Arkansas coach Mike Neighbors talked Tuesday afternoon about falling late at California, travel issues and previewed the Bahamas Hoopefest facing more ranked teams.
???? Halftime Pod presented by Jeff’s Clubhouse — Nikki on the incredible shot last night
Phil & Tye on Mason Jones’ incredible shot, Muss on what he has, plus Nikki Chavanelle!
Lunney appears to be fine with starting Lindsey at quarterback Friday
In the complete dysfunction of two seasons it probably shouldn’t be that surprising if former walk-on Jack Lindsey becomes the eighth different starting quarterback Friday in Little Rock against Missouri.
Interim coach Barry Lunney, Jr., was asked Monday the inevitable question about if he would be comfortable doing that.
“Absolutely,” Lunney said.
There wasn’t any wiggle rooom in that answer.
Lindsey, who’s become steady as the placement holder, got the first snaps at quarterback against LSU last Saturday that he’s seen in his four seasons with the Razorbacks.
Apparently, he’s quietly developed himself into a quarterback. It’s not like he had much coaching.
Dan Enos, who coached the quarterbacks under Bret Bielema, didn’t spend a lot of time working with Lindsey. Current offensive coordinator Joe Craddock has shown he doesn’t have a clue about how to develop anyone.
“He just knows what’s going on,” Lunney said about Lindsey. “He knows where to go with the ball. He knows the offense in and out. He’s kind of got the ‘it’ factor when it comes to those types of things. He’s just kind of a football junkee with a really high IQ.”
He doesn’t have the athleticism of true freshman K.J. Jefferson, who has tremendous upside, but that’s going to be a year or two down the road. Right now, Lindsey may know more about HOW to play football at this level than anyone else.
We’ve seen it in practices for a couple of years, but you hold back judgement until you see it in a game. Over nearly 50 years, you see a lot of quarterbacks who look like All-Americans in practice, but get in a game and you wonder why they’re even on the roster.
Lunney didn’t announce a starter at quarterback Monday. On the depth chart, Lindsey is listed second with an OR between he and Jefferson. He does fit the profile of what Lunney talked about is critical to success with the Hogs.
“At the end of the day you better be able to evaluate ’em and develop ’em,” Lunney said. “It’s really critical here … it always has been. You’ve got to identify those players who can help you win games, whether it’s immediately or three years down the line.”
Especially players within the state, even if they are walk-ons like Lindsey.
“You’ve got to go get ’em, you have to go all-out and do everything you can to get those guys, especially those guys within these borders,” he said. “There are some out that you’ve just gotta dig a little deeper for.”
In other words, like I’ve said over and over (and a lot of media people argue about), Arkansas is never going to be a consistent team in the top 10 of the recruiting rankings.
“It’s not about the splash on national signing day,” Lunney said Monday. “It’s about getting it right. There’s enough around here if you get the right guys to build it. You’ve gotta coach ’em up.”
Lunney knows what every coach that’s had success here for 60 years has known — it’s about evaluation, development and getting players that want to be part of the program here.
It’s really just selling what you’re doing to the right people who want to buy. That includes the fan base, by the way, that’s desperate for any kind of steps forward.
Chad Morris tried to do it but never could sell himself to the fans and, ultimately, the players themselves. Maybe his biggest mistakes, though, came in choosing his staff. Longtime SMU followers said Craddock would get Morris fired if he was the coordinator.
Lunney showed once again Monday why he should be part of the Razorback program going foward. What role he plays in that is something for others to decide.
Every coach in the last 60 years has won with over-achieving players (many from the state) that were developed and played above their ranking with fanatical effort.
Playing Lindsey on Friday checks off a lot of the boxes Lunney talked about in what it takes to build a program in Fayetteville:
• He grew up wanting to be a Razorback, following in his family’s footsteps.
• Lindsey was more than happy to be a walk-on.
• He worked at it every day and developed. It might have been interesting if a coach had helped, but the key here is he progressed.
• Lindsey figured out a way to get on the field, holding for placements.
• When he got a shot at quarterback, well, he made the most of it.
We’ll see how it plays out on the field Friday in a game that will mean a lot to the players that still care about anything and have a little pride.
That’s guys like Lindsey, by the way.
Jones’ 3-pointer in overtime gives Hogs 62-61 win over Georgia Tech
ATLANTA — Arkansas scored just one time in overtime Monday night and Mason Jones put up a really long 3-pointer that went through the basket with .01 on the clock and pull out a 62-61 win.
Jones, who had 24, had missed a free throw earlier in the extra period after Isaiah Joe missed three attempts.
The Yellowjackets weren’t a whole lot better, hitting just one of five field goal attempts, their only points in overtime coming on a James Banks III shot with 21 seconds left.
Joe finished with 13 points and Desi Sills added 8. As a team, the Hogs shot a paltry 38.6 percent from the field and were out-rebounded 45-30.
It was a game Arkansas probably didn’t have any right to win, yet somehow found a way and keeps them perfect in Eric Musselman’s first year as coach with a 6-0 record.
The Razorbacks will be home Saturday afernoon against Northern Kentucky in a game that tips off at 4 p.m.
???? Halftime Pod presented by Jeff’s Clubhouse — Connor O’Gara on CFB Playoff scenarios
Phil & Tye on the LSU game, Arkansas’ basketball recruiting rankings, plus Connor O’Gara!
Lindsey last available option at quarterback with nothing to lose
Redshirt junior quarterback Jack Lindsey has done a lot standing around at Arkansas over the past few years.
Maybe more importantly, he’s been in a lot of meetings with different coaches and looked at a ton of film and been practicing against the best of whatever defense the Razorbacks could muster.
Maybe it’s now time to see what he can really do.
Everybody else has shown they aren’t the answer right now.
Lindsey came into the Hogs’ 56-20 loss at LSU on Saturday night and was playing against the Tigers’ starters. True, they weren’t as motivated as back in the first quarter as Ed Orgeron was trying to keep an edge on them as they make a run for the national title, but Lindsey took advantage of that.
On Lindsey’s first play, he ran the option read like it’s supposed to be read and executed, tucked he ball and took off through a gaping hole for a 30-yard run.
What’s especially interesting is that same gaping hole has been there much of the season for the other quarterbacks. They either didn’t have a lot of interest in hitting that hole (preferring to bounce outside a little … right into the defender who’s already out of the play) or mess up the handoff to where everybody can recover.
He made quick decisions, then executed the play and got results.
At this point of what has become a lame duck season for just about everybody, what difference does it make putting him in?
None of the others have proven to be nearly as adept at more phases of the game than Lindsey. Fellow old guy Mike Irwin of Pig Trail Nation and I have talked about that for a couple of years now.
We saw him make throws in practice that had you just looking at somebody wondering how a walk-on holder is making them while the scholarship guys can’t hit water falling out of a boat.
Lindsey clearly knows this offense better than any of the others, having played for another former Razorback quarterback, Zak Clark, at Springdale running something similar.
Offensive coordinator Joe Craddock has talked numerous times about having to tell Lindsey to be quiet and stop answering his questions before any of the other guys in the meetings.
And it took an interim coach to have the guts to put in a walk-on, even though he has looked solid in practices and admittedly knows the offense better?
Maybe that’s why you have a coaching staff headed into the final game of the year sitting on a 4-19 mark and zero league wins in two seasons.
Can Lindsey be the one quarterback who knew how to do what Morris’ offense needed and couldn’t get into the game?
It makes about as much sense as anything else has the last two years.
It’s clear redshirt freshman John Stephen Jones and true freshman K.J. Jefferson haven’t been developed. Jefferson’s decision-making and execution Saturday night showed how much more time he’s going to need to be able to play at this level.
Jefferson even managed to complete a pass to himself that he should have knocked down and twice gave up rather than going for the extra yard to get a first down. Yes, he’s the most athletic, but his lack of experience against elite competition shows.
Nick Starkel had a cameo appearance against LSU and nothing has changed there while graduate transfer Ben Hicks didn’t even make the trip.
Lindsey pretty much got in by default against the Tigers.
The difference is he made the most of his chance.
Which is something we haven’t seen from other quarterbacks the last two seasons.
If he’s the starter Friday afternoon against Missouri, he would be the eighth starting quarterback in two years. As much as anything that’s why there’s chaos and not a permanent coach in place.
Does Lunney have a better option than Lindsey?
Dungee’s 24 points not enough as Hogs drop first game at Cal
BERKELEY, Calif. — Arkansas dropped its first game of the season at California, losing a tightly contested game, 84-80.
The Hogs held a one-point lead with just under four to go in the final quarter, but Cal pulled it out late.
Redshirt junior guard Chelsea Dungee was excellent again, going for 24 points on seven of 18 shooting. Dungee was great from the line, going a perfect nine of nine at the stripe.
Turning point
Arkansas closed hard in the final four minutes of the game, coming to a head when Alexis Tolefree dropped off a gorgeous pass to Erynn Barnum, who finished while getting fouled.
Barnum missed the free throw, but Cal’s lead was be just one, 77-76, with 3:38 to go in the game. Tolefree hit a runner to put the Hogs up 78-77, but Cal responded with a 5-0 run to push the lead back out to four.
Tolefree came up clutch again, getting to the rack to make it 82-80 with 38 seconds to go, and that was as close as the Razorbacks got.
On the next possession, there was a scrum for a loose ball, but the possession arrow pointed towards Cal. Cal put the game away at the line from there, going on to win 84-80.
Hog highlights
• Dungee scored 20+ for the second straight game, and for the 23rd time in her Arkansas career.
• Taylah Thomas was great down low for the Hogs, going for 16 points and eight rebounds in 37 minutes played.
• Both Amber Ramirez and Alexis Tolefree reached double-figures for the Hogs, going for 15 and 11 points, respectively.
• A’Tyanna Gaulden distributed the ball well against Cal, going for a career-high six assists.
Next time out
The Razorbacks are headed to the Bahamas, where they will take part in the Bahamas Hoopfest.
Game one will see Arkansas face Fordham at 3 p.m. on Friday.
