The Auburn Victory - The Four Factors Perspective
by Stephen Expat on Feb 8, 2010 12:12 PM CST
in Basketball
2 comments
If you are unfamiliar with the Four Factors, you can read our oh-so-authoritative post on the concept by clicking here. For those familiar with the factors, it's interesting to see that Arkansas won Saturday's game while winning only one of them. The Hogs really have done a remarkable job of getting to the line lately (and shooting well when they get there). That has arguably been the backbone of their success during the past four games.
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Feel Free to Resume Breathing Now: Arkansas 82, Auburn 79
by Stephen Expat on Feb 6, 2010 3:27 PM CST
in Basketball
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Well, for a while there, I was convinced that my esteemed colleague J. Hawg had jinxed us. I was worried about this game almost the moment the victory over Georgia ended; it seemed the perfect occasion for a letdown.
But the Hogs dug deep and managed to come away with a wild, wild, wild victory that has left me gasping for breath and with virtually no fingernails. As a friend of mine texted me during the game, "This feels like a Houston Nutt football game."
I'm a little too wiped out to say much else, but before I go breathe into a paper bag, let me leave you with this thought: as of this very moment, at the halfway point of the SEC season, the Hogs are alone in first place in the SEC West. Who could have imagined that during the often-awful pre-conference portion of the season? Or during the bludgeoning at the hands of Kentucky?
What a crazy season this is turning out to be.
As always, please chime in with your thoughts.
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Is Today Big?
by J. Hawg 3 on Feb 6, 2010 10:01 AM CST
3 comments
We have been wandering, lost, parched and starving. Trudging through a desert devoid of hope.
Now the Hogs have gone and won three in a row, all of them improbable, two of them extremely improbable since they were come-from-behind road wins. And here sit the Hogs with upcoming home games against dismal Auburn and the unspeakably awful LSU. Ponder, for just a second, that if the Hogs win those two they sit at 6-3 and likely alone in first in the SEC West.
"6-3 and alone in first in the SEC West." Did I really just write that? (Twice?) I did, and I am kicking myself for possibly jinxing this group. Thinking ahead is a sure-fire way for this bunch to do a header into a Porta-John at Riverfest.
On the other hand, the SEC West is so terrible this year, we might just have a shot. The win at Ole Miss was gritty, but the win Wednesday at Georgia was nothing short of ugly. Georgia stunk. They stunk bad. We tried to hand them the game and the Bulldogs dropped it on the floor. That one was so lucky, we might be due for bad karma.
So, this game today? Make or break. Nothing less than that. This team is showing it has four weapons in Clarke, Fortson, Washington and Powell. But we really need three of them working to win. The team needs to find a way to score when two or more of those weapons are mis-firing.
But for now, I see palm trees and a patch of green in the haze of the desert sand. I am daring to hope.
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Wrapping Up the Recruiting Season
by John Expat on Feb 5, 2010 11:31 PM CST
8 comments
There may be no more ridiculous process in the sports world than the college football recruiting season. Having said that, it's an important part of the overall package, and the Hogs just wrapped up a recruiting class that's inspired a pretty wide range of opinions. So, let's discuss and see where things stand.
On the positive side, Bobby Petrino and company have a pretty stocked offensive cupboard, so they rightfully focused the bulk of their attention on defense and special teams, and in those areas we seemed to do ok. In particular, defensive linemen Byran Jones of Junction City and surprise late pickup Calvin Barnett of Tulsa are said to be guys who can contribute right away (although there may be some eligibility issues with Barnett - keep your fingers crossed).
On the negative side, the SEC is ruthless when it comes to recruiting - it's pretty painful to realize that we had a class ranked 30something (or 40something) nationally and were still behind nine other teams in the conference. Plus, I don't care how many RBs you already have on the roster - when the #1 high school RB in the nation is from Little Rock, you need to get that guy. Even taking off my Razorback-colored glasses for a second, you'd like to believe that it would be easier to attract more top-quality defensive recruits when there are such obvious opportunities for immediate playing time (not to mention offensive players who might like to catch passes from Ryan Mallett for at least a year).
But, Petrino and his staff seem genuinely pleased with the results, and it's safe to say that they're a bit more dialed-in than all the various armchair quarterbacks lurking out there on the internet (present company excepted, of course!), so I'm inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Let's see what others more knowledgeable than I am have to say:
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Special Prosecutor Won't File Charges Against Hog Players
After completing his review of a rape allegation made against three Hog basketball players - Marcus Britt, Glenn Bryant and Nick Mason - special prosecutor H.G. Foster says he will not file any charges. Max Brantley of The Arkansas Times has a detailed blog post on today's news.
3 days ago
Stephen Expat
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Hog Hoops Talk
Head on over to WholeHogSports.com to view the latest WholeHogCast video, in which Brandon Marcello and Bob Holt break down the Georgia victory and preview tomorrow's contest against Auburn. Good stuff.
3 days ago
Stephen Expat
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"When I Left You I Was But the Learner ... "
by Stephen Expat on Feb 4, 2010 4:47 PM CST
in Basketball
0 comments
The considerable maturity and level-headedness that Todd Day displayed as an Arkansas Razorback made it abundantly clear that this was a man destined to be a molder of young men. OK ... so maybe not.
However, as this Commercial Appeal article shows, he is just that these days. The Memphis native is the first-year head coach at the Memphis Academy of Health Sciences (MAHS) high school. According to the report, "Day, 40, a former Hamilton High and University of Arkansas star who played 8 1/2 seasons in the NBA, is attempting to build a high-school program from scratch with a varsity squad made up solely of freshmen and sophomores."
The article details his team's recent game against the Douglass Red Devils, coached by Ted Anderson, Day's stepfather and the man who coached him at Hamilton. It didn't go so well for Todd, as Douglass narrowly escaped with an 84-35 victory. The game was a true family affair, as Todd Day Jr. is a member of the MAHS squad.
We wish Todd the best of luck - and suggest that if he shows his young team any footage of the 1991 Arkansas-UNLV game, that he fast forward through this part.
• Hadn't had your fill of Day nostalgia yet? Then we suggest that you check out this January 1992 Sports Illustrated article titled "New Day Dawns in Arkansas." It details Todd's return from a two-month suspension that stemmed in part from his involvement in the infamous "dorm incident."
Here's the opening paragraph:
It's well known on the college basketball circuit that a trip to Barnhill Arena in Fayetteville, Ark., can result in 40 minutes of hell. That's what the Arkansas Razorbacks pride themselves on giving their opponents; it's also what you might experience if you try to determine which of the many faces of swingman Todd Day, the team's blade-thin star, is the real one.
Somewhat inexplicably, the article doesn't mention this side of Day: the one who wears dark turtlenecks, loves French New Wave cinema, reads Camus and weeps gently when he contemplates man's inhumanity to man.
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Crazy Night in Georgia: Arkansas 72, Georgia 68
by Stephen Expat on Feb 3, 2010 8:44 PM CST
in Basketball
8 comments
As I said earlier today, I never had a moment's doubt that the Hogs would win this game. No sir, I knew all along that we had this one in the bag.
A hearty congrats to John Pelphrey's crew for winning their second consecutive SEC road game. They did it the hard way, digging themselves a 15-point halftime deficit and playing the waning minutes with Fortson, Washington and Powell each having four fouls.
But as was the case against Mississippi State and Ole Miss, these guys didn't scare when the going got tough. Fortson was undoubtedly the player of the game, but Powell and Washington each shook off shaky first halves to turn in solid efforts. And he may not have lit up the stat sheet, but a special tip of the hat should be extended to Stef Welsh, long the favorite whipping boy of Hog fans. He came up with a couple of big steals in the second half, and I thought he played outstanding defense all night.
It feels downright weird to say this about this team after the last year and a half, but all of a sudden, they appear to be a tough and poised crew. Maybe it's just a three-game thing. Or maybe not. Maybe they have finally turned the corner.
Now, armed with their first winning conference record in two years, the Hogs head back to Bud Walton to take on Auburn. Woo Pig Sooie!
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