Joe’s 34 points lifts Razorbacks to 121-89 win over FIU

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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FAYETTEVILLE — Isaiah Joe made 10 3-pointers and scored a career-high 34 points — the second-best production by a freshman in school history — to lead Arkansas (5-1) to a 121-89 victory over Florida International (7-2) Saturday night at Bud Walton Arena.

Daniel Gafford (21 points and 10 rebounds) and Mason Jones (19 points and 10 rebounds) added double-doubles while Jalen Harris had 10 assists — the second time in three games he has registered at least 10 assists.

Daniel Gafford looking to drive to basket. PHOTO BY ANDY HODGES | HITTHATLINE.COM

Over his last three games, Harris has dished out 27 assists while committing just three turnovers.

Overall, the Razorbacks had 26 assists and shot a season-high 60.9 percent from the field, including 67.7 percent in the second half, while making a season-best 52 percent from 3-point range.

Jalen Harris driving the baseline. PHOTO BY ANDY HODGES | HITTHATLINE.COM

The Razorback defense was just as impressive, holding FIU to just 37.3 percent shooting from the field and 16.7 percent from long range, the lowest by an Arkansas opponent this season.

Joe’s 10 3-pointers (on 13 attempts) ties for third on the school’s single-game list – becoming just the fifth Razorback to make as many double-digit treys (the school record is 13).

His 34 points were just one shy of the school record by a freshman as Bobby Portis scored 35 versus Alabama on Feb. 5, 2014.

This was the 16th time in school history Arkansas has scored at least 121 points and the most points by the program since claiming a 130-68 victory over Alcorn State on Nov. 13, 2009.

In the first half, Florida International cut a 13-point deficit to four midway through the period. However, Joe made a 3-pointer to spark a 19-5 run. Joe finished the half with 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting from 3-point range.

Arkansas coach Mike Anderson. PHOTO BY ANDY HODGES | HITTHATLINE.COM

In the second half, FIU went on a mini-run and cut its deficit to 17. However, the Razorbacks answered with an 18-5 run over a three-minute span to put the game out of reach.

Arkansas will return to action and play its first true road game next Wednesday (Dec. 5) at Colorado State. Tip-off is set for 9 pm (CT)/8 pm (MT) and will be telecast on CBS Sports Network.

FIRST HALF: Arkansas 58 – FIU 35

• Arkansas’ Daniel Gafford controlled the tip and, eight seconds later, scored the first points of the game on a dunk.

• The Razorbacks scored the first five points of the game and led by 13 (22-9) at the 11:19 mark.

• The Panthers trimmed their deficit to four (24-20) with t 8:29 before Isaiah Joe drained a 3-pointer for a seven-point cushion.

• After that Joe three, the Razorback defense came alive and they went on a 19-5 run to lead 43-25 with 4:57 left in the half. More impressive was Arkansas was able to do so despite Daniel Gafford, Adrio Bailey, Reggie Chaney and Gabe Osabuohien each being whistled for two fouls.

Gabe Osabuohien moving down the line. PHOTO BY ANDY HODGES | HITTHATLINE.COM

• Isaiah Joe scored 11 points during the 19-5 run and ended the first half with team-high 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting from 3-point range.

• The Razorbacks shot 55.3 percent from the field, including 46.7 percent (7-of-15) from long range. On the other end, Arkansas held FIU to just 28.6 percent shooting from the field and just 16.7 percent (3-of-18) from beyond the arc.

SECOND HALF: Arkansas shot 67.7 percent from the field and used an 18-5 run to seal the win.

• The Razorbacks maintained at least a 20-point lead until FIU’s Willy Nunez Jr., hit a 3-pointer with 10:12 left as the Panthers trailed by 19, 85-68. The Panthers would cut their deficit to 17 twice.

• However, Arkansas answered with an 18-5 run over the next three minutes to take a 30-point lead.

• Ethan Henderson had a basket and made a free throw for his first three career points in a Razorback uniform.

GAME NOTES:

• Arkansas starters for the sixth straight game were Isaiah Joe (G) – Jalen Harris (G) – Mason Jones (G) – Adrio Bailey (F) – Daniel Gafford (F).

• Arkansas controlled the tip and Daniel Gafford scored the first points of the game on a dunk eight seconds into the game.

• This was the first ever meeting between Arkansas and FIU on the hardwood.

• Isaiah Joe, Daniel Gafford, Mason Jones and Adrio Bailey each scored in double figures. Joe and Gafford are the only two Razorbacks to score double-figures in all six games this season.

Mason Jones works inside against FIU. PHOTO BY ANDY HODGES | HITTHATLINE.COM

• Arkansas is 131-7 during the Mike Anderson era when leading at the half, including a streak of 45 consecutive wins.

• Arkansas broke the 100-point plateau on an Adrio Bailey layup with 6:23 left in the game. It was the Razorbacks first time to eclipse 100 points this season ad first time since defeating Oral Roberts 104-6 last Dec. 19.

• The Razorbacks are now 135-5 when scoring at least 100 points all time.

• Mike Anderson is now 24-1 as a head coach when his teams score at least 100 points, including an 11-0 mark at Arkansas.

• Arkansas had nine dunks, including six by Daniel Gafford. The nine team dunks are the second-best total this season and third-best by an Arkansas team in the Mike Anderson era.

• For his career, Gafford has made 210 field goals, 97 (or 46.2 percent) of which have been dunks.

Anderson pleased with overall play of team in Saturday’s win

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Hogs coach Mike Anderson talked with the media after the 121-89 win over Florida International that had four players scoring in double figures in a game he said earlier would be exciting for fans.

Gafford, Joe recapping big win over FIU, career high night

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Razorbacks Daniel Gafford (23 points) and Isaiah Joe (career-high 34 points) talked with the media after the game about the fast-scoring offense in the 121-89 victory.

FIU’s Ballard impressed with Joe, Hogs’ effort in game

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Panthers’ coach Jeremy Ballard talked with the media after Arkansas’ 121-89 win Saturday night in a game that featured a lot of fast-moving action and high scoring from both teams.

The beginning of the end of the Gus Malzahn Era at Auburn

Nate Olson
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If Gus Malzahn used his flirtation or perceived flirtation with Arkansas last year to cash in at Auburn, that plan has backfired and his future at the school is iffy at best.

What a difference a year makes, huh? Especially in the SEC.

After Malzahn’s Tigers beat Georgia and Alabama in 2017, new Auburn president Steve Leath awarded the Fort Smith native with a $49 million contract over seven years with 75 percent guaranteed.

With the Tigers enjoying success to close the regular season and with Arkansas apparently ready to offer Malzahn eye-popping money after firing Bret Bielema, Leath backed up the Brinks truck to Malzahn’s front door.

However, Leath started feeling immediate regret as the Tigers lost a rematch to Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, and then lost to Central Florida in the Peach Bowl.

Auburn started the 2018 season ranked No. 9 in the preseason Top 25 poll, and a Week 1 win against Washington was a good sign.

However, the season took a sharp dive when Auburn, who was favored in its first nine games, squandered an 11-point lead to LSU at home; lost 23-9 at Mississippi State and three-touchdown underdog Tennessee upset the Tigers 30-24 at Auburn.

Then there was a 27-10 rout at Georgia and the loss at the Crimson Tide.

Finishing 7-5 with that collapse was enough to prompt Leath to reportedly schedule a meeting with Malzahn Sunday giving him an ultimatum of reducing his $32.1 million buyout along with other stipulations to keep his job.

That’s an unprecedented move in the world of college football. Reports suggest Malzahn will accept the compromise.

In effect, Leath just heated up Malzahn’s seat sending a message that if there is not a significant improvement next year, he will be fired. That’s a humbling meeting in more ways than one.

It’s like getting called into your boss’s office and written up while also taking a pay cut. Not good.

So, Malzahn, the former Arkansas offensive coordinator, has been scolded by his boss and has lost millions, and there are reports that he is at odds with members of his coaching staff. He needs to do some patching up — and quick — or a year from now, he will be unemployed.

When he agreed to the deal, I predicted he’d be fired in less than three years. Auburn’s boosters and administration are delusional.

Malzahn’s teams have won a National Title and enjoyed a measure of success.

However, the standard on The Plains is beat Alabama every year (even though no team rarely does with regularity) and play for a National Championship.

There were boosters calling for Malzahn’s head last year before he finished the regular season with a bang.

They were out again after he lost the two postseason games. Not many coaches would want to deal with that criticism or could live up to those high of standards so it was easy to predict a quick end.

The consolation for Malzahn had been the monstrous buyout. He knew if he was fired hastily he’d walk away with a huge payday.

That is now most likely gone.

What I would love to know is if Malzahn wishes he’d have taken the Arkansas job. Like I said then, he would have been given at least four years or maybe five to rebuild the Hogs and would have been paid well to do it — job security and a big paycheck.

But I am not sure if the coach was ever even serious about the UA offer. Was it just another one of super-agent Jimmy Sexton’s schemes to up the ante? I think so.

I think after surveying the landscape, Malzahn surmised it would be a tougher job at Arkansas with more risk of not meeting the standards, even though they are lower, than taking a huge raise and taking a chance that his tenure would end in a firing, maybe sooner t than later.

Or maybe as some suggest that Malzahn’s ego is so large that he thought his Auburn teams would contend for the National Title for the remaining years of his deal.

Whatever the case, it doesn’t look like he will be at Auburn much longer, whether he is asked to leave or skips town to another job. Many in Arkansas will be following this saga closely.

Neighbors on facing No. 23 Iowa State in SEC-Big 12 Challenge

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Arkansas coach Mike Neighbors met with the media Friday to talk about the matchup with the ranked Cyclones on Sunday that will be a big test against a much-taller team.

???? Friday Halftime Pod — featuring Brooks Ellis

Tye Richardson
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Phil & Tye hit on the 2018 season, FOMO Friday and interview Brooks Ellis!

Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Friday

Tye Richardson
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Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Friday

John & Tommy discuss Chad Morris’ postseason press conference, interview Raymond House, and Fenceman Picks!

Bailey, Joe preview Saturday’s matchup with FIU on Saturday

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Arkansas players Adrio Bailey and Isaiah Joe met with the media Thursday afternoon and talked about the matchup with the Panthers at Bud Walton Arena.

???? Thursday Halftime Pod — featuring Bob Holt

Tye Richardson
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Phil and Tye compare Arkansas baseball to football, interview Bob Holt, You Spent What and more!

Morris staying course after stumbling start, which is good thing

Andy Hodges
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Chad Morris finds himself in the same position many big-name coaches have, basically finishing a demolition started by somebody else so he can start rebuilding.

That rebuilding started this week, by the way.

At a season review press conference Monday he compared it to growing bamboo where it takes awhile to see what’s going on before you have growth.

To me it’s more like taking over a development project others kept trying to patch for 10 years and realizing you’ve got to tear it down and build from scratch.

Morris has been here before. SMU started 2-10 in 2015 after the previous coach had effectively ran the program into the ground before leaving.

“When you go through years like this, you understand the outside doesn’t see the growth going on within the program,” he said, noting his SMU experience is helping now.

Other coaches have taken the rebuild path. Lou Holtz went 0-11 at South Carolina his first year there. Bear Bryant was 1-9 his first year at Texas A&M (and ran off over 100 players in the process, which you could do in 1954).

Tom Landry was 0-11-1 his first year in Dallas, then 3-10-1, advancing to 5-8-1 in 1962 when most of the town wanted him fired. Owner Clint Murchison responded with a stunning 10-year guaranteed contract.

The start I’ve seen parallels with is the 1989 Dallas Cowboys. Jerry Jones had bought the team and Jimmy Johnson coached it to 1-15. It was hard to find anybody in Dallas then that wanted them to still be around in 1990.

In the fourth year the Cowboys won the first of three Super Bowls in a four-year period.

What happened at Arkansas is not out of the realm of normal in these situations, but the lunatic fringe of the fan base isn’t hearing any of that. Add a few internet sociopaths, fans of other teams, trolling the Hog fans to stir things up and, well, there’s a lot of noise.

Morris and his staff is ignoring it. They are too politically correct to say it, but they don’t care what your opinion is of how they’re doing it.

“We didn’t finish, we didn’t finish,” Morris lamented Monday. “I think the loss against Ole Miss took the wind out of our sales.”

That one, coming on the heels of collapses against Colorado State and North Texas, made it yet another game the Hogs should have won … but didn’t. It’s also something he really isn’t comfortable with, either.

“I don’t want to admit that,” he said. “I think it took some wind out.”

But, still, the team didn’t quit at that point. They beat Tulsa and put up 31 points in a loss to Vanderbilt.

“Our guys continued to fight,” he said.

Ask LSU. The Tigers had players falling down to keep from scoring and giving the ball back to the Hogs in the final five minutes of the game where they clung to a 24-17 lead.

“You come out here and you’ve got the No. 7-ranked team in the country on the ropes with five and a half minutes to play,” Morris said.

After that the Hogs went through the motions. Morris threw a fit after a loss to Mississippi State, then just wanted to get out of the finale against Missouri without losing any key people.

There will be new faces on the roster, but probably not on the coaching staff. The staff hit the road recruiting after the Missouri game and Thursday night were expected to be in front of former Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant for the final pitch to the highly-touted graduate transfer.

And some old faces leaving for a wide variety of reasons.

“We expect somewhere getting upwards of 29 new faces in here,” Morris said. “We’ve had some that have chosen to move on, and we want to wish them the best. If we can help them in any way, we’ll be more than happy to.”

Stability with the coaching staff was assured earlier this week when defensive coordinator John Chavis exercised his option for two more years and that was a key move for Morris.

“We’ve got to continue to have more improvement,” Morris said. “Continuity is so much a part of success. They understand defensively what we’re doing and what we’re trying to do.

“We didn’t get to everything we wanted to do this year defensively, and that’s understandable. We didn’t progress at the rate we wanted to.”

It wasn’t at the rate anybody else wanted, either, but it’s the way these things work.

And could be the foundation for bigger things.

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