Phil Elson & Tye Richardson hit on Gafford heading to the NBA, interview Kevin McPherson, plus dream matchups in sports!
Gafford not playing in NIT disrespects teammates, coaches, UA, fans
Daniel Gafford made his decision final through Mike Anderson on Monday that he’s going to the NBA, which wasn’t a surprise.
What did raise some eyebrows was his decision to not help his team advance as far as they can in the NIT, which starts at Providence on Tuesday night at 8 p.m.
In making that call he removes himself from the protection of being a kid. He made a grown man’s decision that will provide him with a couple of million dollars … and leave his teammates still rowing a boat drawing water while he waves from the beach.
Gafford’s move is gutless, selfish and completely disrespectful not only to his teammates, but to his coaches, the University of Arkansas and the many Razorback fans that have fawned over him for the past two years.
Mike Anderson on Monday didn’t throw Gafford under the bus. No coach can do that publicly and they deal more with what is and not what could be.
“I’m supportive of what Daniel wants to do,” Anderson said Monday. “I’m supportive of what he wants to do. That’s Dan’s decision and I’m fine with it.”
Let’s be clear here … he has many that are fine with him declaring himself eligible for the NBA draft and I’m one of them. That’s not a surprise to anyone and more power to him while he spends two to three years in the development league.
The problem from this corner is not finishing what he started. It’s the same argument with players in other sports not playing in their team’s postseason games and it’s a slap in the face.
Whether he makes it in the NBA or not will be determined later by other people. It’s easy to wonder how that second contract is going to work out when you’re 6-foot-11, can’t shoot, aren’t overly impressive rebounding and has the best part of your game being dunking.
Exactly why somebody 6-11 dunking is impressive to anybody is beyond me. It’s a simple matter of physics. Standing on the floor you’re 95 percent of the way there. I could dunk with that kind of head start and my vertical leap might be six inches with a trip to the emergency room afterwards.
“He could have left last year and had an opportunity, but he came back, developed and got better and I think he’s going to be a first-round draft pick,” Anderson said. “He came here with a dream and he’s going to have an opportunity to realize it.”
Gafford issued a statement through the UA’s communications department where thanked the appropriate people and “it has been a fun ride.”
Just not enough fun to keep playing. The guess here is that playing in the NIT would bring a possible injury into the equation, which is slightly below that of getting run over by a car crossing Razorback Road.
“Growing up in this state, I dreamed about playing at the University of Arkansas,” Gafford said in the release. “It has been an honor to wear that jersey and represent this state.”
But apparently not enough to avoid a slap in the face to those who were his biggest fans.
He’ll get his money. How he projects in the pro game is a different conversation for others to have.
But his first check should be to the University of Arkansas to reimburse them for his scholarship. Others have done it to sincerely show their respect and appreciation for what the university did to get them to the next level.
In Gafford’s case, we’ll see.
But it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to count on it.
Arkansas needs to get used to life quickly without Gafford
Almost as soon as Arkansas’ NIT bid was announced speculation began on the status of Hogs sophomore big man Daniel Gafford.
Arkansas coach Mike Anderson made the news official Monday morning that Gafford is declaring for the NBA Draft and skipping Arkansas’ NIT game at Providence Tuesday night.
Gafford’s decision to declare for the draft isn’t a surprise after he returned to Fayetteville even after discovering he was considered a lock to be drafted in the first round of the 2018 draft. He’s only heightened his current draft potential with a dominating campaign.
Losing the All-SEC forward for the NIT is a big blow for a team that has endured a roller coaster of inconsistency with one of the top players in the country.
It may be exactly what it needs to prepare for next season, however.
As the debate on Coach Mike Anderson’s job status has heated up the past few weeks one of the big questions to consider is, “Will next year be better?” We will get a glimpse of that answer Tuesday night. Going on the road without its star player will show how much this inexperienced team has grown up and what could carry over to next year.
Barring transfers (And there are rumors swirling about that, too.) the Razorbacks would return virtually the same roster minus Gafford and add heralded redshirt freshman guard Justice Hill.
The problem Gafford’s departure presents is he is the only low-post scoring threat Arkansas has. He also is the team’s leading scorer with nearly 17 points per game. It’s doubtful that forwards Reggie Chaney, Gabe Osabuohien or Adrio Bailey can step into those shoes.
That means that more scoring will be needed on the perimeter. Freshman Isaiah Joe impressed this year by setting the record for most made three-pointers by a Hogs freshman. Joe is averaging 14 points per game and could be a candidate to pour in close to 20 per contest next season with more touches. The key could be sophomore Mason Jones, who has been streaky at times. He is averaging 13.6 points per game with 3.9 rebounds and 2.9 assist per contest.
Anderson needs them to form a duo similar to what former Hogs guards Jaylen Barford and Daryl Macon combined for last season as they led the Hogs to the NCAA Tournament while both averaging close to 20 points per game knocking down big shots.
Junior Jalen Harris has become an effective floor leader averaging 5.5 assists per game, but he would need to score more next year to make up for Gafford’s lack of production. Perhaps, Hill could also add scoring punch at the point spot.
Freshmen guards Desi Sills and Keyshawn Embery-Simpson have shown flashes and seem ready for bigger roles next year after gaining a lot of experience. They could also help add potency to the Hogs offense.
Bailey and Chaney haven’t scored or rebounded well enough to be confident about next year. Those players’ development should be Anderson’s top priority. He needs someone on this team averaging close to a double-double. Those two should be able to grab close 10 rebounds and 10 points per game on garbage baskets in the paint without Gafford.
Gafford averages 8.7 rebounds per game. Jones’ 3.9 boards per game is second. The big men and defensive-minded Osabuhohien will have to rebound better.
With Gafford a glaring weakness in the post, I wouldn’t bank on Arkansas being a force in the SEC next year. If this team doesn’t make the big leap it needs to be an NCAA Tournament team that could spell the end of the Anderson Era.
That makes Tuesday night more important than just an NIT game. It marks the beginning of a new chapter for a team that Anderson desperately needs improve drastically to win big immediately.
Anderson previews game with Providence in NIT with no Gafford
Arkansas coach Mike Anderson opened his press conference Monday with news Daniel Gafford was not playing in NIT, a decision he respects.
Hogs on road for extended spring break trip, starting with Texas
AUSTIN, Texas — After going 12-1 in a 13-game homestand, eighth-ranked Arkansas goes back on the road for spring break this week, starting with a two-game midweek series at ninth-ranked Texas on Tuesday night.
First pitch with the Longhorns is slated for 6:30 p.m. on the Longhorn Network.
Arkansas (17-2) recently finished off a three-game sweep of Missouri to open Southeastern Conference play, marking its third-straight year with a conference-opening sweep.
The Razorbacks have won six games in a row with the help of a pitching staff that is producing 11.3 strikeouts-per-nine-innings, which ranks second-highest in the nation.
Freshman Patrick Wicklander will take the mound for the third-straight week as the starter and helped contribute to that high strikeout rate.
In each of his last two starts, the San Jose, California, native has struck out eight batters over five innings and has only given up one hit with no runs.
Tuesday and Wednesday’s matchups with Texas (15-7) will mark the first time the two teams have met in Austin since the 2005 NCAA Austin Regional, a regional Texas won en route to its sixth National Championship.
However, Arkansas won all three meetings last season, including two games in Fayetteville and one to open the 2018 College World Series.
Follow live
Both games this week will be available on the Longhorn Network via the Watch ESPN app and WatchESPN.com.
Lowell Galindo, Keith Moreland and Greg Swindell will call the action. Mike Capps will have the radio call on the Razorback Sports Network.
Fans can listen to the radio call on ESPN Arkansas 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs, 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home and via the Razorback Gameday app.
Pregame coverage begins 30 minutes prior to first pitch. There will also be a live radio link available on ArkansasRazorbacks.com.
Important links
Game 1 – WATCH | LIVE STATS
Game 2 – WATCH | LIVE STATS
Probable starters
TUE: (ARK) LHP Patrick Wicklander (2-1, 2.45 ERA, 29 K, 9 BB) vs. (TEXAS) RHP Jack Neely (0-0, 6.23 ERA, 6 K, 5 BB)
WED: (ARK) TBA vs. (TEXAS) TBA
Razorback Prime Nine
• The Razorbacks renew their Southwest Conference rivalry with two midweek games at Texas this week. It’s the second-straight year the two teams have faced in the regular season.
• Arkansas won all three games against the Longhorns a year ago, including the opening game of the College World Series. The Hogs have won four-straight over Texas dating back to 2012.
• Arkansas is coming off a 13-game homestand where it went 12-1, including a conference-opening series sweep against Missouri. It’s the third-straight year the Razorbacks have opened SEC play with a sweep.
• At 17-2, the Razorbacks are off to their best start since 2012 and have won 18-straight home series dating back to 2017.
• Freshman lefty Patrick Wicklander will be making his fourth start of the year Tuesday night. In each of his last two outings, Wicklander has thrown five innings and struck out eight.
• Arkansas pitchers have been the difference in recent weeks as they have allowed five or less hits and two or less runs in five of their last six games. The staff goes into Tuesday’s matchup with the Longhorns with a 4.13 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
• Closer Matt Cronin has made three appearances in the last five games, garnering two saves. He currently has six saves on the year, good for second in the SEC.
• Sophomore Matt Goodheart broke out of a slump in a big way last week against Missouri, going 4-for-8 (.500) with two multi-hit games, including two doubles in the series opener.
• Redshirt junior Isaiah Campbell recorded his third-straight outing of six or more innings and 10 or more strikeouts, becoming the first Hog pitcher to do that since Trevor Stephan in 2017.
Up next
Arkansas continues its road trip with a three-game series in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, facing the Alabama Crimson Tide starting Friday at 6 p.m.
Game two of the series will be on Saturday at 2 p.m., followed by the finale at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Monday
John & Tye discuss Arkansas in the NIT, take calls on the basketball program, Daniel Gafford’s decision and more!
Arkansas gets bid to NIT, which feels more like desperation than inspiration
It took less than three minutes after the announcement Sunday night that Arkansas will be a fifth seed in the NIT for the questions to start about Mike Anderson’s status.
Mainly because the NIT feels more like desperation than inspiration at this point.
The answer to the question is the only ones yammering are bulletin board regulars who don’t really know anything. The ones who DO know aren’t talking about it.
Assuming anybody, including Anderson and athletics director Hunter Yurachek, know themselves what’s going to happen.
The Razorbacks will play at Providence on Tuesday. The Razorbacks had submitted a bid to host an NIT game, but there won’t be a first-round game at Bud Walton Arena. Whether they get a shot at one later is completely dependent upon what they do against Providence, the No. 4 seed in their section of the bracket.
Since the Hogs dropped their first-round game in the SEC Tournament last week, the noise around Anderson’s job status increased dramatically in volume.
Every few minutes, somebody was saying Anderson and Yurachek had met … or didn’t meet. Then somebody would say they were negotiating his departure … followed by someone who said Anderson would get another year so naming the court for Nolan Richardson “wouldn’t be awkward.”
It can be dizzying if you pay attention to the noise.
The bottom line is I have no idea one way or the other if Anderson is going to have a job at Arkansas two weeks from now or not.
You will hear those that say he won’t be here because the game is on the road and not at Bud Walton, but that’s a little premature right now. If they win and things fall right, they could be at home if they keep advancing.
But you get the idea advancement for this team is important for Anderson.
Maybe for the first time in his career as a head coach, he’s got people wanting him fired. That didn’t happen at Alabama-Birmingham or Missouri.
While he has only been to the NCAA Tournament three times in eight years, the proper public relations announcement will be Anderson has gone to the postseason five out of eight years.
That will be factual, but probably not something a lot of fans want to hear.
For many that’s not enough. Going to the NIT twice in eight years certainly doesn’t make anybody happy regardless of what they will tell you.
Going to the NIT is usually something positive for a coach building a program.
When it’s the eighth year of a program it feels more like desperation.
Scroggins talks about strong start, joined by Opitz, Nesbit after win
Arkansas pitcher Cody Scroggins talked about his early success, catcher Casey Opitz on his game-winning hit in the bottom of the ninth inning and Jacob Nesbit on his base-running blunder that ended up okay in Sunday’s 3-2 win over Missouri.
Van Horn after 3-2 win over Missouri, then previewing week on road
Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn talked with the media about the series sweep in first SEC matchup, then previewed the week’s games against Texas and Alabama on the road, which the veteran coach likes during spring break.
Hogs’ late rally falls short in final game of series against South Carolina
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas dropped the third game of a weekend series Sunday against South Carolina, 9-6, despite a sixth-inning rally that fell just short.
The Razorbacks trailed the Gamecocks, 7-0, headed into the sixth inning and outscored South Carolina 6-2 in the final two innings, but it wasn’t enough.
The Hogs finished the weekend 2-1, taking the series for the first time since 2010.
Arkansas (21-7, 3-3) gave up seven runs through four innings, only one of which was earned. Razorback errors gave up a big second inning that gave the Gamecocks the opportunity to score five runs on three hits and two Hog errors.
The Hogs left four runners on base through the first five innings before scoring its first run in the sixth. Freshman Taylor Greene kicked off the sixth inning getting hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a wild pitch during senior Katie Warrick’s at-bat.
South Carolina (21-7, 1-5) retired Warrick and designated player Kayla Green before the Razorbacks fired up the engines and scored four runs on a two-run home run by Diaz, an RBI single by Linnie Malkin, and a bases loaded walk from Hannah McEwen. McEwen finished the day with one hit and one walk, reaching base for the 24th game in-a-row.
The Gamecocks scored two in the top of the seventh to widen the lead, and Arkansas seemed to be responding in the bottom of the inning, plating two more runs with a single down the left line by junior Sydney Parr that would score pinch-runners Keely Edwards and Sam Torres.
Senior Haydi Bugarin followed Parr’s hit with a single to third base that loaded the bases, and McEwen stepped up as the potentially game-winning run. McEwen connected on a pitch and sent it to the left side, but the third baseman made the play and the final out of the game.
Starting pitcher Autumn Storms recorded just her second loss of the season, giving up only one earned run through 3.1 innings of work. Relief pitcher Mary Haff entered in the fourth inning for Storms, dishing out six strike outs, recording three scoreless innings of work. Storms and Haff combined for 19 strikeouts over the weekend.
The Razorbacks will hit the road to Knoxville next weekend to continue play against No. 7 Tenneesee. Arkansas will face the Vols in a three-game series beginning Friday at 3 p.m.
Friday and Sunday’s games will be available for fans to watch on ESPNU, while Saturday’s game will be aired on the SEC Network.
Connor’s first SEC start turns out okay after a loaded first inning
Connor Noland didn’t exactly get off to a blazing start in his first SEC game Saturday against Missouri, but he came within one out of his first league win mainly because he avoided faceplanting in the first inning.
Noland walked the first batter, then had the bases full before he could get anybody out, which is when pitching coach Matt Hobbs came strolling out to have a conversation.
“That was to settle (Noland) down,” Dave Van Horn said later.
Hobbs wasn’t delivering a chewing-out. With a full-blown conference going on with all the infield in attendance, Van Horn had sent Hobbs out because he figure out Noland started the game a little too fired-up.
“There was no motivation in that talk,” Van Horn said. “There was just trying to get some things straightened out mechanically because he had good stuff.
“He came out and he’s a strike thrower and he can’t get the ball down. Maybe a little too amped up, opening up that front side and kind of running away from the ball a little bit.”
Noland settled down. Friday starter Isaiah Campbell was the first player to greet him every time he came off the field and was talking to him several times in the dugout between innings.
Considering that Campbell faced that situation several times last year as the second-day starter following a Blaine Knight win on Friday, Noland knows enough to pay attention.
He sat down the Tigers for the next 3-2/3 innings before getting pulled with a runner on base.
“I was just trying to make it as far into the game as I could,” Noland said. “I’m not too concerned about the wins and losses column. We’ll let Kole handle that.”
That last part was about Kole Ramage coming in pitching three innings to get the win. Everybody had a good laugh about that.
Ramage got three innings, which allowed closer Matt Cronin to come in and do his thing.
“Whenever that guy comes in, you’re pretty confident in him throwing strikes and coming after people,” Noland said. “So, when you guy in there with any run-lead, putting Cronin out there you’re pretty comfortable he’s going to do the job.”
Van Horn said he may even have Cronin again Sunday, if necessary.
“We’ll see,” he said.
All if it would be a completely different story, though, if Noland hadn’t been able to get out of that first inning Saturday. With Missouri starter TJ Sikkema starting and going the entire way, Van Horn knew later how big it was.
“It would have been bad for us to burn up a bunch of our bullpen guys when we’re trying to catch a guy like (TJ) Sikkema,” Van Horn said. “For Connor to give us an opportunity to get into the game a little bit, and then for us to get the lead and to win it, ended up being huge for us.”
The importance of locking down the series win Saturday is why Van Horn got Noland out of the game when he did.
“You don’t want to leave him in too long,” Van Horn said. “We had such a fresh bullpen and the games are so important that I think Connor would tell you he gets it.”
It sets up the all-important Sunday game, which may be the biggest game in any series because you win a series, sweep a series or avoid a sweep.
At the end of the year that ends up being huge.
Now the Hogs will face Missouri on Sunday with a really fresh group of pitchers against Missouri’s bullpen.
And you can bet we’ll see a lot of both.
Notes:
• Saturday’s game was 2:39, which is the second straight game that moved along rapidly. Friday’s game was 2:37.
• Attendance at the game, which featured maybe the best weather of the season, was 9,521, which was probably low. There were several fans before the game that had their tickets not scan, due to the machine. It looked like there were more than that.
