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Don’t start wanting Anderson gone without having a plan beyond hope

Arkansas’ season is probably over after collapsing in the final couple of minutes against Florida, 66-50, at the SEC Tournament in Nashville. It probably should be, too.

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Arkansas’ season is probably over after collapsing in the final couple of minutes against Florida, 66-50, at the SEC Tournament in Nashville.

It probably should be, too.

For a team that has been wildly inconsistent over the course of a 17-15 season, nothing is official until the end of the weekend in terms of tournament announcements, but it’s doubtful they will be in many discussions.

Now the low grumbling about Mike Anderson’s job security from some that was reduced a little with a three-game winning streak at the end will increase in volume.

That’s what happens when you make the NCAA Tournament only three times in eight years and go 2-3 in those games. Razorback fans got used to a run over 17 years where not getting to the Sweet 16 was reason enough for some to start griping.

Here’s a comparison of how things have gone at Arkansas since the last Sweet 16 appearance in 1995 (Overall, SEC, Postseason):

• Nolan Richardson: 6 seasons, 117-74 (61.3%), 50-45 (52.6%), 3-5 (2-1 NIT, 2-4 NCAA)

• Stan Heath: 5 seasons, 82-71 (53.6%), 31-49 (38.8%), 0-2 (0-2 NCAA)

• John Pelphrey: 4 seasons, 69-59 (53.9%), 25-39 (39.1%), 1-1 (1-1 NCAA)

• Mike Anderson: 8 seasons, 168-101 (62.4%), 78-64 (54.9%), 3-4 (1-1 NIT, 2-3 NCAA)

Some fans say Anderson’s not winning enough games, even though the numbers clearly show he’s won more than anybody since Richardson’s last team to reach the Sweet 16.

Over Anderson’s last seven seasons, the Hogs are third in SEC wins in the league behind Kentucky and Florida.

Anderson’s supporters will argue this season is out of the ordinary, it’s harder to even get into the NCAA Tournament now (thanks to mid-majors’ success over the past few years) and the SEC’s increased emphasis on basketball.

His detractors will say the trend is heading down, which is true, and this team is inexperienced with no older leadership, also true.

Of course that falls on Anderson. He’s not a new coach and he can read a roster. He knows he didn’t sign a team of one-and-done players, but that’s still on him.

Ultimately, the question is not going to be if anyone is happy with the up-and-down record of the Hogs over the last eight seasons.

Nobody — fans, coaches, players, administration — is happy with that.

The loss to Florida was this team looking more like the team that had losing streaks of four and six games that sank the team’s season.

They got a lead as high as eight in the first half, trailed by two at halftime and kept it close for a little bit in the second half.

The only eyebrow-raising came when it looked like half the team quit in the final two minutes of the game. That’s never a good sign and one that you can rest assured Anderson took note of, whether he will admit it or not.

Anderson is going to have to convince an ever-doubting fan base he can pull the program out of the situation many believe is mired in mediocrity. For an arena that at times looked more like an intimate gathering as opposed to the rowdy crowds of a past era, that’s going to be an even bigger issue.

Don’t listen to the hype. There were some games that was loud, but there was a time when the early exhibition games had ear-splitting crowds.

Ultimately, though, you wonder if the question is, quite simply, could Anderson be replaced with anyone better?

Arkansas has tried hope in hiring basketball coaches in recent memory. It didn’t work out well with Heath or Pelphrey, but Anderson was supposed to put all of that in the rearview mirror.

That hasn’t worked out exactly the way anybody planned or certainly hoped. Replacing Anderson now would be another case of hoping somebody could come in and change things drastically.

And, in case you haven’t figured it out by now, hope isn’t a good plan.

 

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2024 Razorbacks Football

Thu, Aug 29vs UAPB (Little Rock)W, 70-0
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2024 High School Rankings

Following is the Arkansas Sports Media High School Football Poll including the Overall Top 10, the top five in Classes 7A, 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A and 2A, plus the top three in the 8-man division, as voted by a panel of sports media from around the state for the week ending August 24. Ranking is given with first-place votes received, records, total points and ranking from last week's poll:
OVERALLRecordPtsPrv
1.Bryant (18)8-02521
2.Conway (6)8-02302
3.Greenwood (2)8-02103
4.Little Rock Parkview7-11714
5.Bentonville5-31416
6.Benton7-11265
7.Fayetteville6-21008
8.Pulaski Academy6-2757
9.Rogers5-3459
10.Shiloh Christian6-24010
Others receiving votes: Marion 13, Valley View 9, Joe T Robinson 8, Mountain Home 4, Cabot 3, Elkins 3.
CLASS 7A
1.Bryant (20)8-01241
2.Conway (6)8-01052
3.Bentonville5-3753
4.Fayetteville6-2455
5.Pulaski Academy6-2354
Others receiving votes: Rogers 5.
CLASS 6A
1.Greenwood (26)8-01301
2.Benton7-11022
3.Shiloh Christian6-2713
4.Marion7-1524
5.Mountain Home7-131
Others receiving votes: Little Rock Catholic 4.
CLASS 5A
1.Little Rock Parkview (23)7-11271
2.Joe T Robinson7-1902
3.Valley View (3)8-0803
4.Hot Springs Lakeside7-1484
5.Farmington7-130
Others receiving votes: Camden Fairview 4, Maumelle 4, Morrilton 3, Greenbrier 2, Harding Academy 1.
CLASS 4A
1.Elkins (19)8-01161
2.Arkadelphia (5)6-2792
3.Little Rock Mills (1)8-0703
4.Warren6-2404
5.Malvern (1)8-0315
Others receiving votes: Dardanelle 22, Southside Batesville 11, Mena 8, Bauxite 7, DeWitt 4, Highland 2.
CLASS 3A
4.Bismarck (15)8-01054
5.Fordyce (4)8-0765
Prescott (3)7-1531t
1.Osceola (2)6-149
3.Mayflower (1)8-036
Others receiving votes: Booneville (1) 31, Rivercrest 19, Mansfield 14, Charleston 4, Rison 3.
CLASS 2A
1.Carlisle (21)8-01211
2.Conway Christian (4)8-01042
3.Des Arc7-1663
4.Bigelow (1)6-2455
5.Murfreesboro6-230
Others receiving votes: Marked Tree 10, Mineral Springs 6, Junction City 5, Cross County 1, Mount Ida 1, Poyen 1
8-MAN SANCTIONED
1.Strong-Huttig (25)5-0761
2.Midland (1)7-0502
3.Cedar Ridge7-1253
Others receiving votes: Rector 5.

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ESPN ARKANSAS 99.5 IN FAYETTEVILLE, 95.3 IN THE RIVER VALLEY, 96.3 IN HOT SPRINGS, 104.3 IN HARRISON-MOUNTAIN HOME.