what i saw from the hoop hogs in orlando

[mbgrulz]

1. Sonny Weems is the best player arkansas has had in several years. yes, a better player than brewer. may not get drafted as high, but better for our W and L situation.

2. Patrick Beverley is my favorite player since big-nasty. he is long, quick, and just plays with a lot of heart. great shooter and scorer. also a great rebounding guard.

3. Stephan Welsh is WAY more productive than i was expecting. he plays very aggessive for a frosh and has a better stroke than i bargained for.

4. Ervin is a BIG upgrade from last year. He does make too many dumb mistakes though. if he can keep shooting the way he is shooting we will be tough to beat. i hope he continues to improve and learn to curb the turnovers a little bit.

5. Vincent Hunter is donwright scary out there. he is weak with the ball and just plays with way too much finesse for a big man. he did make a couple of hustle plays that were nice, but i really hope mike washington can prove to be a better option for that big lineup.


overall the team looked to be a lot more fun to watch. 3's actually have a fighting chance to go in and FT shooting has gone way up. our D is active and it takes opponents outta their game. very positive start and hopefully we can keep it up.

[LunaticRed]

Like I said in 10 games they will be "AWESOME" :razorback:

[Swine_Sooie]

Could we see another sleeper come awake similar to our football program has this year? I think so :razorback:

[camelt]

The biggest thing I see is that we are making freethrows.  That takes allot of pressure off whe you can knock it down from the line.  I like our squad.

[mbgrulz]

i really liked how we quited their late game push by making plays. im not sure that has been a characteristic from our teams the last few years.

[upperdeck_hawg]

weems > brewer
beverly > modica
ervin/welsh > jefferson/ferguson

[TennesseeRaz]

Weems reminds me a bit -- a bit -- of Rush at KS.  It's that fluidity that can't be coached.

[hogsrule44]

think we will crack the top 25 yet?

[pignatious]

I thought Hunter played with a lot of hustle. Trying to make things happen. I like that. I really like Weems. He is smooth. Beverly has a lot of upside. Ervin is an improvement handling the ball over Ferguson. This team could be pretty good if it can overcome Heath's coaching. The talent is there for a solid year.

[mbgrulz]

i really have a problem with our post play in general. we dont have one guy who is a stud low block scorer. townes was who i thought would be the guy, but he is as steaky as they come, and doesnt play enough minutes to amount to much. it just seems like we have 3-4 guys who all do one thing well, but none are very well rounded.

[thahawg]

weems > brewer
beverly > modica
ervin/welsh > jefferson/ferguson

Good point in very few words.

[thahawg]

Hill looks scared ****less with the ball in his hands especially when he has to put it on the floor.

[jcam61]

i really have a problem with our post play in general. we dont have one guy who is a stud low block scorer. townes was who i thought would be the guy, but he is as steaky as they come, and doesnt play enough minutes to amount to much. it just seems like we have 3-4 guys who all do one thing well, but none are very well rounded.

They were double teamed a lot though from what i saw.  I think they will do better when teams start respecting our outside shot.

[TMc]

We have a "team" this year.., I wish all those who are gone from last years team well... but I wouldn't take any of them over these guys. Stan finally has a true point guard, and some shooters.. but most importantly he has a team.  One of the big 3 off of last years team put on this team would do nothing but screw up the chemistry and togetherness these guys have.  It should be fun for a change, at least we don't have to watch them pass it around the horn until the shot clock is about to run out and throw up a prayer. Better defensively also.

[joeyself]

Anyone else concerned about the number of rebounds the guards are taking?  Looks like the defense is counting on a guard to drop back to the boards, and thus taking that guard out of position to take off to the other end.  I mean, on one hand, it's good that Ervin and Beverly are hitting the boards--someone needs to--but it's not what you want to see.  

I also noticed that Townes and Hill aren't on the floor at the same time as they were some last year.  Hill is going to have to start contributing on the offensive end of the floor, and I'm concerned that by this point, the coaching staff hasn't gotten more out of him on that end.  The time has passed for him to be a "project" on offense.

Finally, I'm thinking our best lineup is going to be Ervin, Beverly, Weems, Thomas and Townes.  One freshman and a host of juniors.  

JcS

[PigManLives]

Im not ready to say that Sonny Weems i better than Ronnie Brewer.  However, it looks like he has that sort of potential.  Sonny makes it look effortless out there, absolutely smooth.  IMO, beverly is gonna be a GREAT player who scores a ton of points.  He really hustles and hits the boards with tremendous effort for a player his size.  Also, he seems to be the most emotional player on the team which I love.  Overall, I like what I have seen so far and am looking forward to see how we fair against MA and the Tigers this thursday.

Oh yeah, Vincent Hunter scares the crap out me every time he touches the ball.

[The Coletrain]

First of all, this team will live and die with their defense.  If we play it the way we have the potential to play, it will take us far. 

Secondly, I think we can finally match up with any style of play - be it half court or up-tempo.  And any type of team we encounter - whether they're overly athletic or smart and savy.  By far SH's best team.  And the upside is they're are no seniors on this team.  We could be a top 10 team this time next season if we can add one more piece of the puzzle this spring to go with Rakestraw in the '08 class. 

[mbgrulz]

Actually I think "coaching" (x's and o's), is SH's long suit.
[/quote]

           

[rude1]

Watched the championship game win against West Virginia tonight and I see a competitive team, though not a team that will be considered one of the elite in the country. New comers are better than I expected, especially Weems. Weems obviously has worked hard on his shooting, as all the reports I read on him early said that was his big weakness. Patrick Beverly gives great effort, but scares the hell out of me when he has the ball as he seems to be totally out of control. Ervin brings experience to the table and a true point guard mentality, but has to learn to protect the basketball better, a guy who has been around the block like he has shouldnot be turning the basketball over at such a high rate. The biggest suprise thus far IMHO is the freethrow shooting, if they keep that up it alone will be a source of several victories this year as it already has been. The rest of the parts of the team aren't flashy but are interchangeable and serviceable. Still not the type of talent that gets you back to the elite in the country, but possibly does get you back in the Big Dance, though probably not for any extended stay once there....

[Beaverfever]

People always acted like Brewer was the end all be all but the truth is...he was a very streaky shooter who would disappear for entire halfs at a time and had trouble creating his own points.  I honestly think Weems and/or Beverly could be better players than Brewer was at the UA.  Beverly is a tremendous rebounder for a guy his size.  Thomas also seems to be stepping it up this year.  His game seems to be developing an identity.  I also think it might be time for us to realize Hill will never be an offensive threat.  He is just way too awkward.  People need to lay off Hunter.  He works hard and he rebounds well.

[flash23]

I wasn't able to watch all of the second half of tonights game, but from what I saw, we looked a whole lot better tonight. We had a good first half and kept it up the entire game, that is until we started slowing down the tempo. All in all, I think we're going to have a good season.

The only downside that I saw with Ervin is that when he's running the floor on a break, he doesn't look for anyone. He usually goes up for his own shot, even if there are other players down there. He might and me just not notice it, but it looks to me that he only looks for his shot. He is a good ball handler and he can score, so his positives outway his negatives by alot.

[Razorod]

A competitive team is better than what we have seen in some time!

Watched the championship game win against West Virginia tonight and I see a competitive team, though not a team that will be considered one of the elite in the country. New comers are better than I expected, especially Weems. Weems obviously has worked hard on his shooting, as all the reports I read on him early said that was his big weakness. Patrick Beverly gives great effort, but scares the hell out of me when he has the ball as he seems to be totally out of control. Ervin brings experience to the table and a true point guard mentality, but has to learn to protect the basketball better, a guy who has been around the block like he has shouldnot be turning the basketball over at such a high rate. The biggest suprise thus far IMHO is the freethrow shooting, if they keep that up it alone will be a source of several victories this year as it already has been. The rest of the parts of the team aren't flashy but are interchangeable and serviceable. Still not the type of talent that gets you back to the elite in the country, but possibly does get you back in the Big Dance, though probably not for any extended stay once there....

[Trottsky]

The biggest thing I see is that we are making freethrows.  That takes allot of pressure off whe you can knock it down from the line.  I like our squad.

Agreed. Free throws kept them ahead. Early returns look good for this squad, but remember, WVU was picked low in its conference, so let's keep things in perspective. With improvement in a few areas, this could be the real thing.

[Broken Trigger]

It is nice to have some guys that can really stroke the 3's again.  I think we have some great talent.  Weems keeps getting better, and Beverley reminds me a little of Mayberry.  I know he isn't a point guard, but he shoots the three well, rebounds well, and is a good defensive player.  He seems to be pretty mature for a freshman like Lee was.  Hopefully, he'll put up a comparable career.  I'm also seeing some bright spots from Welsh.  We have a lot of talent on that frontline, and as long as we manage them well and see steady improvement, we can be a pretty good team this year. 

[dmac5]

why is michael washington not playing wasnt he 5 star recruit weems, beverly, and welsh are great and none of them were 5 star recruits.  Is this guy going to contribute at all this year. 

[Calling All Hogs]

Team appears to find a way to win. Like that so far.

[Arkansas_no bowl]

Best in the last years....hands down Joe Johnson, we just didn't get to see him long enough.  However, Weems is the best since JJ as it looks right now....definitely gives Ronnie a run for his money.

Agree with your points, good to see the Hogs out of the gate strong!!

Lets hope Heath's team isn't taking any passing lessons from CD or HDN and we'll be just fine this year!

[stronguard]

I thought Hunter played with a lot of hustle. Trying to make things happen. I like that. I really like Weems. He is smooth. Beverly has a lot of upside. Ervin is an improvement handling the ball over Ferguson. This team could be pretty good if it can overcome Heath's coaching. The talent is there for a solid year.

How true. 

I thought Hunter played with a lot of hustle. Trying to make things happen. I like that. I really like Weems. He is smooth. Beverly has a lot of upside. Ervin is an improvement handling the ball over Ferguson. This team could be pretty good if it can overcome Heath's coaching. The talent is there for a solid year.

Actually I think "coaching" (x's and o's), is SH's long suit.  He's good at that.  I don't think he's the best at motivating and managing the team especially during the game.

You can't be serious Opine.....Heath's long suit is his talent evaluation, the man knows what talent looks like.  But X's and O's seem to escape him.  I will admit that he has a system that is based on rebounding, and that he stays within a framework.  But watch inbounds plays, both defensively and offensively.  We consistently get beat on those.  Also take note of timeouts, and breaks in the action,  seems like we always end up on the wrong end of a little run. 

Congratulations to everyone on the tourney win.  I don't think there was a team in the tourney that should of beat us, and none did.  I was pretty disappointed in the SIU game, but everyone seems to think they are pretty good.  STANLEY bought another year by getting us to the tourney in my eyes, now I am looking for improvement, so far so good.

[PigPusher]

It is an exciting team to watch.

[spudhog]

I agree with all 5 points.  I love seeing PB and SW on the floor together.

hope we see more of this. both have handles and can shoot. agree with the original 5 points. hunter has no hand strength but he plays hard and is not afraid.

[bigred7987]

I always said Walsh would be much better than people thought...people expected this out of Beverly but not Walsh contributing.  They are competitors to the bone

[Razorbacker1]

why is michael washington not playing wasnt he 5 star recruit weems, beverly, and welsh are great and none of them were 5 star recruits.  Is this guy going to contribute at all this year. 

I was wondering the very same thing!  Anybody have an idea about this?

[BPPig]

I love the way VH is playing right now. I agree with spudhog about his hand strength but he is always hustling and doing a lot of dirty work.

I love Stephan. He smiles as much as Felix Jones and really gets after it. The Hargrave student paper is online and the students there loved him. I can see why. The look of pain on his face when he was called for that intentional foul last night spoke volumes about his competivive nature. A coach was about to jump him, took one look at his face, and just patted him on his shoulder.

PB really wants the ball late. What a refreshing change. Arkansas is going to win a lot of ball games in the next four years with this backcourt duo.

[jameshogfan]

I for one thought they seemed a bit confused in the half-court. We get a lot of points early in the shot clock and on breaks. Also, the guards pick up their dribbles way too much.

I think we are a decent team, but after watching some of the other games, ie Florida/Kansas... they make us look pretty sloppy. We are not that great right now.

[OKhogfan1959]

I was very happy with the way they played!

I don't agree on Hill..He messes up the other teams offense bigtime..He's also going to the offensive boards with a lot more consistency..I think he's going to be a much better player  this year..
I also thought Darian Townes was playing very hard. He can score and he was hitting the boards last night..I think he needs a lot more PT...Don't understand the lack of minutes last night..

Ervin is exciting to watch and will only get better..

Wait till Sonny gets in the open court and he will show you some major jumping ability..Weems is going to be up there with some of the alltime greats before he leaves...

Love the freshman guards they not only can hit the three but they play hard on defense...Welsh and Beverly are going to only get better..

Stan seems to have the type team he wants..I was very impressed and happy..

This team is going to be fun to watch..great on defense and they seem to really like each other..

[wishyjoshy]

Freethrow Shooting
Rebounding
and Ball control looked improved.

Way to go hogs.

[PiggyBack]

JMO...

We would have lost this game with last year's team.  When WV went to the press I thought "oh, crap" but our guards handled the pressure with great passing and great ball-handling!  The overall team chemistry seemed WAY better than the past couple of years.

Folks, I thought we looked scary good last night.  I texted a buddy and to ask if he was watching and all I could say was "Dang."  WV never had a chance.

[DoubleJ]

why is michael washington not playing wasnt he 5 star recruit weems, beverly, and welsh are great and none of them were 5 star recruits.  Is this guy going to contribute at all this year. 

I was wondering the very same thing!  Anybody have an idea about this?

We're very deep at the post position.  We needed guards coming into the season and we got them.  Washington's day will come, but probably won't be this year.

[Talon]

Finally, I'm thinking our best lineup is going to be Ervin, Beverly, Weems, Thomas and Townes.  One freshman and a host of juniors. 

JcS

I'm with you on this lineup.  It is time for Hill to produce or loose minutes.  I am very disappointed in Hill's poor ball handling.  Giving him the ball when he is not in a position for a slam is asking for a turnover.

[pigfoot]

I was impressed.  We finally looked like we knew how to attack a zone.  Also looks like we have the guns to put up a lot of threes.  We played good defense, too.  I think we will be a force to be reckoned with in the SEC. 

[hogfankb]

I was impressed.  We finally looked like we knew how to attack a zone.  Also looks like we have the guns to put up a lot of threes.  We played good defense, too.  I think we will be a force to be reckoned with in the SEC. 

While I think this team has better all around shooters I wouldn't think this trapping zone would have given us as much of a problem on previous years teams as a normal sagging zone. With a trap, if you can break the trap you will usually have driving lanes which we were very good at while Brewer was here. The test will be when teams sag off to stop the penetration and force us to move the ball crisply for open shots.

[pigfoot]

Finally, I'm thinking our best lineup is going to be Ervin, Beverly, Weems, Thomas and Townes.  One freshman and a host of juniors. 

JcS

'm with you on this lineup.  It is time for Hill to produce or loose minutes.  I am very disappointed in Hill's poor ball handling.  Giving him the ball when he is not in a position for a slam is asking for a turnover.

Hill's value is as a shot blocker.  We have plenty of scoring potential.  Neither Thomas nor Townes plays the defense Hill plays.