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Ramirez, Dungee pace Hogs in another big win; face Belmont next

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Ramirez, Dungee pace Hogs in another big win; face Belmont next

FAYETTEVILLE — No. 23 Arkansas remained perfect, topping Stony Brook (3-1), 88-58, at Bud Walton Arena on Sunday afternoon.

The Razorbacks used a big first half from beyond the arc (7-13) to get ahead and stay ahead, five of which came from redshirt junior guard Amber Ramirez.

Ramirez, who finished the game with a season-high 26 points, was sensational all afternoon. She finished the game with six made 3’s, matching the most made by a Razorback this season. Five of her deep balls came in the first half, helping propel the Hogs to a 21-point halftime advantage.

PHOTO BY ANDY HODGES | HITTHATLINE.COM

Turning point

The Hogs had given themselves a little bit of breathing room late in the first quarter, as coach Mike Neighbors’ squad led 23-15 after one.

The Hogs exploded in the second quarter, erupting from beyond the arc, making six straight treys to put the game away.

The run started with the Hogs up 30-23 with 4:56 to play in the second quarter, and saw the Hogs score 21 points in just under four minutes of clock time. During the run, Ramirez hit four 3’s, redshirt junior guard Chelsea Dungee hit one and freshman guard Makayla Daniels hit one.

The Hogs entered the halftime break leading, 51-30.

PHOTO BY ANDY HODGES | HITTHATLINE.COM

Hog highlights

• Ramirez’s 26 points was her most as a Hog, and her six treys matched the most made threes in a game by a Razorback this season.

PHOTO BY ANDY HODGES | HITTHATLINE.COM

• Dungee moved her double-figure scoring streak to 21 today, going for 19 points.

• Daniels continues to score the ball with efficiency, going for 13 points on three of six shooting. She has been in double-figures in all four of her career games so far.

PHOTO BY ANDY HODGES | HITTHATLINE.COM

• Junior forward Taylah Thomas once again led the Hogs in rebounding, grabbing nine of them in the game.

• Redshirt junior guard A’Tyanna Gaulden led the charge for the Razorback bench, dropping a season-high nine points (3-6 FG).

 Next time out

Arkansas looks to finish its homestand undefeated, as Belmont comes to Bud Walton Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 20.

That game will start at 7 p.m., and will be streamable on SECN+.

In hindsight, we probably should have seen this coming with Hogs

Andy Hodges
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In hindsight, we probably should have seen this coming with Hogs

Hindsght is always much more accurate than trying to look a couple of years down the road.

It’s easy to say now you saw the Chad Morris Trainwreck coming. Some of you did. Most of you were fully on board and I’ll admit I was on that wagon, too.

Looking back now, though, we probably should have been a little more cynical, but there were people who know more than any of us saying Morris was a home-run hire. He’d been one of the “can’t miss” coaching prospects since about 2012.

Let’s face it, the Bret Bielema era went downhill so fast folks were ready for any kind of positives. Athletics director Jeff Long set the program on a downward trajectory, then inexperienced incompetence took over.

After a brief Gus Malzahn flirtation (which was never going to happen), the folks doing the hiring took his recommendation of Morris, threw in a couple of popular opinions from others and basically hired him before athletics director Hunter Yurachek.

Don’t throw out there that Yurachek was on board with the hiring. Whether he was or not we may never know, but what did you expect him to say at that point?

Nobody knew Morris was going to be in water so far over his head he wasn’t going to make two full seasons. So over his head he couldn’t win an SEC game in 14 attempts.

He had offensive assistants in more over their heads than Morris and he reportedly didn’t listen to folks around who did know.

Houston Nutt could have coached the 2018 team to a 6-6 record and would have had them sitting on top of seven or eight wins right now, in my opinion. No, that doesn’t mean I’m jumping on the bandwagon to hire him back. Repeats seldom turn out well for anybody.

In hindsight, Morris may have lost the team in a second-half collapse against Colorado State in just his second game. That’s when the whispers started from some of the veterans.

Against North Texas they collapsed completely, getting blown out at home by a team they should have been able to beat in the worst of times.

While Morris may have been able to motivate high school players to perform at a high level, he often appeared quite incapable of motivating a frog to jump into a pond.

One person from Dallas told me before Morris’ first game that him making Joe Craddock the offensive coordinator was going to get them all fired. Again, that was before the first game and I dismissed it as sour grapes.

After the first game this same person told me, “I don’t know what that offense is, but that’s not what he was running at SMU.”

Did Morris not have the experience to step in a do what he does best? One of his friends, a high school coach, said he advised Morris to “do it your way and with your people.”

Based on what people who saw Morris at SMU, that wasn’t the case at Arkansas. According to some sources, the playcalling during games often resembled recess at playschool and Morris kept over-ruling Craddock on the quarterback situation.

It was clear almost from the outset that Morris had no idea how to deal with the SEC stage. He came off as confused in press gatherings and either wasn’t coached or wouldn’t be coached on how to sound like he had a clue with the media.

Or how to make in-game adjustments (I don’t even want to begin counting the number of second-half collapses).

Or how to communicate with his players, often sending mixed signals, which some interpreted as outright lies.

Morris started out confused, made excuses to buy time and in the end the evidence on the field looked like his team quit on him.

How much progress Barry Lunney, Jr., can make with two games, including starting on the road at night against LSU, remains to be seen.

But there are some players on thsi roster, particularly at the skill positions.

The guess here they need a leader.

And we know now that wasn’t Morris.

Defense sparks Hogs (again) in 64-46 win over Montana State

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Defense sparks Hogs (again) in 64-46 win over Montana State

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas has not allowed an opponent to score more 20 points in the first half and no more than 46 points total in each of its three wins this season.

On Saturday, the Razorbacks claimed a 64-46 victory over Montana in the teams’ opening game of the Collegiate Hoops Roadshow presented by AtmosAir — Razorback Regional at Bud Walton Arena.

PHOTO BY ANDY HODGES | HITTHATLINE.COM

Adrio Bailey (12 points and career-high 11 rebounds) recorded his first career double-double while Mason Jones led the team in scoring for the third straight game, pumping in 19 thanks to a perfect 8-of-8 at the free throw line, while having a team-high four assists and team-high four steals.

PHOTO BY ANDY HODGES | HITTHATLINE.COM

Jimmy Whitt Jr., finished with 14 points and seven rebounds.

Overall, Arkansas has only allowed 132 points in three games (43, 43, 46) which is the program’s lowest point total through three games since the 1946-47 season when the Hogs only allowed 122 (21, 55, 46).

Also, according to records available (dating back to 1969-70 by HogStats.com) this is the only time Arkansas has held its first three opponents to less than 20 points in the first half spanning the first three games (Rice 19, North Texas 16 and Montana 18).

Arkansas was only up one, 14-13, with eight-and-a-half minutes to play in the first half but finished the first half on a 17-5 run to take a 31-18 lead at the break.

Overall, Arkansas kept Montana scoreless the final 2:51 of the first half.

In the second half, Arkansas led by as many as 16. However, Montana cut its deficit to seven (40-33) with 11:50 left in the game.

PHOTO BY ANDY HODGES | HITTHATLINE.COM

From that point, Jones and Bailey combined to got 4-of-4 at the free throw line and Isaiah Joe sank a 3-pointers to spur a 13-2 run (putting the Hogs up 53-35) with 5:49 left.

The Razorbacks held a double-digit lead the rest of the game — going up by as many as 20 with 1:20 left — before the Grizzlies made two free throws to provide the 64-46 final score.

Arkansas returns to action Tuesday (Nov. 19) versus Texas Southern. Tipoff at Bud Walton Arena is set for 7 pm.

PHOTO BY ANDY HODGES | HITTHATLINE.COM

Game notes

• Arkansas’ starting lineup was Jimmy Whitt (G) – Isaiah Joe (G) – Desi Sills (G) – Mason Jones (G) – Adrio Bailey (F) for the third consecutive game.

• Arkansas is 3-0 for the second time in the last three seasons and the ninth time over the last 17. Arkansas was 4-0 in 2017-18.

• For the second straight game, Arkansas scored the first points of the game and led the entire contest. In three games, Arkansas has only trailed for 45 seconds.

• This was the first ever meeting between Arkansas and Montana. Eric Musselman is now 2-0 versus Montana as a head coach and 6-0 as head coach versus teams from the Big Sky Conference.

• Arkansas lost the opening tip for the first time in three games this season.

• Jimmy Whitt Jr. scored the first points, a jumper in the lane at 18:50.

PHOTO BY ANDY HODGES | HITTHATLINE.COM

• Mason Jones led the Razorbacks with nine points. Adrio Bailey, thanks to two dunks, had seven points and team-best five rebounds.

• Arkansas held Montana to 25.8 percent shooting in the first half, including 0-of-5 from 3-point range.

• Montana was 2-of-16 from 3-point range. Arkansas has not allowed an opponent to make more than two 3-‘s in a game this season and opponents are just 6-of-58 (10.3 percent).

• Mason Jones was 8-of-8 at the free throw line, is a perfect 21-of-21 for the season and has made 30 straight dating back to last season. Based on available records, the Arkansas record for consecutive free throws made is 48 by Ricky Medlock over 20 games in the 1974-75 season.

• Jalen Harris tied a career-high with four steals.

Musselman on only seven playing, recapping win over Montana

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Arkansas coach Eric Musselman talkerd after the 64-46 win over Montana on Saturday afternoon about in college, playing seven isn’t a big deal compared to grind of the NBA.

Bailey, Jones on defensive focus, different game preparation

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Razorbacks Adrio Bailey (12 points, 11 rebounds) and Mason Jomes (19 points, 4 rebounds) talked after the win over the Grizzlies about focusing on stopping folks, how getting ready different thgis year.

PETER’S PICKS: No game for Hogs this weeks, but picking losers goes on

Pete Morgan
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Arkansas has a bye this week, and, honestly, if Chad Morris were still the coach I would pick the Hogs to lose.

What’s that? You have not heard Morris has been relieved of his responsibilities from the University of Arkansas? Oh, then, well, uh, what’s your favorite Justin Bieber song?

Here is another newsflash: Barry Lunney, Jr., is the interim coach, and, believe it or not, there is a gradual increase in enthusiasm. Yes, THAT Barry Lunney, Jr. The southpaw who threw “the catch too close to deny” to JJ Meadors with six-seconds left to beat No. 13 Alabama in Tuscaloosa, 20–19, on Saturday, Sept. 16, 1995.

So while many are pondering what the future holds for Razorbacks football and its coaching search, the players get to enjoy an extra week of preparation for a trip to Baton Rouge to face current No. 1 LSU.

Prior to Morris’ firing I would have said the only chance Arkansas has to upend the Tigers would be if after the Ole Miss game Katy Perry offers to allow all of the players to be in a “Teenage Dream” revival video, the team bus gets repossessed, and Ed Orgeron allows his old buddy Hugh borrow his cell phone for a few minutes.

Granted, none of these things will happen, and Arkansas will still not have a chance, but maybe … JUUUUUUST MAYBE we can make a game of it. Get them pumped up, head coach Lunney. We are rooting for you.

Speaking of Orgeron, am I the only Hogs fan that absolutely loves this guy? What’s not to like? He sounds like your arrogating drunk Uncle Jimmy halfway through every family reunion.

I have never been pro-LSU, but I sincerely want this guy to win a national championship.

While we are on the topics of awards, congratulations to Ty Story who was voted the Manning Award Quarterback of the Week, beating out the likes of LSU’s Joe Burrows and Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts. Congratulations, #4.

Listen, I didn’t write a piece last week simply because of the turmoil going on ‘The Hill’ alongside the return of Ty Storey.

To all of you crediting Tyson Helton for making Storey a great quarterback I would respectfully disagree. Ty was already an AMAZING quarterback, and my personal belief is Helton would still be starting a lesser Steven Duncan because Duncan is Helton’s guy.

Not only is Ty by far the best quarterback in Bowling Green, it is beyond safe to also state he would have been the best quarterback on the Arkansas roster this season, he just never had enough time to allow a play to develop, and Morris just could not grasp it. Perhaps too much Red Bull clouds one’s judgment.

Just because the Hogs are off this weekend does not mean the weekly picks cease. It’s close, but not as close as I would like.

Andy Hodges has informed me I need to prepare a concession speech. Well, Mr. Saturday Night Special, they don’t call me Al Gore, Jr. for nothing.

(Editor’s note: As the Hogs aren’t playing this week and editor Andy Hodges’ picks are the same as Peter, he will continue to drag behind as the season winds down.)

(5) Alabama at Mississippi State: The weirdest thing I have done all week is put a “5” in front of Alabama. I imagine it’s as awkward as getting caught on a date with oyur sister. Unless you’re from Bama, then it’s as awkward as getting caught on a date without your sister. The Crimson Tide will have had an entire week to stew over the loss to LSU. Even at home Mississippi State is not ready. Alabama by 35.

(11) Florida at Missouri [UPSET WATCH]: The absolute temptation to predict this as a full-on upset is unbearable. I do not know why, however, there was simply a feeling deep inside I could not seem to ignore. It turns out it was a bad parmesan chicken sandwich. Gators squeak out of Columbia with a win. Florida by 4.

(4) Georgia at (12) Auburn [GAME OF THE WEEK]: Georgia is playing for an SEC East Championship and for a spot in the BCS. Is Auburn playing to keep Gus Malzahn’s job? No. Granted, Tiger fans will be upset, but the Arkansas native is in no danger of Auburn paying his buyout even if they drop this one and another one against in-state rival Alabama. The Bulldogs are on a mission. Georgia by 10.

Kentucky at Vanderbilt [SLOPFEST OF THE WEEK]: This one will be either very ugly or very interesting due to the evenly matched teams. I am willing to bet not even Andy has a strong feeling one way or another on this one. I had my Girls pick a number. Vandy by 10.

(1) LSU at Ole Miss: LSU beat Alabama last week for the National Championship. This week the Tigers must focus to prevent a let-down. Ole Miss has an upset on their mind at home as the season begins its conclusion. One last hoorah for the Rebels? No, ma’am, Ms. Perry. Tigers by 28.

South Carolina at Texas A&M: Ah, the late game for the SEC. The ONLY reason anyone has a solid edge in this game is because A&M is at home… plus they’re better than the Gamecocks. For all of my fans in Myrtle Beach, I apologize, those are simply the facts. Aggies by 18.

Enjoy the weekend off, Razorbacks fans. We get to relax and enjoy the anticipation of Barry Lunney, Jr.’s debut for at least another week.

Oh, and to the LSU bus driver, might I recommend I-10 West for your trip home. There’s a 30-mile stretch near the Pascagoula River Bridge you guys are going to love.

Find me on ‘Twitter’: @PeterMorganWPS

Go HOGS!!!

Razorbacks blank North Texas, 3-0, in first round of NCAA Tournament

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Razorbacks blank North Texas, 3-0, in first round of NCAA Tournament

FAYETTEVILLE — No. 3-seed Arkansas (17-3-2, 8-1-1) shut out North Texas (15-6-1, 7-2-1) on Friday night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Razorback Field, 3-0.

The Razorbacks outshot the Mean Green by a 26-1 margin, with 10 of those shots finding the frame. Coming into tonight, North Texas was averaging 19.5 shots a game.

In the last three matches the Razorbacks have hosted in postseason play, they have outscored opponents 10-2 and are 18-1-2 at home the past two seasons.

This will be Arkansas’ second-straight season advancing to the second round and fifth all-time.

How it happened

• Marissa Kinsey put a corner to the far post in the 55th-minute as Tori Cannata was able to get her head on the end of it for the 1-0 Hog lead.

• In the 82nd-minute, Parker Goins put away a rebound after Mean Green ‘keeper Kelsey Brann couldn’t handle a long-range shot from Anna Podojil.

• Just two minutes later Kaelee Van Gundy netted her first goal of the season as she knocked in a bouncing ball from a Kinsey shot that deflected off the post.

Hear it from coach Hale

“Proud of our effort. We stayed with it. The press was excellent, and I thought our composure was good.”

Next up

The Razorbacks head to Provo, Utah, to face North Carolina State in a second-round matchup.

First kick is slated for 4 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 21.

The Wolf Pack blanked Navy earlier in the night, 3-0. NC State made the semifinals of the ACC Tournament on Nov. 8, but eventually fell to North Carolina, 3-0.

Musselman previewing Saturday matchup with Montana State

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Arkansas coach Eric Musselman met with the media Friday afternoon to look ahead to the game Saturday at 4 p.m. against Montana State at Bud Walton Arena.

???? Halftime Pod presented by Jeff’s Clubhouse — Aaron Torres on Muss

Tye Richardson
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???? Halftime Pod presented by Jeff’s Clubhouse — Aaron Torres on Muss

Phil & Tye on Butch Jones to Arkansas, Aaron Torres on Muss, plus Chris Moore to Arkansas???

Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Friday

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Friday

Pittman gaining support among some, but will Yurachek go that way?

Andy Hodges
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Pittman gaining support among some, but will Yurachek go that way?

One sitting offensive position coach is gaining a cult momentum among some fans to try and dodge the rotating glass of the revolving door to the Arkansas football program.

The only queston is if athletics director Hunter Yurachek would consider that … or does the candidate have to be a sitting coach at a Power 5 program?

Only two people in the state will know that for sure and both are pretty good at limiting leaks. As we found out during the basketball coaching search, by the time we find out anything the narrative has moved one or two spots ahead.

But current Georgia offensive line coach Sam Pittman has developed a following from his three frustrating seasons dealing with the Bret Bielema five-year kegger that went sour almost as soon as Sam sailed out of town.

One thing Pittman has seen is a couple of seriously messed up football programs.

He was John Blake’s offensive line coach at Oklahoma in 1997-98, which was the worst (and most dysfunctional) in that program’s history in about three decades.

Pittman was the offensive line coach and associate head coach during the Butch Davis time at North Carolina that ended in a quagmire of academic misconduct and improper benefits paid to players.

Then he was the offensive line coach for Derek Dooley’s last year at Tennessee, which was a 5-7 train wreck.

Pittman came to Fayetteville from that and did a credible job helping Bielema turn things around in three years to an seven-win regular season and an offensive line that was getting more publicity than the rest of the offense combined.

Finally, he got fed up with trying to find Bielema, who spent as much time in his private office behind a bar on Dickson Street as he did in the Smith Center.

Pittman was left making excuses for Bielema no-showing two straight weekends on a recruit he wanted to offer while the boss man simply partied away one of the weekends in Vegas and who knows what on another one. That player, who came to Fayetteville with his family on unofficial visits both weekends, is now a starter in the SEC.

After all that, he’s at Georgia now and that’s going to be a gig hard to leave.

The Bulldogs have played in SEC Championship games and national championship games. It’s an environment where going to the Sugar Bowl is a disappointment.

Exactly why he would leave that is a question only Pittman can answer, but stranger things have happened.

In Yurachek’s background as the athletics director at a Power 5 school, he inherited Tom Herman, who was hired from Ohio State by Houston athletics director Mack Rhoads. Yurachek hired Major Applewhite to replace him in December 2016.

Applewhite was Herman’s offensive coordinator.

The only clues we have into what Yurachek is going to do is that he promoted the offensve coordinator the head job at Houston and hired Eric Musselman as Arkansas’ basketball coach.

That’s not being negative because Applewhite went 15-11 over two seasons before being fired by Yurachek’s replacement in Houston. Yes, he was fired and never had a losing season, but that’s somebody else’s issue to sort out.

The question hanging out there that nobody will know for a few weeks is if Yurachek is going to go for a sitting Power 5 coach or will he take a chance at a position coach with no head coaching experience.

Clemson did it with Dabo Swinney and, well, the results have been spectacular.

And it’s the exception.

Most folks won’t hire a coach that hasn’t been a head coach … or at least a coordinator. Pittman hasn’t been either one.

Don’t get carried away. Yurachek isn’t going to take a straw pool of fans or even boosters to see who he should hire. Those days are long gone and the guess is everybody is guessing because I don’t get the idea Yurachek is going to hint at things to anyone outside of Jon Fagg.

While Pittman may have a cult group who are enthusiastically pushing him as a viable candidate, it’s a gamble. Those same fans will be screaming bloody murder if he wins four games over two seasons.

If you doubt it, just look at the current situation.

Two years ago, a lot of us thought Morris was the answer and we were wrong.

Yurachek can’t afford to be wrong on this decision.

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