ESPN BPI has us losing to Houston next week..

[checkraiser88]

Weird??

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/game?gameId=400987216

[HoggusMaximus]

what does this have to do with a football coach search?

[checkraiser88]

Sorry, mods move this one into the basketball forum

[Hollywood_HOGan45]

I actually wouldn't be surprised. First true road game. Their fans will be jacked. Just enjoying this big blowout win.

[Bacon_Bitz]

Home court advantage is huge in college hoops

[forrest city joe]

I actually wouldn't be surprised. First true road game. Their fans will be jacked. Just enjoying this big blowout win.

One game at a time. just enjoy this Big win.and enjoy watching this team. this may turn out to be Mike's best team since he has been here.

[Danny J]

We may not win at Houston but it won't be because we are scared or nervous. We have already played a decent schedule and with the senior guards I consider that a major plus on the road.

[RaisinHog]

I would throw up if we lost too houston

[pigture perfect]

After beating some of the teams we have so far, we will play confidently with anyone. If we don't just go stone cold from the outside we will play with anyone.

[hogsanity]

What does Vega say?

[JonClaudeVanHam]

They lost to Drexel... Who is terrible. We should beat them

[Birminghog]

What does Vega say?

Suzanne Vega?

[razobak]

They lost to Drexel... Who is terrible. We should beat them

Drexel has lost to such big-name programs as Bowling Green State (78-69), Mercer (78-59), Drake (90-88), and the New Jersey Institute of Technology -- NJIT (65-53). Their two wins? A 95-81 victory over Division III Arcadia University, and an 84-80 victory over Houston.

In fairness, Houston is 4-1 with blowout victories over McNeese State and Incarnate Word, as well as close wins over Wake Forest (who is terrible this year) and Liberty.

We should definitely handle Houston easily. The only thing that could trip us up is cold shooting, or us reading our own hype machine.

[userpick]

wow.

KenPom says we will win 79-78. Wasn't expecting that. Also, as it stands now, KenPom has us beating Minnesota by 2.

[3kgthog]

You want 15,000 in the stands for Minnesota? Take care of Houston and CSU. Then watch the Bud start to re-awaken as a likely #23-25 Arkansas bloodies the Gophers' noses and takes their lunch money.

[jjdlc]

You want 15,000 in the stands for Minnesota? Take care of Houston and CSU. Then watch the Bud start to re-awaken as a likely #23-25 Arkansas bloodies the Gophers' noses and takes their lunch money.

Agreed, though I'm not sure we crack the top 25 before Minnesota, now beat Minnesota, and we are firmly in.

[hawgball40]

We are getting absolutely no respect. Last night during the duke vs florida game they mentioned how deep the SEC was and we were the only program they didn't mention as being good. This is a season long thing now, they are just straight up ignoring us and overlooking us, deliberately. Meanwhile, teams who haven't beat anyone are ranked in the top 25 and being hyped by espn. doesn't make any sense to me. hopefully our team uses this as further motivation though.

[Letsroll1200]

Houston will be a tournament team.

[hogfan14]

We are getting absolutely no respect. Last night during the duke vs florida game they mentioned how deep the SEC was and we were the only program they didn't mention as being good. This is a season long thing now, they are just straight up ignoring us and overlooking us, deliberately. Meanwhile, teams who haven't beat anyone are ranked in the top 25 and being hyped by espn. doesn't make any sense to me. hopefully our team uses this as further motivation though.

Yeah I was reading what some Texas A&M fans were saying last night and after UNC got blown out they didn't think it made us look very good.

"beat all the bad teams and lose to the really good teams" is basically what they thought of us.

[Fan701]

Yes, ESPN's power index has Houston as the likely winner.  I'm sure Houston is pretty good and not to be taken lightly, but if we lose, I'll be very surprised.  I don't see anything on Houston's resume to date that would make me believe they can stay with us.

[Hogs49ers]

I would say there is a very strong chance that we will go into SEC play with a 11-1 record.  I really do not see us losing to Minnesota at home and think we will handle Houston by 10+ as this team really does not have a problem playing on the road or neutral site games.

[Rawker]

All about how hot we shoot.  We have an inside presence that can mitigate some shooting woes, but that stuff is often contagious because when outside shots don't fall, players press on the inside shots and miss easy layups.  This is the kind of thing that happens on the road.  However, we have one GUY in our favor....JayBird.  Barford hits the same amount whether the rest of the team is pressing or not.  He seems to stay right in a line of emotion and execution no matter the situation or score.  You can count on Jaybird.  But if Macon is missing like he did against NC, and Gafford is not able to play, like he wasn't against NC, it's a problem, because the guy who will try to press and pick up the slack is Beard.  And you want Beard playing within himself and not trying to pick up slack for bad possessions, because then you're just asking for more bad possessions.  Nonetheless, I say the Hogs shoot well and win.  The mental toughness of this particular group (going into last year where it concerns Macon and Barford) is unlike any since 1995-6, so I'm more confident in them winning these road games.   

[WizardofhOgZ]

Meanwhile, Sagarin projects us a 6 point winner, even factoring in the 3 points for Houston's home court advantage.

https://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaab/sagarin/

[cityhog]

The one thing that gives me hope with this team is that they seem to want to drive to the basket more often and with more conviction than teams we've had in the recent past. They seem to understand that if our outside shooting is cold, defense and driving to the basket is Plan A and B. We missed some point blank layups and short jumpers against NC. Their defense had a lot to do with that.

[RaisinHog]

For some reason even though we haven't in a while people still seem too think we suck on the road

[cityhog]

For some reason even though we haven't in a while people still seem too think we suck on the road

Only a LOT of winning on the road kills that narrative. Like a few years worth of winning on the road.

[phadedhawg]

I like our chances.  Houston hasn't played anywhere near the schedule we have.  We are well prepared to go down there and get a W. 

Winning on the road in basketball is hard but we will get it done.

[razorhead94]

BPI also had us losing to Oklahoma......I've never liked the BPI ever since ESPN came up with it. It seems to work well in football but in basketball it just seems to be "off" a lot of times.

[rzrbackramsfan]

Houston will be a tournament team.

No they won't

[rzrbackramsfan]

This will feel more like a home game.  I bet we'll have a strong showing showing.

Also, for any fellow houstonians, there's a deal where you can get tickets behind the Razorback bench for $11.  Message me for details!

[bigred223]

This would be a bad loss for us. We should win this one.

[Dominicanhog]

We are getting absolutely no respect. Last night during the duke vs florida game they mentioned how deep the SEC was and we were the only program they didn't mention as being good. This is a season long thing now, they are just straight up ignoring us and overlooking us, deliberately. Meanwhile, teams who haven't beat anyone are ranked in the top 25 and being hyped by espn. doesn't make any sense to me. hopefully our team uses this as further motivation though.

gives us a chance to beat ranked teams.. it's perfect, overlooked and no respect, I like it... It's all in front of us for the taking with lots of people watching our opponents....

[cityhog]

gives us a chance to beat ranked teams.. it's perfect, overlooked and no respect, I like it... It's all in front of us for the taking with lots of people watching our opponents....

also keeps this team hungry

[Fan701]

Only a LOT of winning on the road kills that narrative. Like a few years worth of winning on the road.

You mean like the years of winning on the road we've done already?  Second only to Kentucky in SEC road wins over the last three years, but the myth persists. 

[Kevin McPherson]

You mean like the years of winning on the road we've done already?  Second only to Kentucky in SEC road wins over the last three years, but the myth persists.

Yep!

[Shorttimer]

I think Olajuwon has an advantage over Kleine in the paint but Walker can shut down Drexler and keep him from getting to the rim.  I take the Hogs in a close one.

[cityhog]

You mean like the years of winning on the road we've done already?  Second only to Kentucky in SEC road wins over the last three years, but the myth persists. 

I mean 3 years of road winning does not make up for 15 years of losing on the road. The narrative takes a LONG time to overcome. Continuing to play well and win on the road is the ONLY thing that will GRADUALLY change the myth.

[DeltaBoy]

Hogs will leave them with Egg on their face.

[BRHogfan]

I mean 3 years of road winning does not make up for 15 years of losing on the road. The narrative takes a LONG time to overcome. Continuing to play well and win on the road is the ONLY thing that will GRADUALLY change the myth.

More like 12 years of losing on the road with crap teams for Anderson's first 3 years and crap coaches for the 9 before that. 

[Fan701]

I mean 3 years of road winning does not make up for 15 years of losing on the road. The narrative takes a LONG time to overcome. Continuing to play well and win on the road is the ONLY thing that will GRADUALLY change the myth.

So you've changed your mind.  Originally you said a "few years of winning on the road," which we already have done.  Now I think you mean it will take decades of winning on the road to change things.  The bar gets higher and higher.  I think what you mean is that as far as you are concerned we'll always be road losers, even when we've averaged 5 SEC road wins per year over the past three years.  Ok, whatever.  But I think most of us are delighted to have a team that we now expect to win on the road, after about twenty years of being bad on the road.  The road futility really started the last 7 years of Nolan's tenure and continued through Anderson's first couple of years. February 2014 we started winning on the road, including winning at Lexington, Kentucky. (We are the last SEC team to beat Kentucky at Lexington.)  Since that time we've usually been quite good on the road.  Last year we won as many on the road in the SEC as we did at home.

[SSFrazorback]

What does Vega say?

She says she lives on the second floor.

[USChog]

I am glad Arkansas played in the pk80. We got good experience against good teams away from Bud Walton. Obviously at UH will be different than a neutral court in Oregon, but the Hogs should be well prepared for the challenge.

[Pumbaa]

Don't know if it's been said or not. Honestly didn't read much of the thread, but I went through each game for us in ESPN's BPI right before the season started and they had us winning every home game and losing every away game I believe. I wouldn't put much stock in their index at this point.

[HoopS]

Anybody else going? I'll be there behind the bench.

Note: this game is actually being played at Texas Southern U.

[OneTuskOverTheLine™]

For some reason even though we haven't in a while people still seem too think we suck on the road

I'm went to the doctor. He gave me two pills. They made me too chill... 

[jesterzzn]

What does Vega say?

"The most beautiful rose is cultivated in the blood of those that fall before me."

"My face! My face! What have you done to my beautiful face?!"

[rzrbackramsfan]

What does Vega say?

Well ESPN's BPI thing is going to be shocked, but Arkansas is favored by 4.5.

[Razorod]

Looking forward to the game today and hoping for a nice Hogs win.

[jgphillips3]

What does Vega say?

"I am sitting in the morning at the diner on the corner
I am waiting at the counter for the man to pour the coffee
And he fills it only halfway...
And before I even argue he is looking out the window at somebody coming in..."

[PintailKiller]

So far, ESPN is spot on.  Still the 2nd half to go.