John and Tye talk expectations in 2019, what fans want, and Would You Rather Tuesdays!
ANDY’S NOTES: Morris recruiting walk-ons for a reason, hoops momentum, Pats’ win
Wednesday is getting here fast and early this week, Chad Morris has picked up a flurry of preferred walk-ons.
The odds are long they’ll be instant contributors in game situations, but it looks like Morris is getting players for practice, which is may be as important.
According to coaches who win championships, players do the overwhelming majority of their development in practice and that can only happen when the players they go against are, well, pretty good.
Teams don’t do “good on good,” as Morris calls it, that often. You simply can’t do that in the limited practice time teams have in the world of college football these days. You need position drills to be against really good practice players, which is how nearly every walk-on starts his college career.
Players improve by developing against competition that challenges them. Morris has said this repeatedly and a lot of folks completely miss the point. He wants his starters pushed to improve every day in practice by people who are good enough in a couple of areas to make them perform … or lose their spot.
That was explained by a former Alabama coach when asked about why the emphasis on the Crimson Tide actually recruiting walk-ons.
Apparently this staff subscribes to that theory as well.
As for what’s going to happen Wednesday, the guess here is there will be a surprise or two along the way.
Whether it’s good or bad … who knows?
Anderson made feelings known about officiating
Mike Anderson made it clear Monday afternoon he got his message across to officials in Baton Rouge during Saturday’s game … and he wasn’t going to give details, no matter how many different ways he was asked.
“You don’t need to know everything,” he said with a smile after the third straight question about LSU holding a small parade to the free-throw line in the Hogs’ 90-89 win.
By comparison, Arkansas got a few cursory trips to the line.
Anderson was more interested in talking about how this team is making progress throughout the season.
Despite what some think, which is basically noise he doesn’t pay attention to.
They have now won three straight SEC games, which is something people apparently are completely willing to ignore.
Some fans are restless because this team hasn’t progressed far enough in the NCAA Tournament to suit them, which is sorta mind-boggling. Of course we haven’t gotten close to the tournaments yet and the Lunatic Fringe of the Hogs’ fan base is angling for positions on the bridge to jump off.
In a day and time when just making the tournament is harder than it was 30 years ago, expectations may exceed realistic possibilities. Disagree if you want, but it’s not the same rules or much of anything else in the world of college basketball that it was even 20 years ago.
Let’s face it, Nolan Richardson made the Sweet 16 35 percent of the time. The problem was he piled up his six appearances there in the first 10 years.
By the way, the Hogs haven’t made it there since.
A lot of things changed. Mid-major programs like Gonzaga are getting players that schools like Arkansas used to get. The NCAA Tournament selection folks give more spots to mid-major programs and the Cinderella automatic conference tournament qualifiers muddy the waters now more than ever.
Anderson is winning games at a clip even greater than Richardson’s last seven seasons.
It’s not that bad.
And if you think it is, you need to pay closer attention.
Super Bowl really wasn’t that bad
A lot of people have whined and complained about New England’s win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday was completely boring and a total disaster.
You don’t know football if you think that.
While I actually prefer watching high-scoring games dominated by teams scoring so fast you wonder if the scoreboard can last, Sunday’s game was a classic.
It may be the best-coached Super Bowl game in a long, long time.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick is drawing a ton of praise for shutting down the Rams’ high-flying offense, too many people are overlooking what Wade Phillips did with a defense that matched them almost drive for drive.
Oh, there were big plays on almost every series … by the defense. The Rams had to keep making big plays because New England was piling up yardage, but couldn’t get into the end zone.
Poor Jared Goff was more confused than a drunk who wakes up in the wrong house for the entire game.
This game was, in many respects, more of an artistic success than some recent high-scoring games.
Especially from a coaching standpoint.
Anderson looks back on win over LSU, Tuesday’s game with Vandy
Hogs’ coach Mike Anderson wouldn’t say Monday afternoon what he said to officials other than he stated his case very clearly and looked ahead to game with Commodores.
Osabuohien, Embery-Simpson on win over LSU, previewing Vanderbilt
Razorbacks’ Gabe Osabuohien and Keyshawn Embery-Simpson with the media Monday talking about Tuesday night’s game with the Commodores at Bud Walton.
???? Monday Halftime Pod — featuring Rivals’ Andrew Hutchinson
Phil & Tye discuss the Super Bowl, beating LSU, plus Andrew Hutchinson of Rivals joins the pod!
Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Monday
John Nabors, Tommy Craft & Nick Mason discuss the LSU win, NCAA tourney chances, plus Tom Murphy joins the show!
Dungee, Monk have career night, but Hogs can’t stop South Carolina
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas sophomore Chelsea Dungee and senior Malica Monk had career nights, but it wasn’t enough for the win over No. 16 South Carolina.
The Razorbacks saw an early fourth-quarter lead fall as they lost to the Gamecocks, 87-79, at Bud Walton Arena on Sunday evening.
Dungee scored a career-high 32 points in 33 minutes of play while Monk tied her career-best with 25 points for the Razorbacks (16-7, 5-4 SEC). South Carolina (16-5, 8-1 SEC) survived a furious Arkansas attack with a balanced effort that saw five players score double figures for the Gamecocks.
Arkansas did nearly everything right in the game. They struck first with a 9-0 run to open the game. They won the first and second quarters leading by six at the half.
The Razorbacks limited turnovers with only nine miscues while forcing 11 South Carolina mistakes. Arkansas lead by as many as 12 points during the game.
The difference? A 35-point fourth quarter by South Carolina that saw the Gamecocks shoot 57.1 percent, make three 3-point field goals, out-rebound Arkansas 16-9 and get 22 points from their bench.
Jailyn Mason paced Arkansas on the boards with seven rebounds It is the third time in the last four games that Mason has been the leader on the glass for the Razorbacks.
Notes
• Arkansas Starters: Alexis Tolefree, Malica Monk, Kiara Williams, Jailyn Mason, Chelsea Dungee
• Malica Monk had 19 points in the first half.
• Monk (1Q) and Dungee (2Q & 3Q) each scored in double figures in a single quarter.
• Chelsea Dungee scored a career-best 32 points in 33 minutes.
• Malica Monk tied her career-best with 25 points. Monk had only one turnover in 40 minutes of play.
• Monk (4-4) and Dungee (10-11) were a combined 14-15 from the line and took all but four of the Arkansas foul shots.
Up Next
Southeastern Conference action continues Thursday as Arkansas travels to LSU for an 8 p.m. tip on the SEC Network.
The Razorbacks return home hosting Auburn Feb. 10 followed by back-to-back road games at Kentucky and at Georgia as February continues.
Neighbors considering workout changes after second straight loss
Razorbacks coach Mike Neighbors talked after the loss to South Carolina about looking at some workout changes as they were out-run for the second time in a loss.
Dungee on Razorbacks’ lack of production in fourth quarter of loss
Chelsea Dungee scored 32 points in an 87-79 loss to South Carolina on Sunday afternoon and talked about the change of momentum in the fourth quarter.
Staley on changes South Carolina made for late comeback
Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley talked about how she got her team to be more aggressive offensively and “you attack aggression with aggression” in the win over the Hogs.
Mike seeing team come together like he said back in August
Our first indication of what was ahead for this Arkansas basketball team came back in August, when Mike Anderson had a press conference to, well, basically talk hoops and what was ahead.
Everybody listened, nodded and said it was the same thing they’ve heard for seven years.
In case you missed it, here is where you can watch the entire thing.
By the middle of January nobody remembered him warning this was a young team that would be better as the season went along, hopefully reaching its top level at the end of February.
After opening conference play 2-4, then narrowly dropping a road game against a ranked Texas Tech team, oh, the naysayers were out in abundance and the usual psychopathic internet trolls were having a field day on social media.
Anderson stayed patient. He kept just saying this team is young and he’s seeing things in practice and wanting it to start showing up in games.
We saw some of that Saturday in a 90-89 win in Baton Rouge over LSU where a talented young team got an 18-point lead in the second half … then didn’t have either the maturity or basketball IQ to hold that and, let’s be honest here, got lucky at the end.
The Tigers missed three shots in the final seconds to win it, including a layup. In basketball cinderella teams make deep runs using that kind of luck.
But the positives we saw was Isaiah Joe returning to form with 4-of-8 on three-pointers and 18 total points and the biggest may have been making a pair of free throws down the stretch.
And Keyshawn Embery-Simpson added 16 points, including 4-of-6 on three-pointers and playing a tenacious defense, diving for loose balls, taking charges and the other things Anderson and the coaches have seen in practice.
Reggie Chaney is already starting to show flashes of the things he can do coming off the bench. That was needed when Daniel Gafford got in foul trouble, then was bounced in the final minutes in Baton Rouge.
Chaney’s defense has shown up in practice and, at times, in games. When he learns to play more consistently, he’s going to be a solid defender down low who can go outside at times for some offense.
From the caterwalling on talk shows and what I’m hearing from people who are on the message boards you would have thought the Hogs were already down and out in the league standings.
Actually they are right in the middle, tied with five other teams for fifth place … all with 4-4 records in the league and there’s only a couple of games separating them in the overall marks.
The SEC has two really good teams in Tennessee and Kentucky, but we won’t know until March how good they are. LSU was on a roll right there will the Vols until they couldn’t take advantages of breaks late against the Hogs on Saturday.
It’s becoming increasingly clear this team is having all the problems young teams tend to have … streaky shooting, unbelievably ridiculous fouls at the wrong time, too much standing and thinking at times, bad decisions in crunch time holding the bal and just hoping somebody moves enough to be able to take ticking bomb out of their hands before the shot clock blows up.]
For the fans who haven’t paid really close attention, they aren’t winning too many of these close ones, especially in crunch time when games are won late by the team making the least dumb decisions or, just plain and simple free throws. I have had NBA shooters spend hours on shooting free throws (which is not magic but the result of a lack of practice effort.
Great shooters spend an almost obscene amount of time shooting. That doesn’t include practice dunks, by the way. We’re talking 100 MADE free throws, not shots.
The Hogs are taught correctly,we’re told, hen haul off knock the paint off the rims when they get into a game.
Don’t believe it? LSU was 80% at the charity stripe while the Hogs made 7-of-11, which isn’t that bad considering the Tigers’ overwhelmingly number of shots that got in a game that was heavily in favor the home team on foul calls … but it is what it is.
Arkansas’ overall lack of respect in the league is a subject for a different day and one that won’t be fixed quickly after the previous athletic director let the league run over Hogs’ athletics like you do with a little brother is jumps up every once in awhile to try and make a point, then gets told, “Go away son, you’re bothering me.”
That’s the impression and what we’ve been told by folks in a position to know, both in Arkansas and in the league offices in Birmingham.
So Anderson ignores it as best he can and just keeps on doing what can. It’s also just the way he operates. He’s never going to get too high or too low. He’s keeping things on an even keel.
That’s what he’s said several times since August.
And, once again, it appears it may work.
As long as they don’t faceplant Tuesday night (in another 8 p.m. start) against a Vanderbilt team that hasn’t won a league game, they should stay in the same group of players in the standings like Auburn, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Alabama.
Then, once again, we’ll see a Razorback team go to Atlanta that could surprise some folks for a game or two.
Then they’ll end up with an NIT berth or a high seed in the NCAA. Neither of those will placate some in the fan base.
Those are the ones who either weren’t paying attention back in August or have what I call selective amnesia.
But it appears the Hogs are playing it out exactly like Mike said back in August.
