27 Games to Go

[hogwood]

We are 4 games in to a season with 8 new members on the roster. I don't excuse the kind of showing we gave last night, but the season is young. Last night the team exhibited many symptoms of being a team that lacks cohesion and confidence. Rampant TO's, poor shooting spells, poor communication on D, lack of energy... This should change. There is talent on this team and I believe they will come together. I agree this loss is worrisome. We looked ill-prepared for a team that is not as deep as us and has less or at best comparable talent to us. But this is not football where a loss like this will derail the season. We have 5 games to get back to it until the Texas game. If we make a similar showing vs. Texas then I will be concerned. But until then, I still think there is a lot of reason to have hope for this season. If you paid attention to this team this summer, you knew this wasn't going to be a team with an automatic recipe for a season with no issues or setbacks whatsoever. The talent is good, not great, and they just lost their first game together - handily - let's see how they respond.

And to all the posters who never show themselves even once on the Basketball Recruiting forum, or even on Jump Ball unless there is a loss. Pay attention to what CMA is doing here. All you see is a big loss on the road in year 6. But you don't see that the entire culture around the program is shifting like it never has so far this century. Kids are lining up to come here and this is all because of the fire the staff is bringing on the recruiting trail. 2016 was a good class and we should see a better season this year because of it. Each year our classes are getting better and better and the product will be better and better.

I too am over waiting, the "next year" mantra is not being said here, and CMA needs to get to the NCAAT this year bar none. He has the players. There are no excuses for missing the tourney this year. But I don't think we will have to hear any because this team will learn from last night. 27 Games to Go and get us there. Go Hogs!

[Danny J]

I agree this team needs time to gel that much is a given however since day one we have shown the same flaws in fundamental defense and offense no matter the players. This is as talented and deep a roster we have had so hopefully he can make the adjustments needed.

[Jeffcphog]

Depth cannot overcome coaching.

[hawginbigd1]

I believe there is way too much overreaction to this 1st road game loss, however I do agree that we are seeing way too many of our same old problems. I am on record as saying the MA tenure has been average to below average especially in recruiting, but he is turning that corner, and I will be a lot more patient with the rest. Too much overreaction, let's get to game 12 or 14 before we decide whether this team has a chance at being good. Lots of inexperience on this team, and it don't see a leader on the team yet. Manny could be it, but he just isn't talented enough to be that guy. The other returning just don't have it in them I don't believe, there is one on the team that I don't believe anybody even likes, so he isn't going to lead anybody.

[FineAsSwine]

I believe there is way too much overreaction to this 1st road game loss, however I do agree that we are seeing way too many of our same old problems. I am on record as saying the MA tenure has been average to below average especially in recruiting, but he is turning that corner, and I will be a lot more patient with the rest. Too much overreaction, let's get to game 12 or 14 before we decide whether this team has a chance at being good. Lots of inexperience on this team, and it don't see a leader on the team yet. Manny could be it, but he just isn't talented enough to be that guy. The other returning just don't have it in them I don't believe, there is one on the team that I don't believe anybody even likes, so he isn't going to lead anybody.

Who, pray tell?

[phadedhawg]

This team has 27 games to change their situation but right now they are just the latest version of the same thing we see every year....

[hawginbigd1]

Who, pray tell?

Not telling, I could be wrong but interactions or lack thereof and body language seem to say nobody actually likes him.

[FineAsSwine]

Not telling, I could be wrong but interactions or lack thereof and body language seem to say nobody actually likes him.

If you saw this on the screen, why are you not being forthcoming? It's not like you're revealing a source or something.

[Breems]

Well said. Still plenty of room for a good season.

The 2014 team, i.e. our first team to do a darn thing in 20 years, lost by 20 @Iowa State and followed that up with a loss @Clemson who wound up 16-15.

I just want to have a good season. I don't really care what wins and losses get us there. I'm not freaking out yet, but a slow start would be worrying and leave very little room for error in conference play.

[MountieDawg]

We are 4 games in to a season with 8 new members on the roster. I don't excuse the kind of showing we gave last night, but the season is young. Last night the team exhibited many symptoms of being a team that lacks cohesion and confidence. Rampant TO's, poor shooting spells, poor communication on D, lack of energy... This should change. There is talent on this team and I believe they will come together. I agree this loss is worrisome. We looked ill-prepared for a team that is not as deep as us and has less or at best comparable talent to us. But this is not football where a loss like this will derail the season. We have 5 games to get back to it until the Texas game. If we make a similar showing vs. Texas then I will be concerned. But until then, I still think there is a lot of reason to have hope for this season. If you paid attention to this team this summer, you knew this wasn't going to be a team with an automatic recipe for a season with no issues or setbacks whatsoever. The talent is good, not great, and they just lost their first game together - handily - let's see how they respond.

And to all the posters who never show themselves even once on the Basketball Recruiting forum, or even on Jump Ball unless there is a loss. Pay attention to what CMA is doing here. All you see is a big loss on the road in year 6. But you don't see that the entire culture around the program is shifting like it never has so far this century. Kids are lining up to come here and this is all because of the fire the staff is bringing on the recruiting trail. 2016 was a good class and we should see a better season this year because of it. Each year our classes are getting better and better and the product will be better and better.

I too am over waiting, the "next year" mantra is not being said here, and CMA needs to get to the NCAAT this year bar none. He has the players. There are no excuses for missing the tourney this year. But I don't think we will have to hear any because this team will learn from last night. 27 Games to Go and get us there. Go Hogs!

So MA is a great recruiter if there are kids with 250 miles of NWA?

[Jackrabbit Hog]

So MA is a great recruiter if there are kids with 250 miles of NWA?

He's no Calipari. 

[FineAsSwine]

He's no Calipari.

Neither is Bill Self in recruiting.

[HognitiveDissonance]

We are 4 games in to a season with 8 new members on the roster. I don't excuse the kind of showing we gave last night, but the season is young. Last night the team exhibited many symptoms of being a team that lacks cohesion and confidence. Rampant TO's, poor shooting spells, poor communication on D, lack of energy... This should change. There is talent on this team and I believe they will come together. I agree this loss is worrisome. We looked ill-prepared for a team that is not as deep as us and has less or at best comparable talent to us. But this is not football where a loss like this will derail the season. We have 5 games to get back to it until the Texas game. If we make a similar showing vs. Texas then I will be concerned. But until then, I still think there is a lot of reason to have hope for this season. If you paid attention to this team this summer, you knew this wasn't going to be a team with an automatic recipe for a season with no issues or setbacks whatsoever. The talent is good, not great, and they just lost their first game together - handily - let's see how they respond.

And to all the posters who never show themselves even once on the Basketball Recruiting forum, or even on Jump Ball unless there is a loss. Pay attention to what CMA is doing here. All you see is a big loss on the road in year 6. But you don't see that the entire culture around the program is shifting like it never has so far this century. Kids are lining up to come here and this is all because of the fire the staff is bringing on the recruiting trail. 2016 was a good class and we should see a better season this year because of it. Each year our classes are getting better and better and the product will be better and better.

I too am over waiting, the "next year" mantra is not being said here, and CMA needs to get to the NCAAT this year bar none. He has the players. There are no excuses for missing the tourney this year. But I don't think we will have to hear any because this team will learn from last night. 27 Games to Go and get us there. Go Hogs!

It's quite possible.
Last night was a pile of poo, but it doesn't mean the season as a whole can't be good.
Mainly, I think everyone knows it's just one game but it's a reminder of so many other things. It doesn't stand alone, is the problem, but re-opens old scab wounds(wide-open three-point shooters, etc)
If we make the NCAAs, nobody will bring up this game, though.

[JayBell]

This team has 27 games to change their situation but right now they are just the latest version of the same thing we see every year....

This.

There's 27 games to go and this team has more potential than any of Anderson's at Arkansas except for Portis' two years, but it's crazy to watch so much roster turnover and still see the same exact problems.

You're also relying on a lot of inexperienced players.  These aren't Kentucky recruits.  They're transfers.  I saw a lot of people, writers included, projecting 11 or even 12 wins from the nonconference schedule.  Expectations just never seem to be in line with what Arkansas actually does on the court.

[bvillepig]

Depth cannot overcome coaching.

Anderson can coach and does. He did a great coaching job last year just to get to 500. He has proven he can coach at multiple stops. I guess everyone is entitled to an an opinion but it does get old just because he has a different philosophy.

[FineAsSwine]

Anderson can coach and does. He did a great coaching job last year just to get to 500. He has proven he can coach at multiple stops. I guess everyone is entitled to an an opinion but it does get old just because he has a different philosophy.

Great post.

[Letsroll1200]

Anderson can coach and does. He did a great coaching job last year just to get to 500. He has proven he can coach at multiple stops. I guess everyone is entitled to an an opinion but it does get old just because he has a different philosophy.

To get the roster to 500 was a great coaching job.

[JayBell]

To get the roster to 500 was a great coaching job.

He was also 100% responsible for the roster that needed a great coaching job to get to .500.  I don't understand how some want to give him a free pass for that.

[bvillepig]

No free pass but he still did not know Portis and Qualls were leaving nor did he have the scholarships to give until they did.

[Kevin]

No free pass but he still did not know Portis and Qualls were leaving nor did he have the scholarships to give until they did.

Don't believe that for one second

[HogBreath]

but he still did not know Portis and Qualls were leaving nor did he have the scholarships to give until they did.

Not sure if serious.

[JayBell]

Whether he knew they were leaving or not - I said months ahead of time they would, so I'd hope the head coach would be more in the know than me - he's still responsible for building a roster that can handle such losses.  He didn't.

[Rawker]

"We looked ill-prepared for a team that is not as deep as us and has less or at best comparable talent to us."
Disagree with a part of this wholeheartedly, and a had a long discussion about this with a friend - who is a BBall talent himself - and he had thought the same thing watching the game:  Even though MA should have had the players more prepared to be at least ENERGETIC for the MN game, they were absolutely not the most talented.  MN, with four new players who completely change the complexion of the team from last season's, have 3-4 guys that can move like Macon and Barford, but are closer to the size of Kingsley.  They were too big to defend in the high post or on the wings by the likes of Beard an Watkins, and they were WAY too fast for Kingsley, who so far this year is starting out as a shell of his soph/junior self.  Still, that being the case, the team was not even close to being mentally ready for the game.  But I ain't freaking out yet.  If you play any sport hard yourself, you know that you can play someone and kill them 5 times in a row, and one day you show up and it's like you never played before and GET killed.  I never understood how whole teams can do that....whole BBall teams, whole NFL teams....it's Ripley's, but it does happen.  Not excusing the terrible game....just saying it's 4 games in and we're not in a SEC tournament "win or go home" situation yet, or at a point where we need a win to get on or stay on the bubble.  I'll be following with hopefulness.  By the way - for what it's worth, I believe the Hogs would beat this year's MN at home, and I'm betting they prove it next season.

[hawg IQ]

He was also 100% responsible for the roster that needed a great coaching job to get to .500.  I don't understand how some want to give him a free pass for that.

Hog basketball is at D-2 levels. Its a recurring movie like "Groundhog Day ".  Poor defense, average post play, shooters on or off each event. Look in stands at the crowds, you have your answer.  When MA came back, we thought the great recruits would come too, never happened and never will.  NR could get the street kids, along with national stand outs from time to time, MA cannot.

These days, 40 minutes of hell is what fans are experiencing. Don't get me wrong, for me its not about running MA out on rail. Its just a slow soaking in of a realization. remember the down football years. Its the same now with basketball , only difference, football came back to some degree, at present basketball has not.

[Letsroll1200]

Don't believe that for one second

Lost Kapita, Williams and Beard for a time during the season. We took some hits last season.

[jboler96]

Its hard to get highly recruited guys to come to Arkansas when we've been bad for so long. I think he'll right the ship this year. But if he doesnt this year its not gonna be good

[jboler96]

I have to admit that was some of the worst basketball I've seen against Minnesota.  Being positive it at least lets them know they have a ton to improve on . Maybe that helps down the line this year

[fineswine]

Lost Kapita, Williams and Beard for a time during the season. We took some hits last season.

No game changers. To paraphrase the Jacksonville (Brandon Allen) thread in MMQB...Arkansas basketball is like a 6 cylinder Mustang. It looks good, but deep down you know it's a piece of junk.

[cityhog]

Anderson can coach and does. He did a great coaching job last year just to get to 500. He has proven he can coach at multiple stops. I guess everyone is entitled to an an opinion but it does get old just because he has a different  philosophy that doesn't work in the age of numerous TV timeouts and the refs making college Bball into a free throw shooting contest.

I listened to the pregame show before the Minnesota game. When I heard Mike describe the size of the guards, their propensity for getting rebounds and wanting to run up and down the floor, I knew we were toast. Didn't watch or listen and glad I didn't. I said it when he was hired and got blasted for it. Mike will struggle to ever be better than a .500 coach in league play. You can't continue year after year after year after year to be road kill. And please spare me the 14/15 season argument. 1 season. ONE.

[FineAsSwine]

No game changers. To paraphrase the Jacksonville (Brandon Allen) thread in MMQB...Arkansas basketball is like a 6 cylinder Mustang. It looks good, but deep down you know it's a piece of junk.

There was nothing close to this statement in that thread and nothing at all about the basketball team. But your point that the basketball program is comparable to a piece of junk us an opinion that you are entitled to and I'm not trying to change your mind. Hope we show improvement this season.  :razorback:

[HogBreath]

Hope we show improvement this season.  :razorback:

If not this season, maybe next year or the year after that.

[FineAsSwine]

If not this season, maybe next year or the year after that.

I'm sure you really mean that.  :razorback: