Arkansas coach Mike Neighbors talked with the media Wednesday afternoon about the nail-biting win over the Vols, the matchup with Alabama and playing with the band at the mens’ game Wednesday night.
???? Wednesday Halftime Pod — featuring Nashville Sports Radio’s Bill King
Phil & Tye discuss if Missouri belongs in the SEC, Change My Mind, plus Bill King joins the POD!
Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Wednesday
John and Tommy discuss Ark-Mizz, southern food, interview Alex Schiffer and more!
ANDY’S NOTES: Hogs losing skid; Saints threw away chances to win
Many Arkansas fans are not handling the current four-game losing streak very well and, as usual, it’s all put in Mike Anderson’s lap.
That goes with the territory in any sport involving the Razorbacks because it’s always the coach’s fault … regardless of the sport.
Yeah, nobody is really happy with the way things are going right now and even borderline Lunatic Fringe members are ready to send Anderson packing.
So, once again, I’ll ask who do you think you’re going to get that’s better?
Go ahead. Remember, you have to be able to actually get the coach and keep him in town a lot longer than 24 hours (which has happened in the past in case you don’t remember Dana Altman).
If you’ve been paying attention, even though a four-game losing skid is a first for Anderson with the Hogs, his teams have generally started conference play slow.
And every year fans get antsy.
They tend to pick it up the last six weeks of the season and we’re getting into that time of the year.
Either the Hogs will get better … or they won’t.
But many of us saw a season that wasn’t going to be a banner year. This team has problems scoring at times and now teams are just sagging inside and Daniel Gafford’s scoring is sliding downhill at a rapid rate.
Too often a zone defense will shut this team down cold. It’s not a lack of coaching where this team can’t get shots to fall at a high rate.
If you’ve got the solution, I’m all ears.
But you might as well let the season play out before having a stroke. History says that will likely swing things in the other direction sooner or later.
And if you were basing this year on a big NCAA run, you might have expectations that were based on hope more than fact.
Regardless how it plays out, though, there likely won’t be any coaching change.
There shouldn’t be, either.
Saints’ fans can’t see forest due to a single tree
New Orleans fans have lost it after losing in overtime to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday afternoon in the NFC Championship … and, as usual, some rather interesting lawsuits have resulted.
Yes, lawsuits. Saints Nation has decided to have a court overturn a non-call on an obvious pass interference call late in the game.
Naturally, it won’t make any difference.
And, also naturally, they haven’t mentioned the non-calls on New Orleans’ facemask penalties or stomping a player.
If there is a culprit, it’s the orchestrated effort to reduce calls on everything in the playoff games. They didn’t call much this past weekend in either of the two games (and don’t bore me with the calls that were made).
After a season where the complaints were about excessive flags, the officials kept them in their pocket in the league championship games and, well, there is just no winning for the league.
There were enough missed calls on both sides for everybody to have a complaint, but the Saints had their chances and basically threw it away in overtime when they got the ball first.
Then threw it to the Rams.
Which leads us to …
NFL’s overtime better than college
Some will take exception to that, but it really is.
Supporters of the college overtime, which is basically a short-field practice that comes down to a contest of wills more than anything else, claim the NFL’s system is not fair. Somehow they think both teams should get a chance with the ball.
On Sunday, both NFL games went into overtime. Some say the problem with that is the team that wins the toss wins the game.
The Saints won the toss … and Drew Brees threw an interception. New England won the toss and put together a masterpiece drive to win the game.
Statistics show the team winning the toss only has a 52 percent shot at winning the game, according to STATS. In the NFL there was only one game this past season, I believe, where the team who lost the overtime toss didn’t get an offensive possession this past season (Falcons over the Saints in week three).
It’s all subjective, but everybody cries fairness when, hey, it’s 50-50 on the coin toss and the team winning the toss doesn’t win an overwhelming amount of the games.
What could be more fair? All giving both teams a guaranteed offensive possession does is equivalent to a participation trophy.
And it does penalize a team that does what the Patriots did against the Chiefs.
???? Tuesday Halftime Pod — featuring Rivals’ Nikki Chavanelle
Phil & Tye discuss Mike Anderson’s mindset, ticked off
Saints’ fans, plus Nikki Chavanelle of Rivals!
Halftime’s Elson named top sportscaster by National Sports Media
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — ESPN Arkansas show host Phil Elson, the radio voice of Razorback baseball and women’s basketball, was named the Arkansas Sportscaster of the Year for the second straight year by the National Sports Media Association (NSMA) last week.
In 2018 Phil started hosting “Halftime” a daily sports talk show on ESPN Arkansas from Noon-2 p.m. that airs in northern and western Arkansas, as well as the River Valley in addition to live streaming and podcasts at HitThatLine.com.
Elson has been the Razorbacks play-by-play voice for baseball and women’s basketball since 2014, as well as fill-in roles for men’s basketball.
He was previously named the Arkansas Sportscaster of the Year in 2009 for his work with the Arkansas Travelers, the AA affiliate of the Seattle Mariners.
He won it again last year prior to coach Mike Neighbors first season with Arkansas women’s basketball and Arkansas baseball’s run to the College World Series finals.
Elson spent 17 years in professional baseball, including 14 as the director of broadcasting and media relations for the Travelers before joining the Razorbacks.
Prior to the Travs, Elson called games for the Helena Brewers, Ogden Raptors, and Mudville Nine. He also filled in for Razorback Baseball broadcasts from 2011-13.
“I don’t know if fans really understand what goes into being a good radio broadcaster,” Arkansas women’s coach Mike Neighbors said. “You have to be a good storyteller who can think and react quickly to a change in the action. You have to put in several hours of study on both teams so that the call is seamless to the listeners.
“Phil does all of that and more to ensure that he brings life to the game for people who cannot attend. Winning this honor for the second consecutive year is a testament to his hard work and passion for what he does.”
“This is a great honor for Phil,” Arkansas baseball coach Dave Van Horn said. “His work on the radio for us is Major League-quality and it’s something I know our fans have loved since he joined our program.
“He brings such a passion for the game every time he comes to the park and our fans can hear that passion when they’re listening to him on the radio. He’s been the voice to so many great Razorback moments over the last few years and I look forward to him calling many more.”
Previously, Elson served nine seasons as the play-by-play broadcaster for the Little Rock women’s basketball broadcasts and was the play-by-play announcer for Henderson State football from 2011 to 2017.
Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Tuesday
John & Tommy discuss John Scott Jr. leaving, comparing the football and basketball programs, Would You Rather Tuesday and more!
Neighbors on Hogs’ win over Tennessee on Monk’s big night
VIDEO FROM ESPN SEC NETWORK
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A dramatic jumper in the paint by senior Malica Monk with four seconds on the clock lifted Arkansas to an 80-79 Southeastern Conference road win at Tennessee on Monday night.
Arkansas (14-5, 3-2) picked up just the second program win in Knoxville handing the Lady Vols (12-6, 1-5 SEC) their fifth consecutive loss.
Three-point shooting by the Razorbacks countered Tennessee’s points in the paint. Arkansas hit 12 shots from distance in the win.
The Razorbacks opened the first half with a fast start behind 11 first-quarter points from junior Alexis Tolefree. Arkansas controlled the pace of the game and limited Tennessee’s top players in the scoring column taking a nine-point, 40-31, lead into halftime.
The Lady Vols found a spark in the second 20 minutes and erased a 12-point Razorback lead, tying the game at 63-all at the 8:01 mark of the final quarter.
A back-and-forth battle ensued with Tennessee tying the game for the third time in the quarter, 76-76, with one minute on the clock. UT made a free throw to eek ahead, 77-76, but Chelsea Dungee answered with a driving layup with 23 seconds to go giving Arkansas the 78-77 advantage.
The Lady Vols burned a timeout and got a break when Monk was whistled for a foul at the 11-second mark. Two made free throws gave Tennessee the 79-78 lead but Monk brought the ball up the court, made a move and pulled up for the game-winning jumper.
Monk finished with a team-high 23 points in 36 minutes. Dungee added 19 points and Tolefree finished with 16 points in the win.
Notes
• Arkansas Starters: Alexis Tolefree, Malica Monk, Kiara Williams, Jailyn Mason, Chelsea Dungee
•Arkansas is 4-31 all-time against Tennessee and has won two games in Knoxville
• Alexis Tolefree had 11 first quarter points. It is the second time this year she has scored in double figures in one quarter and the third time with double digits in the first half.
• Arkansas is 10-0 when leading or tied at the half. The Razorbacks were up 40-31 at Tennessee.
• The Razorbacks have had eight games with 10 or more 3-point field goals. The season-best is 13 set against both Nebraska and Vanderbilt as Arkansas finished with 12 against Tennessee.
• Arkansas’ opponents have committed double figure turnovers in every game this season. The Razorbacks have had 10 games with 10 or fewer miscues.
• Alexis Tolefree scored in double figures for the 11th time this season.
• Malica Monk scored in double figures for the 14th time with a season-best 23 including the game-winner on Monday.
• Chelsea Dungee has scored in double figures in 17 games including eight in a row.
• Arkansas’ 14 season wins betters last year’s 13 victories. The Razorbacks have tied their SEC win total from a year ago with three wins this season.
Up Next
The Razorbacks had an eight-game break from competition before the Tennessee contest. They now play three games in seven days beginning with a home contest with Alabama on Thursday in Bud Walton Arena. The Razorbacks travel to Florida on Sunday and host Georgia Jan. 31.
Hogs suffer first loss in road match at No. 21 Oklahoma State
STILLWATER, Okla. — Arkansas suffered its first loss of the season Monday afternoon as it fell to No. 21 Oklahoma State, 6-1, in its first road matchup of the year.
Arkansas took a 1-0 lead as it took the doubles point. Josh Howard-Tripp and his partner Alex Reco quickly gave Arkansas the advantage as they defeated Brady Draheim and Luke Hammond 6-4.
After Adam Sanjurjo and Pedro Dominguez Alonso fell on court three, it came down to the final matchup on court one.
Maxim Verboven and Enrique Paya were in a back and forth affair that went to a tiebreaker against Artur Dubinski and Maxim Tybar of Oklahoma State. The Razorbacks pulled off a doubles victory in the tiebreaker 7-6(5).
The Cowboys tied it up at one a piece as Artur Dubinski (OSU) def. Josh Howard-Tripp on court one 6-4, 6-0. They proceeded to take their first lead of the match after Mathieu Scaglia (OSU) defeated Adam Sanjurjo on court two 6-4, 6-3.
Oklahoma State clinched the match with consecutive victories on courts four and five. Luke Hammond (OSU) defeated Enrique Paya in a tight battle 6-4, 7-5. Maxim Verboven fell in three sets to Brady Draheim 6-4, 2-6, 6-2.
Doubles Results – Order of Finish (2,3,1)
1. Verboven/Paya def. Dubinski/Tybar, 7-6(5)
2. Howard-Tripp/Reco def. Draheim/Hammond, 6-4
3. Hudd/Scaglia def. Sanjurjo/P. Dominguez Alonso, 6-4
Singles Results – Order of Finish (1,2,4,5,3,6)
1. Dubinksi (OSU) def. Howard-Tripp, 6-4, 6-0
2. Scaglia (OSU) def. Sanjurjo, 6-4, 6-3
3. Tybar (OSU) def. P. Alonso, 7-6(6), 6-3
4. Hammond (OSU) def. Paya, 6-4, 7-5
5. Draheim (OSU) def. Verboven, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2
6. Hudd (OSU) def. J. Alonso, 6-4, 4-6, 10-7
Kjerstad, Martin, Cronin pick up preseason All-American honor
FAYETTEVILLE — Heston Kjerstad, Casey Martin and Matt Cronin added another preseason All-America nod to their resume Monday afternoon as all three were recognized by D1Baseball.com.
Kjerstad and Martin both were named to the 18-player first team, while Cronin was one of two relief pitchers named to the second team.
Arkansas ties for the most players combined on the three teams in the country and is one of three schools (Oregon State, Southern Miss) with two players on the first team.
After winning the 2018 SEC Freshman of the Year award, Kjerstad comes into his sophomore season as one of the most highly touted players in the nation.
Kjerstad was named a freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball and the NCBWA, while also making the All-SEC Second Team and the SEC All-Freshman Team.
The Amarillo, Texas native started all 69 games for the Hogs in left field and finished second on the team with a .332 batting average, while leading with 87 hits, 14 home runs and 58 RBIs. His hit total, home runs and RBIs were all Arkansas freshman records.
As for Martin, he practically matched Kjerstad’s numbers as he led the team with a .345 average, an average that also led all freshmen in the SEC.
He was named to the All-SEC Second Team and SEC All-Freshman Team at the end of the regular season and was tabbed a freshman All-American by the NCBWA and Collegiate Baseball Newspaper as well.
Martin was a key part in Arkansas’ run to their ninth College World Series appearance last year as he led all Razorbacks with a .352 batting average in the NCAA Tournament, including a .357 clip in the CWS.
He totaled 10 of his 19 postseason hits in Omaha and made the CWS All-Tournament Team.
On the mound, Cronin returns as one of the top relievers in the nation after setting a UA single-season record with 14 saves. The save total tied for the second-most in the SEC and was the 14th most in the nation.
Over his 48.1 innings, Cronin struck out 59 batters, which was the sixth-most on the staff and he held opponents to a .154 batting average, which was the lowest on the team for the second-consecutive season.
Arkansas will open the 2019 season against Eastern Illinois on Feb. 15 at Baum Stadium.
Scott expected to leave Hogs for spot on Gamecocks’ staff
Arkansas defensive line coach John Scott, Jr., reportedly will be joining Will Muschamp’s staff at South Carolina and has told close friends in Fayetteville he is leaving.
Scott and Barry Lunney, Jr., are the only coaches to stay on the staff following Chad Morris’ hiring just over a year ago. Scott was on the Razorbacks’ staff for two seasons.
Scott is a native of Greer, South Carolina, about 100 miles from Columbia. Both of his children live in the area.
Last season Scott coached the interior defensive linemen while Steve Caldwell coached the defensive ends.
Scott’s leaving would be the first staff change under Morris.
