What I saw tonight . . .

[WizardofhOgZ]

What I saw tonight . . .

Bottom line - I was impressed and feel better about the state of our program than I have in years.  Not because we are "there"; but because I can see clearly that we're on the road to "there" and no longer "back there".  Real progress has been made in since Mike took over.  That much is easy to see in looking at the last 2 games (I was unable to see the Cal game).

I'm not going to talk about "moral victories".  We lost.  But we lost to what appears to be a legitimate top 10 type team.  As Dykes kept stating, they have it all - at least, offensively.  Seems like all of them can shoot - 2 or 3 from depth - and they all appear to have high basketball IQ's - they know how to get their shot and find others.  Plus, they have size and that giant in the middle is a legit threat on offense and an intimidation factor on defense.

What I loved is that our guys took the challenge and took the game to them all night long.  We never backed down.  For a spell or two, we were outclassed in pure basketball talent.  We're still at a stage where that will happen against a top 10 team.  But, as someone else already stated, if you replace Pangos with an average college guard, the game is pretty darned even.  I'm not saying we're as good as they are.  One - the DO have Pangos.  But their program is just more mature and settled than ours is at this point.  However, I do believe we were that close to stealing one from them, and our teams in recent years would never have been able to say that.  In fact, I think Mike's first team here loses by 30 given how Gonzaga played in this game.

I'm not the basketball "expert" some on here are.  I'm not going to try to X and O anyone.  I'll just use the old Supreme Court definition of porn - "I know it when I see it".  And I've seen enough really good basketball (first at UTEP in the old days, and for many years at Arkansas) that I DO feel like I know when we're making progress and when we're treading water.  I like what I see.

We're still an "alpha" guard and consistent inside scoring threat away from being where we need to be.  Plus, the talent we have will get better with experience.  But I've really enjoyed watching the last two games and - frankly - I haven't been able to say that about Razorback basketball in quite a while now.  They're my team - and I love 'em.  I watch every game I have the chance to see.  But a lot of it has been out of duty the last decade.  Here's hoping the fun element continues to re-emerge over the course of this season.

[ThisTeetsTaken]

Agreed. 

[FBREW000]

I agree, however we still need a really great point guard as well.  We have "OK" but not great as of yet.  Fun to see the discipline and attention to detail being shown!

[WizardofhOgZ]

I agree, however we still need a really great point guard as well.  We have "OK" but not great as of yet.  Fun to see the discipline and attention to detail being shown!

Agree completely - hence my comment about being an "alpha guard" away . . . we need one of those guards we used to bring in every year . . . Sidney, Boot, US Reed, Darrell Walker, Alvin Robinson, Lee Mayberry, Corey Beck, etc.

[razorbackchamps94]

I agree, however we still need a really great point guard as well.  We have "OK" but not great as of yet.  Fun to see the discipline and attention to detail being shown!

if we had Beard this year we would be real good!

[Oklahawg]

if we had Beard this year we would be real good!

I think it might be that easy. One player, and he is in the pipeline. Not sure, but I don't see us losing anyone in our top 6-8. Madden, Scott, Wade...good guys and Madden, in particular, contributes. But, Beard might be the missing piece and those already in place are pretty solid.

I love what I'm seeing.

[Breems]

I think we're finally at the point of being able to beat teams we should beat on the road.

[Coachjy]

The entire game all I kept thinking was what this team would look like if Pangos was on this team. What we are missing is a true PG that can distribute the ball and score some. You put him on this team and we are a top 10-15 team.I still love this team and can't wait to see what the future holds.

[RazorBassin]

Love what I have seen the last two days.  Finally enjoyed watching Hog ball again!  WPS!

[Professor Pig]

I think we're finally at the point of being able to beat teams we should beat on the road.

and beat the ever living cream puff out of teams at home, with style, too -- much like the old days. that's what truly makes bud walton such a tough place to play.

[TheAlphaHog]

Yep, Anton Beard and Trey Thompson and this team looks more complete.  We are close this year and it will be a fun year.
Pig Sooie

[3dawghawg]

This team has put a smile back on my face. Looking forward to the rest of the season.

[TheRazorback500]

We've grown up a lot since last year, and you can tell the players have developed their bodies and look a lot "harder". The addition of Portis, Harris, and Kingsley really helps our presence inside. If the Gulley-Madden PG combination can become more consistent and Bell will diversify his game instead of just shooting threes during the upcoming home stretch, we should be ready to compete in the SEC.  :razorback:

[EastMemphisHog]

The entire game all I kept thinking was what this team would look like if Pangos was on this team. What we are missing is a true PG that can distribute the ball and score some. You put him on this team and we are a top 10-15 team.I still love this team and can't wait to see what the future holds.

Stockton was their PG.

[The Divine Swine]

Finally Mike getting some respect. I knew he would get it done. I know he has not yet, but he is showing that it is coming. We will be an elite basketball program again thanks to Mike Anderson. And our football program will come around under Bielema also if we give him some time. wooo pig sooiee. It shall be if we give it time.

[SPAL]

Good post, wiz.

I think we accomplished what we needed to in Maui. Shouldn't lose another ooc game. I see no reason not to win a lot of SEC Games.

[Rawker]

Man...F### Pangos!!  He's not a Hog, and we have a real Hog team now, so screw him and every one that's not a Hog.  Those guys are lucky as crap that the Hogs couldn't hit the broad side of a barn for 30 minutes.  Sure, we left him open too much, but if he shoots even just a bit above his normal human-like percentage, and we hit our layups, and Qualls has a bit more wind left, they'd be talking about how they're going to come back from a sucky Maui tourney.  Give the Hogs two more games with them, and the Hogs win Both.  All I'm saying is the Hogs are starting to bring it, and indeed are just a stronger PG away from trouncing those dudes.  So I'm not going to pontificate on what it would be like if Pangos played for the Hogs.  Screw him and all other non-Hogs - all I have to say is they better get their hits in now, because 1991 cometh!!!!

[Ham Sandwich]

Yep, Anton Beard and Trey Thompson and this team looks more complete.  We are close this year and it will be a fun year.
Pig Sooie

You're forgetting about Nick Babb a 6-4 guard that can create, distribute and shoot the ball very well.

[Pigdiana Jones]

I saw the tail end of the game tonight, and while I don't have a clue who te current players are because I get to see maybe one game a year IF it is in Espn, I was literally shocked to see how they were playing. Shocked in a good way. It reminded me of the good ole days with Nolan. They were just bringing it to gonzaga even when there was no way they were goin to win. I was amazed by how hard they played and never gave up. I'm looking forward to a great year from them!

[Lanny]

They were just bringing it to gonzaga even when there was no way they were goin to win. I was amazed by how hard they played and never gave up. I'm looking forward to a great year from them!

When you have a team that keeps trying, never quits walks off the court even with a loss with their head held high.  You have a champion in the making.  What I saw was a very young athletic team that will improve from this experience.  Love it and Go Hogs!

[blu]

I saw the Cal game and Gonzaga games - missed the Minn game. Even though I only got to see the two we lost, I am very encouraged. This team has something we have been missing for a long long time, and I can't even put my finger on exactly what it is, but it is good to feel like we have a legitimately competitive team again.

[Dominicanhog]

When you have a team that keeps trying, never quits walks off the court even with a loss with their head held high.  You have a champion in the making.  What I saw was a very young athletic team that will improve from this experience.  Love it and Go Hogs!

They did keep fighting, all the way to the buzzer... gotta respect that... we have a really nice inside game, which should win us some road games this year... a couple of shooters and we would be really good.

[eabrown]

The most impressive thing to me about the hogs is that they never quit in any of the games.

[nextlevel]

Stockton was their PG.

Correct.

But you see what people think they want by "true PG", what they really want is good guard play, the role of the guard isn't as important...

[nextlevel]

You're forgetting about Nick Babb a 6-4 guard that can create, distribute and shoot the ball very well.

Yes, the ability to put Bell and Babb on the court with Madden/Beard would make teams not want to play zone so much, although we could see that happen this year if Qualls continues to hit the outside shot, he has really improved in this area since last year.

[nextlevel]

I saw the Cal game and Gonzaga games - missed the Minn game. Even though I only got to see the two we lost, I am very encouraged. This team has something we have been missing for a long long time, and I can't even put my finger on exactly what it is, but it is good to feel like we have a legitimately competitive team again.

If you saw those two games, even tho they were losses, you had that feel of a 30 point blow out in the making when each built good size leads, instead they fought back to narrow the lead.

That is the difference I've noticed over the past 5 years, this team doesn't quit when they get down.

[Letsroll1200]

if we had Beard this year we would be real good!

Do you think Beard will beat Madden out at PG next year? I think Beard is a nice guard but Madden is better at this time. I think with what I witnessed from the tournament we will be okay. I look forward to Beard and Babb. I'm hoping Wade find his confidence because he passed up good shots and dribbled into bad plays.

[Dominicanhog]

I'm hoping Wade find his confidence because he passed up good shots and dribbled into bad plays.

Looks like he a Scott are done,  3 minutes when guard play is what we were missing against Gonzaga.... Mike is playing the one's that fight until the end and are excited about playing defense on a team with no stars... not sure that fits either of those 2.

[Boston RedHogs]

Looks like he a Scott are done,  3 minutes when guard play is what we were missing against Gonzaga.... Mike is playing the one's that fight until the end and are excited about playing defense on a team with no stars... not sure that fits either of those 2.

I don't know how much more we will see of Wade and Scott

I certainly expect to see more of Kingsley.  He played very well in Maui!

[AWHAWG]

What I saw tonight . . .

Bottom line - I was impressed and feel better about the state of our program than I have in years.  Not because we are "there"; but because I can see clearly that we're on the road to "there" and no longer "back there".  Real progress has been made in since Mike took over.  That much is easy to see in looking at the last 2 games (I was unable to see the Cal game).

I'm not going to talk about "moral victories".  We lost.  But we lost to what appears to be a legitimate top 10 type team.  As Dykes kept stating, they have it all - at least, offensively.  Seems like all of them can shoot - 2 or 3 from depth - and they all appear to have high basketball IQ's - they know how to get their shot and find others.  Plus, they have size and that giant in the middle is a legit threat on offense and an intimidation factor on defense.

What I loved is that our guys took the challenge and took the game to them all night long.  We never backed down.  For a spell or two, we were outclassed in pure basketball talent.  We're still at a stage where that will happen against a top 10 team.  But, as someone else already stated, if you replace Pangos with an average college guard, the game is pretty darned even.  I'm not saying we're as good as they are.  One - the DO have Pangos.  But their program is just more mature and settled than ours is at this point.  However, I do believe we were that close to stealing one from them, and our teams in recent years would never have been able to say that.  In fact, I think Mike's first team here loses by 30 given how Gonzaga played in this game.

I'm not the basketball "expert" some on here are.  I'm not going to try to X and O anyone.  I'll just use the old Supreme Court definition of porn - "I know it when I see it".  And I've seen enough really good basketball (first at UTEP in the old days, and for many years at Arkansas) that I DO feel like I know when we're making progress and when we're treading water.  I like what I see.

We're still an "alpha" guard and consistent inside scoring threat away from being where we need to be.  Plus, the talent we have will get better with experience.  But I've really enjoyed watching the last two games and - frankly - I haven't been able to say that about Razorback basketball in quite a while now.  They're my team - and I love 'em.  I watch every game I have the chance to see.  But a lot of it has been out of duty the last decade.  Here's hoping the fun element continues to re-emerge over the course of this season.

Thanks for posting this.

[Dominicanhog]

I don't know how much more we will see of Wade and Scott

I certainly expect to see more of Kingsley.  He played very well in Maui!

Yeah, I expect to see more of King Moses going forward, he took advantage of his minutes unlike Wade and Scott have done. I think Mike will give them another chance, just have to hope Wade buys in to his new role, because we could sure use him.

[LZH]

First post over here in a long time.  First Hog basketball game I've watched in a long time (without being disgusted or disinterested).

I was pretty impressed.  We are short a point guard, a big man, and don't shoot overly well.  But we are light years from what I remember watching last year.

Can't believe it's happening.  I'm becoming a basketball fan again.

[Ham Sandwich]

First post over here in a long time.  First Hog basketball game I've watched in a long time (without being disgusted or disinterested).

I was pretty impressed.  We are short a point guard, a big man, and don't shoot overly well.  But we are light years from what I remember watching last year.

Can't believe it's happening.  I'm becoming a basketball fan again.

We are missing solid guard play and that will improve greatly when a few guys we have now are gone and we add the 2 coming. I know it sucks to say but it's just the way it is.

I think this current team will only get better and tougher as the season goes on though.

[warriorlion]

Been 10-12 years since I liked our team this much!

[Oklahawg]

First post over here in a long time.  First Hog basketball game I've watched in a long time (without being disgusted or disinterested).

I was pretty impressed.  We are short a point guard, a big man, and don't shoot overly well.  But we are light years from what I remember watching last year.

Can't believe it's happening.  I'm becoming a basketball fan again.

Feels good, doesn't it?

[Chief Mac]

Feels good, doesn't it?

I know it does for me. Helps me get over the abysmal football season we had

[LZH]

Feels good, doesn't it?

Yeah it sure does.  Even though we were down by 8 or more the whole game, I was still wigglin' around in my chair, leaning all the way forward when a shot went up, cussin' when they didn't go in, etc.  I haven't done that in years.

[elksnort]

I think we're finally at the point of being able to beat teams we should beat on the road.

And this is what I want to see most from this basketball team. 

[Hoggish1]

I like what I see, too.  I think we are very easily one of the SEC's top three schools.  These kids never quit, and shoot free throws—imagine that?!

It's the first Mike Anderson team I've seen move the ball to get open looks.

[TexomaRazorback]

Even after those two losses, Jeff Sagarin's computer model has our razorbacks at #50.  Hogs were no where near that at any point last year.  Best I remember, we were never above 60th.

[Randy Johnson]

we are on the right road again

[Capt. Hamm]

Agree completely - hence my comment about being an "alpha guard" away . . . we need one of those guards we used to bring in every year . . . Sidney, Boot, US Reed, Darrell Walker, Alvin Robinson, Lee Mayberry, Corey Beck, etc.

I agree with this. We need a defensive stopper also. If we had one, we could have slowed down that Pangos guy.

[immahog]

as a fan all we ask for is a sign of improvment ....ive seen it im excited go HOGS WPS