A Noble Failure

by Stephen Expat on Feb 22, 2009 1:30 PM CST in Arkansas Razorback Basketball

Thanks to the wonders of satellite radio, I had the pleasure of listening to last night's game. And I don't mean "pleasure" ironically. Yes, it was yet another loss, but I thought it was the Hogs' strongest effort of the conference season. No great half of play followed by a mind-numbingly bad one (or vice versa). No blown double-digit leads.

Just one very solid effort. On the road, mind you. Against arguably the SEC's second-best team.

I know we're all tired of the losses, but in their last two games, the Hogs have taken LSU and South Carolina down to the wire. There is reason to hope that this team is closer to being NCAA Tournament material than its ghastly 1-11 conference record suggests.

And an ever-improving Jason Henry is a big part of that hope. It was fun to hear the South Carolina announcers heap praise on the West Memphis native for his fantastic performance last night. Who knows - when all is said and done, Henry might be the best player out of this freshman class.

On a final note, I continue to be impressed by the Hogs' effort. In the last few weeks, the message boards have contained lots of ominous rumblings about a program in turmoil, about a team full of players who don't respect their coaches.

I don't see it.

Whatever this team's numerous shortcomings may be, giving up doesn't appear to be one of 'em. I think that speaks volumes about Pelphrey and his staff - and these players.

Make no mistake: this team has a long way to go. But I walked away from last night's game thinking that maybe the journey won't take as long as we fear.

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As a parent of 3 teenagers, it’s easy for me to appreciate what I’ve seen so far from Coach John Pelphrey.
Like being a parent, a coach must show patience when needed, but also must show he’s a disiplinarian, and be able show them the big picture at the end of their journey, if they continue to work hard.

I believe this is very important when building trust.
Once the trust is there, the kids will realize what’s important, tell other kids of their accomplishments under their coach, and this will eventually lead to better recruiting in the future.

It takes time to rebuild a program under one coach.
If a coach isn’t allowed that time to make it happen, it won’t.
There is also no time-table that applies to any given situation.
All situations are not the same.
Reguardless of what fans may think the UofA basketball program is supposed to be, Pelphrey is still starting over completely, with his own players.

Forget the win collume for now folks, this man needs a little time to get his kids feet on the ground first.

by GonzoHog on Feb 22, 2009 2:45 PM CST reply actions

Great points, Stephen.

And yes… the SC announcers were quite impressed by Jason Henry, just as I’ve been all season.

by Sue E. Pig on Feb 22, 2009 9:35 PM CST reply actions

I agree they’ve played well and just haven’t had the depth and continuity to win in the last few minutes. I don’t know but I would be we’re getting outscored on average by double digits in the last five minutes of each conference game.

That is a sign of lack of depth and inconsistency. Fatigue not only makes cowards of us; it makes us inept.

Signs of hope are there. If we can get Powell on campus and another point guard, along with the JC transfer, we might be pretty damn good. But it’s all about building depth and enabling Pelphrey to have more flexibility on the court.

by Tab Prewett on Feb 23, 2009 7:14 AM CST reply actions

Kudos to Gonzohog. On 2 counts. First for raising 3 teenagers. And, second, for the parallels drawn. I’ve raised 2, and you are exactly right. That has been my feeling, too. This season is more painful than most of us thought, but the end result is the big picture. WE need to keep in mind that THIS season is not the big picture…. I also thought this game showed a lot of progress and guts.
Hang in there, everyone.

by cousin lee on Feb 23, 2009 8:38 PM CST reply actions