Hogs watch one slip away by simply ‘not playing well,’ as Musselman said
Arkansas’ 79-77 loss to South Carolina on Wednesday night is the type loss that tends to haunt teams in March and it’s really pretty simple how this one got away.
“We had some guys that did not play up to their ability,” was how Eric Musselman summed it up later. “Then you add in the fact the free throws …”
Ah, that’s going to hurt. Earlier in the season we were talking about how the free-throw shooting had improved. Lately that’s careened into the ditch.
Against the Gamecocks, the Razorbacks were 26-of-40. South Carolina, believe it or not, was worse, just 17-of-33 in a game where the officials acted as grand marshals in a parade to the line.
“You can coach, you can game plan, but when you leave points on the board like we did from the foul line …,” Musselman said, almost at a loss. “I don’t know what else to do, but have them shoot some more foul shot reps.”
It didn’t help that his assistant, Hays Myers, was hit with a technical foul with 5:10 left to play and the Hogs trailing by three, 69-66.
“The only person that needs to talk to the referees is me and me only,” Musselman, who was obviously not happy with Myers, said later. “Extremely disappointed.”
The Gamecocks’ Jair Bolden hit four straight free throws. Yes, the team that made just over half of it’s free throws made four in a row when it counted.
That didn’t end it, though. The Hogs got the ball back with 26.9 seconds to play down just two points and set up to at least put the game into overtime, but couldn’t get it to Mason Jones for a drive, but he couldn’t handle the pass, and Isaiah Joe got off a 3-pointer that was off the mark and the game was over.
“If Mason would have caught it, we didn’t have to get a three,” Musselman said. “We ran an isolation for him and he has done such a good job of drawing fouls and converting. Obviously we all go back and dissect that.”
In the postgame, people got too hung up on the end. This game should have never really come down to that.
Arkansas’ horrendous start, going scoreless for nearly the first five minutes of the game was really the key thing.
And by the end of his time with the media, Musselman was exasperated nobody brought that up.
“We should also talk to you guys a LITTLE about why we didn’t have any rhythm to start the game,” he said. “We couldn’t even get field goals attempted early in the game.
“To me, that was more than anything.”
The Hogs started by not getting good looks at the basket and not making shots.
“We’ve got to go back to the drawing board,” Musselman said.
Jones had 34 points and a career-high 12 rebounds, but didn’t get a whole lot of help on a consistent basis.
Isaiah Joe made five 3-pointers and scored 16 points coming off the bench.
A.J. Lawson led the Gamecocks with 19 points while Jair Bolden and Maik Kotsar added 12 and 10, respectively.
Jones’ night
• The 34 points are the second-most of his career.
• The 12 rebounds are a career high.
• The double-double is the second of his career.
• The 15 free throws made are the most by a Razorback since Corliss Williamson sank 17 (of 22) versus Ole Miss on Feb. 18, 1995.
• He is the first Razorback since Bobby Portis to have a 30-10 double-double (Vanderbilt Jan. 19, 2015).
• He is the first Razorback to have at least 34 points and 12 rebounds since Mario Credit (34 and 13) versus Loyola Marymount on Mar. 16, 1989.
Arkansas will travel to Alabama on Saturday in a game set to start at 5 p.m. on the SEC Network.
First half notes
• Arkansas was down 8-0 and did not score until 15:20 on a Mason Jones fast break layup.
• The Gamecocks led by as many as 11 (18-7) at 10:09.
• The Razorbacks’ cut their deficit to three (29-26) with 3:54 left.
• USC went on a 9-2 run to push its lead back to 10 (38-28) at 1:56.
• Arkansas scored the last four points of the half and trailed by six (38-32) at halftime.
• Isaiah Joe led Arkansas with 10 first-half points, making three 3-pointers.
• South Carolina had 19 rebounds to Arkansas’ 18. The Razorbacks had seven offensive rebounds.
• South Carolina shot 57.1% from the field, compared to Arkansas’ 32.2%.
• The Razorbacks were just 8-of-15 from the free throw line.
• Arkansas trailed at the half for the second time at home.
Second half notes
• The Razorbacks scored the first six points of the second half to tie the game, 40-40.
• The Gamecocks answered with a 15-3 run to lead by nine (55-46) at the 14:43 mark.
• Arkansas answered to get within four only to see USC come back and lead by eight (59-51) at 11:55.
• The Razorbacks went on another run to get to within three, but USC scored four straight to go back up seven (65-58) at 7:53. That seven-point lead would be the biggest the Gamecocks would hold the rest of the game.
• Arkansas got to within two on four occasions over the final 6:49, including a one-point deficit (78-77) after a pair of Mason Jones free throws with 28 seconds left.
• South Carolina’s Jermaine Couisnard only converted 1-of-2 free throws with 26 seconds left to put USC up two (79-77).
• Arkansas ran a play and South Carolina deflected the ball out of bounds with 7.9 seconds left. Arkansas got a shot in the left corner but could not convert as time expired.
Game notes
• Arkansas’ starting lineup was Jimmy Whitt (G) – Jalen Harris (G) – Mason Jones (G) – Adrio Bailey (F) – Reggie Chaney (F) for the second time this season.
• South Carolina won the tip for the 10th time in 20 games this season. Arkansas is 7-3 in such games.
• USC’s Justin Minaya scored the first points of the game, a free throw at 18:01. Mason Jones scored Arkansas’ first points, a fastbreak layup at 15:20. It was his eighth time to score the team’s first points of the game this season.
• Isaiah Joe returned to the lineup after missing the TCU game. He came off the bench for the first time in his career (53rd career game).
• Joe has made a 3-pointer in 343 straight games, and at least one in 51 of his 53 career games. He has made at least three 3-pointers 34 times in his career and has made at least five 3’s in a game 15 times.
• This was the Razorbacks’ second, two-point loss of the season (lost 79-77). Arkansas’ five losses this season have been by a total of 25 points.
Information and notes from Razorback Sports Communications is included in this story.
Musselman on shot at end, but saying starting game so slow was biggest problem
Arkansas coach Eric Musselman was more frustrated about how they started Wednesday night’s game against South Carolina instead of the miss at the end by Isaiah Joe.
Jones on how team will handle stumble against South Carolina on Wednesday
Arkansas’ Mason Jones scored 34 points, had 12 rebounds and 4 assists, but didn’t get a lot of help from teammates in 79-77 loss to Gamecocks on Wednesday night.
Martin on Gamecocks’ picking up another Power 5 win on road Wednesday
South Carolina coach Frank Martin talked with the media after the 79-77 win over Arkansas on Wednesday night about getting a fifth road win, team’s play.
???? Halftime Pod — South Carolina comes into town, a special announcement for Halftime and more!
How to watch, listen to Razorbacks’ game with South Carolina tonight
Who: Arkansas Razorback (15-4. 3-3 SEC) vs. South Carolina Gamecocks (111-8, 3-3 SEC)
What: Razorbacks only have SEC teams left on schedule.
When: Wednesday, Jan. 29, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Nolan Richardson Court at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville
• TV: SEC Network (Mike Morgan and Andy Kennedy)
• CLICK HERE to Watch ESPN/SEC Network Online
• Radio: ESPN Arkansas 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home (Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman)
• Online: Listen at HitThatLine.com by clicking HERE
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas jumps back into conference play after defeating TCU as part of the Big 12-SEC Challenge on Saturday.
The Razorbacks will host South Carolina on Wednesday (Jan. 29). Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. and the game will be telecast on the SEC Network.
You can hear the game at ESPN Arkansas 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home or online at HitThatLine.com by clicking HERE
Against South Carolina
• This will be the 35th meeting between Arkansas and South Carolina, all coming since both programs joined the SEC in 1991-92.
• The Razorbacks own a 20-14 advantage in the series, including an 11-4 cushion in games played in Fayetteville.
• South Carolina won last year’s meeting, but Arkansas has won five-of-the-last-seven.
Last year
• Jalen Harris scored a career-high 17 points and the game was tied, 63-63, before South Carolina pulled away late for a 77-65 victory at Colonial Life Arena.
• The Gamecocks were able to get the win as they made 16 of their last 22 shots and sank 10-of-15 3-pointers for the game. The Razorbacks were 6-of-22 from beyond the arc.
• Two of those six 3-pointers by Arkansas came early in the game. Mason Jones made back-to-back treys, the first of which came at the 18:43 mark. That triple marked the 1,000th straight game the Razorbacks have made at least one 3-pointer.
• A.J. Lawson led South Carolina with 24 points, making 4-of-5 3-point attempts. Keyshawn Bryant added 17 points and Chris Silva had 16. Hassani Gravett was 3-of-4 from 3-point range.
• Harris was able to score a career-high 17 as he was 7-of-10 from the free throw line. Jones had 15 points and four assists while Isaiah Joe scored 11.
Hogs shine after lineup shakeup
• Musselman had planned on shuffling the starting lineup after two losses and the Isaiah Joe injury forced another change.
• Jalen Harris, who started every game last season, got his first start of the year versus TCU. He dished out a season-high six assists. He was inserted into the lineup to speed up the game, pickup up the TCU guards 3/4 court and his skill in transition.
• Desi Sills came off the bench for the first time this season. He scored 18 points —two shy of his career high — on 7-of-8 shooting from the field and making all three 3-pointers.
• Reggie Chaney got his first start of the season — and third of his career. While he did not have a great first half, he scored six straight for the Hogs early in the second half to make it a 3-point game into a 9-point game.
Recapping non-conference
• WarrenNolan.com has Arkansas’ non-conference RPI as #4 and SOS is #13.
• Was 3-0 versus Power 5 Conferences (won at Georgia Tech and Indiana; defeated TCU).
• Arkansas’ 12-1 record was second-best in the SEC behind Auburn (13-0).
• Of the 13 teams Arkansas played, eight are in either first or second place in their league. Leading their conference are North Texas (8-1), Montana (7-2), Texas Southern (5-1), Austin Peay (8-0) and Tulsa (6-1); second place: Northern Kentucky and Western Kentucky, a half-game behind (North Texas is 8-1 to lead WKU).
• TCU is 3rd in the Big 12 and South Dakota is 4th in the Summit, but one game out of 1st.
Good start; high RPI and NET Ranking; bracketology
• Arkansas was picked 11th in the preseason SEC poll but is off to a good start under first-year head coach Eric Musselman.
• The 12-1 non-conference regular-season record is Arkansas’ best since going 12-1 in 2008-09 regular-season.
• Arkansas’ 15-4 record through 19 games is the best since going 16-4 to start the 2014-15 season.
• Arkansas’ NCAA NET is 28th — fourth-best in the SEC behind Auburn (20), Kentucky (21) and LSU (25).
• Arkansas’ RPI is 14th — third-best in the SEC behind Auburn (4) and LSU (13).
• As of Monday (Jan. 27), CBS’ Jerry Palm has Arkansas as a No. 7 seed, facing No. 10 Saint Mary’s in the East Region.
• Prior to the win over TCU, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has Arkansas as a No. 8 seed, facing No. 9 Michigan in the South Region.
• As of Monday (Jan. 27), NBCSports has Arkansas as a No. 9 seed, facing No. 8 Houston in the Midwest Region.
Information from Razorback Sports Communications is included in this story.
Neighbors previews back-to-back road games against Alabama, Missouri
With Arkansas going on the road for a pair of games this week, coach Mike Neighbors talked about the RPI and how it plays a role in getting to the critical second half of the conference season.
With recruiting season closing, we’ll move on to more important football matters
Excuse me, but recruiting season is something that has become a competition all by itself with some folks worrying more about that than what actually happens.
Yeah, I know it’s kind of a big deal but I don’t spend a whole lot of time talking about folks that aren’t here, whether they are still in high school, the transfer portal or not in Arkansas any more.
It simply means to me we’ll be moving on to more important matters regarding football soon.
Spring practice is around the corner. We don’t have a schedule for Sam Pittman’s first spring drills, but there should be some information coming on that around signing day next Wednesday. We’ll get our first official visit with him then.
Recruiting rankings are one thing. Yes, I’m well aware the teams that finish near the top of those are also usually in the running for championships come November, but not always.
For the Razorbacks, those two have never really coincided. For a program that’s never been a consistent recruiting powerhouse they’ve seriously over-achieved at times.
Great talent can’t overcome bad coaching. That has never been more evident than the last two years with the Hogs.
The last coach started with a great plan he had no idea how to implement. He got the job based on a just four years at a Power 5 program that got better when he left. Hey, I fell into the trap like a lot of other people who told me he was a can’t-miss for a big time head coaching job.
They were wrong, proving it’s not really a fine science picking these things.
Coming on the heels of another coach who got the job based on a resume that was a mirage. Combine that with an athletic director and his merry band of idiots that rewarded mediocrity too much, well, you end up with a mess.
Which is exactly what Pittman inherits for his first head coaching job. A lot of Hog fans wanted a coach with a winning record, but they weren’t coming to Fayetteville unless they were over-paid, which means they really didn’t WANT the job.
But Pittman can thank the previous coach for leaving him some pretty good young talent. Especially keeping the redshirt on a large number on a talented freshman signing class.
It will be interesting to see how they develop with some coaches that actually have a clue how to coach at this level. The guess here is this coaching staff would have been bowl eligible the last two seasons with the players on the roster.
There is no way that talent would have competed for a division title, but they would have qualified to make it to SOME bowl game.
I’m extremely reluctant to make a lot of absolute statements on any of the players the last two years because they were not coached, poorly prepared for even practices and didn’t really have a chance in most of the games they played.
Especially at quarterback. Considering none of them ever experienced an offensive staff that knew how to prepare for practice (much less a game), there’s not really much objective baseline to judge them with.
There were flashes the players could perform over the last couple of years, which is an indicator they weren’t that inept.
In four wins over two seasons that were over teams clearly over-matched, if you want to see what happens when a team doesn’t know HOW to prepare, well, there you have it.
Don’t get carried away. It’s not likely this team is competing to go to Atlanta this season, but they will have a realistic shot at a bowl game.
Remember, “a realistic shot.”
Let’s hold off on predictions for a few more months.
Opitz on handling added weight, working with Hogs’ pitcher this season
Razorbacks catcher Casey Opitz talked with the media Tuesday morning about his added weight not slowing him down and working with this group of pitchers along with that process.
