Paging Courtney Fortson

Here's a sobering thought, one that should kill any eggnog induced buzz you may have: On Saturday, the Razorbacks may have won their last game for a long, long time. Take a look at their schedule and see if you can find any upcoming games that you feel good about.

Even at full strength, this team probably would be hard pressed to make the NIT, but toss in all of the suspensions and injuries, and you have a situation in which a three-point home win over Stephen F. Austin feels like a cause for celebration. Depressing times indeed.

Still, despite all of the obvious reasons for gloom and doom, I still hold out some hope — however faint — that this team can improve noticeably and turn in a respectable effort in conference play. For that to happen, though, Courtney Fortson has to play. And who knows if that is going to happen?

I am not the biggest fan of Fortson's game — I thought he was a ball hog last year, and I didn't like how he treated his teammates on the court — and Julysses Nobles has performed admirably in a larger-than-expected role. However, it seems fairly clear that Nobles has been overexposed: In four out of the last six games, he has more turnovers than assists. Furthermore, for all his drawbacks, Courtney can be an explosive offensive player.

If Fortson comes back and has his head on right and Michael Washington's back allows him to play with the energy he's displayed in the previous two games ... well, maybe then the Hogs can make the season interesting. Or to put it less kindly, maybe their season won't completely go off the rails.

What is your take on the basketball team? Do you have any hope for the rest of this season?