I don't think Monk views his college experience as anything other than a stepping stone to the NBA. I'm not sure helping rebuild the Arkansas program is something he cares about.

[hogsanity]

I don't think Monk views his college experience as anything other than a stepping stone to the NBA. I'm not sure helping rebuild the Arkansas program is something he cares about.

being here one year does not help rebuild anything anyway. With as many SR's as they might have that year, having a one and done is just another player they have to replace. Obviously you still recruit him, and give thanks if he comes, but it is for the one season you have him, not for any rebuilding, because he is not going to be around long enough to do that.

[Atlhogfan1]

So how long should we wait for a definitive answer?  Do we wait until we see what the 2016 recruiting class looks like? How the 16/17 season goes? or maybe the 20/21 season, after all probably have to give a year or two pass after 17 if he gets Monk and then Monk leaves early.

That after 5 years you think we will still have no answer, is actually answer enough.

How long should we wait or will we wait?  Two different questions and answers. 

There was a rebuild to be done.  So we can give some leeway.  UNCLE BACK brings up a point in that we are still waiting to see our defense look and play more like some of his UAB and Mizzou teams.  Our personnel especially the guard quality and depth as far as defenders just hasn't been what it needed to be.  But again, it has been a rebuild so I could see how some could create an excuse/reason for why it has been difficult to upgrade the quality and depth.  This past season's team had the fewest steals of any Anderson team at Arkansas.  It was partly because we had to win with offense with Portis and Qualls.

A post was created a few months ago about how this team was going to be a "typical" Anderson team - the first we have seen at Arkansas.  Then the defense became atrocious for some of January.  It wasn't an "Anderson" team.  The 2016 class is the big opportunity along with this late period to mold an "Anderson" team.  Whitt and Kapita look like pieces.  Can he come up with more and 6-7 seasons in finally have a team that can play well to how he wants to play?  Multiple ball handlers, scorers and good defenders who make good decisions and can guard multiple positions and force tempo without getting scorched.  One of the problems with looking ahead to 16 or 17 is so many new players will arrive and it does take time to learn the right decisions to make defensively. 

[TomBigBeeHog]

For you, after the loss of Portis and Qualls.

Is your optimism bouncing back?

Do you feel worse about things than you did when they announced?

How do you feel about recruiting?



Just want to see where everyone's head is at now that we've all had time to digest the departures.

Sting wore off in 1 day after putting my selfish feelings aside, knowing that I would have done the same thing if I had the chance. As to optimism, that's the way I approach life. The coaches are getting interest from some of the top talent in the nation for 2016 and we already signed 2 top 100 guys for 2015 so, recruiting is going great. I am excited about the possibilities for our program over the next two seasons.

[Hawg Red]

What does anything in my OP have to do with whether or not Portis and Qualls should have gone pro??

Good lord.

[jry04]

Wow. Which 22 games do you have us winning?


I think we'll be fine the year after next and going forward, but if we win 20+ CMA will definitely be coach of the year.

No he will not.



Hopefully we see some guys take advantage of the opportunities they will have next year with Qualls and Portis gone. When Young left, Madden had a breakout year, and actually lead the SEC in scoring for most of the year. I could see someone like Bell or Moses doing something similar. Neither of those guys seem very good, but neither did Madden in his first 2 years.

[Breems]

being here one year does not help rebuild anything anyway. With as many SR's as they might have that year, having a one and done is just another player they have to replace. Obviously you still recruit him, and give thanks if he comes, but it is for the one season you have him, not for any rebuilding, because he is not going to be around long enough to do that.

Good lord. I would say you can't make this stuff up, but you can. Just take logic and reverse it.

How the hell does adding 1-and-done players NOT help rebuild the program?

Hey, I just checked, and the wind is blowing to the East now. Does adding 1-and-done talent now help rebuild a program?

[Breems]

I don't think Monk views his college experience as anything other than a stepping stone to the NBA. I'm not sure helping rebuild the Arkansas program is something he cares about.

Then your prior point about convincing Monk to come here if we don't make the tournament next year means nothing. He won't care.

Portis and Qualls already proved you can play here and go pro. Portis may prove you can be a lottery pick.

[Kevin]

Monk for one year helps. No question

[NLRHog92]

Worse than when it happened because there's very few players to bring in at this point, none of which that will match their production. It's been too quiet on the recruiting trail for losing as much as we did, even if the coaches keep things close to the vest. Going to be an uphill battle and a long season next year.

[TrueBlue]

In MA I trust. I still expect 22+ wins next season with Anton Beard being the leading scorer and Dusty the second leading scorer next season.

Ted and Jimmy indicates recruiting is doing very good. I guess the 3 departures is what has called for some to criticize the recruiting efforts.   :razorback:

Dusty second leading scorer next year? Just like when he led Texas Tech to the tourney?   

If we are relying on Dusty as the second leading scorer, it will be a long, long, long, year....

[hoglady]

The problem next year isn't just that we'll be down some.
LSU and A&M will be loaded. Both have brought in really elite talent.
Kentucky will be Kentucky / and Ms. St. just up got a lot better adding Newman.
The SEC will be much, much tougher next year than what we saw this year.

[TomBigBeeHog]

What does anything in my OP have to do with whether or not Portis and Qualls should have gone pro??

Good lord.

Don't be a drama queen. You asked if the sting had worn off after the loss of Port is and Qualls. I said it did and gave my reason. What's your problem?

[Smithian]

Something about Oklahoma being pretty good makes the thought of a regression year a lot worse.

I would have been very disappointed had the Hogs hired Kruger, but he's getting it done.

If Oklahoma can have consistent success, so should the Hogs.

[k.c.hawg]

I expect a different style of play from a different team. I trust the Mike has the ability to adjust his style from what was an out of character big man dominated offense back to a guard, small forward dominated offense.

[870hogfan]

Not worried I trust Mike...

[jjdlc]

The problem next year isn't just that we'll be down some.
LSU and A&M will be loaded. Both have brought in really elite talent.
Kentucky will be Kentucky / and Ms. St. just up got a lot better adding Newman.
The SEC will be much, much tougher next year than what we saw this year.

Insert X team and Y team in any given year, I keep hearing this same argument year in and year out about which teams bring in some great recruiting class, yet rarely do any of them do much with that talent.  As you say, Kentucky will be Kentucky, Florida may bounce back if Donovan stays, but honestly, the only team I see making any significant stride is Auburn, Pearl is a good coach, but he'll need another class or two to really get it going.  That's just my opinion though.

I expected either both Qualls & Portis to stay, or both to go.  I felt towards the end it was  pretty much a tossup, so wasn't that surprised.  Also wasn't surprised at the backlash, there are definitely some agenda driven folks around here who were just waiting on something they could sink their teeth into after such a successful season.   

Losing Babb was a shock, and it's been discussed in depth here already.  Frankly, none of us know the whole story, and I suspect there is a lot more there than anyone is willing to guess.  It is what it is, and I'm not going to pass judgment in either direction.

I expect a bit of a step back, I'd be crazy not to with what who we lost, but still, MA has had this program on an upward trajectory since he got here, so I don't expect it to be near as bad as the doomsayers predict.  With basketball teams, players come and go, and we are often surprised who steps up to fill the vacuum.  I don't think anybody expected Ky Madden's level of success in the year following BJ Young's departure for example.  We have some decent players left, and a couple of really good incoming recruits.  One thing I think I know for sure, having a big guy inside that can score isn't the only way to win, I think we'll win differently next year, but I still expect us to be a 22+ win team.  One thing I definitely don't want to see happen is for us to slide back into being a team that can't win on the road.

[hoglady]

Insert X team and Y team in any given year, I keep hearing this same argument year in and year out about which teams bring in some great recruiting class, yet rarely do any of them do much with that talent.  As you say, Kentucky will be Kentucky, Florida may bounce back if Donovan stays, but honestly, the only team I see making any significant stride is Auburn, Pearl is a good coach, but he'll need another class or two to really get it going.  That's just my opinion though.

I expected either both Qualls & Portis to stay, or both to go.  I felt towards the end it was  pretty much a tossup, so wasn't that surprised.  Also wasn't surprised at the backlash, there are definitely some agenda driven folks around here who were just waiting on something they could sink their teeth into after such a successful season.   

Losing Babb was a shock, and it's been discussed in depth here already.  Frankly, none of us know the whole story, and I suspect there is a lot more there than anyone is willing to guess.  It is what it is, and I'm not going to pass judgment in either direction.

I expect a bit of a step back, I'd be crazy not to with what who we lost, but still, MA has had this program on an upward trajectory since he got here, so I don't expect it to be near as bad as the doomsayers predict.  With basketball teams, players come and go, and we are often surprised who steps up to fill the vacuum.  I don't think anybody expected Ky Madden's level of success in the year following BJ Young's departure for example.  We have some decent players left, and a couple of really good incoming recruits.  One thing I think I know for sure, having a big guy inside that can score isn't the only way to win, I think we'll win differently next year, but I still expect us to be a 22+ win team.  One thing I definitely don't want to see happen is for us to slide back into being a team that can't win on the road.

LSU will be a force. Ranked anywhere from 2 to 5 nationally. #1 recruit in the country. We're talking Kentucky and Duke talent good.

[ErieHog]

LSU will be a force. Ranked anywhere from 2 to 5 nationally. #1 recruit in the country. We're talking Kentucky and Duke talent good.

LSU will not be that good.    As Bobby KNight once said of Dale Brown, can be said of Johnny Jones--   despite being down 12, with under 10 minutes to play--  ""I was worried about losing until I looked down the floor and saw Dale Brown. Then I knew we had a chance."

I feel that way every time a Johnny Jones team steps on the floor.

[Nipsey Mussle]

Haven't had any sting at all. Portis was gone for sure and I knew there was at least a 50/50 chance Qualls was joining him.

I won't judge this team until I see them play in conference. It could certainly happen, but I'm not expecting a huge drop off. Once again (besides Hoglady), everyone looks right past the development of the players who are still here. Have faith that Beard, Hannahs, Thompson, et al will make strides in the off season.

Me and Red got blasted a few years ago for saying we'd score more points without Powell/Young...and guess what happened. Now, Portis and Qualls aren't in the same universe as an "addition by subtraction" situation. However, it's still very possible that our team next year will have more chemistry. Also, I love Qualls but he and Harris could be ball stoppers. I expect better overall ball movement next season.

I do see drop off in rebounding. I fully expect to be back to pulling my hair out over multiple opportunities for opponents in one possession.

[Breems]

LSU will not be that good.    As Bobby KNight once said of Dale Brown, can be said of Johnny Jones--   despite being down 12, with under 10 minutes to play--  ""I was worried about losing until I looked down the floor and saw Dale Brown. Then I knew we had a chance."

I feel that way every time a Johnny Jones team steps on the floor.

Someone else recognizes!

[bphi11ips]

Stung I am not.

I fully expected Portis to leave and knew there was a chance Qualls would leave after his excellent performance to end the season. When you have a capable staff and infrastructure, you don't worry about turnover, especially players leaving for the draft. It's a sign of a healthy and fully operational program.

Most programs do suffer from rebuilding years, though, and we'll suffer next year. I'm thinking anywhere from the NIT to the bubble. Thinking at the season level, we are indeed likely in for a huge drop-off. At the program level, all it would take is a commitment from Monk/other high-quality recruits we're on/good player development to restore long-term optimism.

Arkansas fans in the modern age are much more accustomed to mediocre basketball than good basketball. I said this throughout the season, but many fans - as far as Jump Ball goes - literally did not understand that we had a good basketball team this year. Every loss was a ticket to the NIT. They will continue to overreact to every transaction in the program in fear of returning to the mediocre basketball we know and love.

There's little reason to believe right now that we cannot sustain this success. Our recruiting has been pretty good compared to our program's performance the past decade, and better results will only attract more high quality recruits. If we whiff on 4-5* talent continuously in the next couple of offseasons, then it's time to panic.

No sting.  Breems knows.  Act like we've been there.

[Atlhogfan1]

LSU will not be that good.    As Bobby KNight once said of Dale Brown, can be said of Johnny Jones--   despite being down 12, with under 10 minutes to play--  ""I was worried about losing until I looked down the floor and saw Dale Brown. Then I knew we had a chance."

I feel that way every time a Johnny Jones team steps on the floor.

Well we did lose to Jones and LSU at home and they were missing their best player. 

But I agree, how much improved the SEC is going to be is being overestimated.  Our SEC schedule may be tougher though. 

[WilsonHog]

No sting at all. Bobby and Michael came to UA, played a huge role in the best season we've had in 20 years, and then did what they believed was best for them. I wish them nothing but the best.

As for next year, come next November I'll be excited to see what the newcomers will do with the returnees. In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy Razorback baseball and football without giving basketball much of a second thought.

[Thepigdoctor]

I've thought a lot about what the team will look like next year. Losing Portis, Qualls, Madden, and Harris; it's difficult to project how things will be because that's four starters, two of which had NBA talent.

It would be asinine to think we won't have our share of struggles, but at the same time, I'm cautiously optimistic. Here's why...

Harris - undersized 4 that even as a senior made far too many freshman mistakes
Madden - one of our weakest defenders, consistently lost his man leading to wide open three's, also turnover/mistake prone
Portis - good at a lot of things, but not great at any one thing. Came on late as a shot blocker, but like Madden, was a fairly weak defender
Qualls - took far more three's than his % justified, was very loose with the ball, and wasn't near the defender you would think given his athletic ability.

Do not take these points the wrong way, I'm not minimizing what these guys added to the team, but there are obvious deficiencies to point out that could lead to us being a stronger overall TEAM.

Yes we will lack star power initially, but all teams have leaders who emerge when entering a season after losing the quality of players we did. Overall I believe we will be a much better defensive team, which in this system, leads to easy points. We will make up some of the lost scoring with improved defense.

Additionally, I think we'll see a more fluid offense as the team gels, as there won't be the pressure to force feed one player (Portis). Yes we'll likely struggle early as the team searches for their leader(s) on offense, but by the time conference play rolls around, I believe we'll see a more rounded unit.

It's likely to be rough early on, but I can see some obvious areas where addition by subtraction applies. Regardless, next season is going to be one of Mike's most challenging to date as a head coach.

[latrops]

It would be asinine to think we won't have our share of struggles, but at the same time, I'm cautiously optimistic. Here's why...

Harris - undersized 4 that even as a senior made far too many freshman mistakes
Madden - one of our weakest defenders, consistently lost his man leading to wide open three's, also turnover/mistake prone
Portis - good at a lot of things, but not great at any one thing. Came on late as a shot blocker, but like Madden, was a fairly weak defender
Qualls - took far more three's than his % justified, was very loose with the ball, and wasn't near the defender you would think given his athletic ability.

I expect it is likely that our defense improves quite a bit with who we are losing.  I don't mean to imply that those 4 were awful defenders.  They were generally adequate, especially in the half court defense....but weren't necessarily ideal fits for the aggressive, trapping system Mike prefers.  Because we depended on them so much for offense, we had to accept the defense generally not producing the turnovers and frenetic pace against capable opponents as the system is designed to do.

The tradeoff for the likely improved defense, however, is the probability that scoring is going to be more difficult.  Portis and/or Qualls often carried the offense, with no other player on the roster proving to be even semi-reliable as a scorer.  There will be plenty of opportunity for currently unproven guys to step up.  Hopefully a player or two significantly exceeds current expectations.

[ErieHog]

I've thought a lot about what the team will look like next year. Losing Portis, Qualls, Madden, and Harris; it's difficult to project how things will be because that's four starters, two of which had NBA talent.

It would be asinine to think we won't have our share of struggles, but at the same time, I'm cautiously optimistic. Here's why...

Harris - undersized 4 that even as a senior made far too many freshman mistakes
Madden - one of our weakest defenders, consistently lost his man leading to wide open three's, also turnover/mistake prone
Portis - good at a lot of things, but not great at any one thing. Came on late as a shot blocker, but like Madden, was a fairly weak defender
Qualls - took far more three's than his % justified, was very loose with the ball, and wasn't near the defender you would think given his athletic ability.

Do not take these points the wrong way, I'm not minimizing what these guys added to the team, but there are obvious deficiencies to point out that could lead to us being a stronger overall TEAM.

Yes we will lack star power initially, but all teams have leaders who emerge when entering a season after losing the quality of players we did. Overall I believe we will be a much better defensive team, which in this system, leads to easy points. We will make up some of the lost scoring with improved defense.

Additionally, I think we'll see a more fluid offense as the team gels, as there won't be the pressure to force feed one player (Portis). Yes we'll likely struggle early as the team searches for their leader(s) on offense, but by the time conference play rolls around, I believe we'll see a more rounded unit.

It's likely to be rough early on, but I can see some obvious areas where addition by subtraction applies. Regardless, next season is going to be one of Mike's most challenging to date as a head coach.

Its an optimistic take, especially since two of the guys you categorized as weak defenders were two of our three best.

[latrops]

Its an optimistic take, especially since two of the guys you categorized as weak defenders were two of our three best.

Two of our three best given how we had to play, or two of our three best period?   Either way, it may be more an indictment on the defensive abilities of the rest of our roster than anything else.

Our defense got a lot better with Harris getting the bulk of the minutes at the 4, but at the same time our press, though often utilized, was seldom effective at creating turnovers or significantly impacting pace against opponents that weren't willing to run with us.  Qualls and Portis were inconsistent defenders.  Qualls was generally solid and may have even thrived in the pressing/trapping defense had the personnel around him been better at it.  As it was, he gambled a bit and came away with some great defensive plays (Bama steal and dunk), but also got burned some when he freelanced a little too much and left his guy (leaving LSU's Hornsby for game winner).  Portis tended to play it safe, doing his best to get in the way while being careful to stay out of foul trouble.  He may have been a better defender with the freedom to be more aggressive on that end.

[TheRazorback500]

The sting wore off after a few seconds. Then I got on with life.

I'm still optimistic, that's my nature.

I feel about the same as I did then. I know there'll be a dropoff of talent and experience, and CMA will surely need to "do some coachin". Chemistry and rhythm are going to be real important next year.

I guess recruiting is ok, but we're in the game late. Cautious optimism on this one.

:razorback:

[ErieHog]

Two of our three best given how we had to play, or two of our three best period?   Either way, it may be more an indictment on the defensive abilities of the rest of our roster than anything else.

Our defense got a lot better with Harris getting the bulk of the minutes at the 4, but at the same time our press, though often utilized, was seldom effective at creating turnovers or significantly impacting pace against opponents that weren't willing to run with us.  Qualls and Portis were inconsistent defenders.  Qualls was generally solid and may have even thrived in the pressing/trapping defense had the personnel around him been better at it.  As it was, he gambled a bit and came away with some great defensive plays (Bama steal and dunk), but also got burned some when he freelanced a little too much and left his guy (leaving LSU's Hornsby for game winner).  Portis tended to play it safe, doing his best to get in the way while being careful to stay out of foul trouble.  He may have been a better defender with the freedom to be more aggressive on that end.

Two of our best three, period.   Its not an indictment of our defense-- its rather a glaring lack of credit given to Madden and Portis as defenders.  Defense isn't just what you do when you are defending on the ball, with the guy looking to get a shot.  Its about moving off the ball, its about communicating, position denial, using your length to alter or disrupt passing lanes,  identifying when to help, when to sag, and playing through and over picks as well.

Qualls, by comparison was a *significantly* worse defender than either of them, because of his gambling and shot-admiring ways.

[panhandlepig]

  There was really no sting for me.  I fully expected them to leave but held out that small glimmer of hope that they would not.  I really wanted 1 more year to watch them play in a Hog uniform and see where that would take us.

  I still have hope and optimism for next year. I will tune in and watch every chance I get which thanks to the SECN is just about every time they play.  I look forward to seeing what next year looks like and how these kids do like I always do..

  My expectations may not be as high but I am willing to entertain the idea that I could be pleasantly surprised. Go Hogs.

[hogsanity]

Good lord. I would say you can't make this stuff up, but you can. Just take logic and reverse it.

How the hell does adding 1-and-done players NOT help rebuild the program?

Hey, I just checked, and the wind is blowing to the East now. Does adding 1-and-done talent now help rebuild a program?

how does having a guy for 1 year, then having to replace him and any other departures help rebuild a program. To re-build a program, you need a group of quality players to come in and stay for 4 years, and add a couple quality players every year.  This roller coaster the program seems to be on of having a "loaded team" once every 4 years has to stop.