Hogs open new year breaking into AP’s Top 25
FAYETTEVILLE — Riding a six-game winning streak, including two wins over top-20 programs, Arkansas entered The Associated Press Top 25 Poll Monday, debuting at No. 22.
The Top 25 ranking is the program’s first since the final poll of the 2014-15 season.
Arkansas has a 396-111 record all-time as a ranked program, including a 14-8 mark under coach Mike Anderson, all coming during the 2014-15 season.
Arkansas’ victory over No. 19 Tennessee on Saturday was the 10th AP Top 25 victory in the Anderson era. The win gave the Razorbacks multiple Top 20 wins in a season for the seventh time in the last 13 years.
The Razorbacks lead the Southeastern Conference in scoring offense (90.4), scoring margin (+15.8), three-point field goal percentage (.409), turnover margin (+5.5) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.6).
Following Arkansas’ win over Tennessee, the Razorbacks jumped to No. 4 in the NCAA’s official RPI rankings. Arkansas is 2-1 against top 15 RPI teams with wins over the Volunteers, who sit at 12, and Oklahoma, who is No. 3 in the nation.
The Razorbacks return to action this week, hitting the road for the first time in Southeastern Conference play. Arkansas travels to Mississippi State (12-1) on Tuesday for an 8 p.m. tip on SEC Network, followed by a Saturday showdown at Auburn (12-1) at 5 p.m. on ESPNU.
Macon gets SEC honor for effort in pair of games
FAYETTEVILLE — For the second time in the last three weeks and the third time in his career, senior guard Daryl Macon earned SEC Player of the Week honors from the league office following his performances against CSU Bakersfield and No. 19 Tennessee.
Macon is the fourth player in program history to be named SEC Player of the Week three different times, and is one of seven Razorbacks to earn the honor twice in the same year since Arkansas joined the conference in the 1991-92 season.
He joins current assistant coach Scotty Thurman as the only players to earn the award twice in a three-week span.
Last Saturday against Tennessee, Macon recorded his fourth 20-point effort and first 30-point performance of the season with a 33-point outing to defeat the Volunteers in overtime.
Going 10-of-18 from the floor, including 5-of-9 from behind the arc, it was Macon’s second career 30-point game, both coming against conference foes.
The 6-1 guard is just the sixth Razorback since Arkansas joined the SEC to record multiple 30-point games in a career against conference opponents.
Macon combined with fellow senior guard Jaylen Barford to score 61 points in the come-from-behind win, including 31 of Arkansas’ final 41 points.
The Little Rock native went 3-for-3 from the field in overtime, including 6-of-6 from the free throw line to hold off the Volunteers, scoring 13 of Arkansas’ program record 22 overtime points.
In the last six games, Macon has 34 assists to just six turnovers in 185 minutes of action, including three seven-plus assist performances.
Last week against Bakersfield, Macon tied his career high with eight assists and did not register a turnover.
Macon is shooting 46.2 percent (67-145) from the floor during his senior year, including an impressive 45.0 percent (36-80) from behind the arc.
After starting the season making his first 17 free throws, he is shooting 87.0 percent from the charity stripe, after going 8-of-8 against Tennessee and 6-of-8 against Bakersfield.
The Razorbacks take their show on the road for the next two games, as Arkansas travels to Starkville, Mississippi, to face the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Tuesday at 8 p.m., before turning around and heading to Auburn next Saturday for a match-up with the Tigers at 5 p.m.
If you don’t want Chavis, then who should Hogs get?
We still don’t have any official word on the hiring of John Chavis, but there’s also been no hint of anybody else.
Well, someone updated his Wikipedia page in the last 48 hours that shows him as the Razorbacks’ defensive coordinator at $1.55 million a year (he was getting $1.6 million at Texas A&M), but that can be done by anyone.
Some Arkansas fans think it’s a great hire. At least as many think it’s a horrible choice.
Taken in context, Chavis’ 23 years as a defensive coordinator — all of it in the SEC — puts him at a level Arkansas hasn’t seen since Frank Broyles and Lou Holtz convinced Monte Kiffin to come to Fayetteville in 1977.
As I said, take it in context. Chavis’ last three years at Texas A&M hasn’t produced the eye-popping results his defenses at LSU produced. The last six seasons were more consistent than his tenure at Tennessee (from 1995-2008, despite some media reports he was not the Vols’ defensive coordinator from 1989-1994 but a position coach).
He meets the criteria that makes you understand why Chad Morris said he was getting the best defensive coordinator in college football. There are many in the profession that still put him at the top.
Some look at the numbers at Texas A&M and scoff at that.
In his first year with the Aggies he took them from No. 102 in the nation in yards allowed (450.8) and tied for 75th in scoring allowed (28.1) to No. 42 in yards (367) and 29th in scoring (21.6).
Yes, they regressed in the second year, primarily due to some injuries to key players. Eventual No. 1 selection Myles Garrett leaps initially to mind. He suffered a high ankle sprain against Arkansas and never fully recovered.
But they bounced back to finish No. 60 in yardage this past season (389) and 82nd in scoring (28.7). For comparison, Arkansas was No. 100 in yardage (438) and No. 116 in scoring (36.2).
Keep in mind, too, even though he won’t admit it publicly (coaches seldom, if ever, throw previous employers under the bus for a few years) recruiting at Texas A&M was primarily on the offensive side of the ball and I think he had to accept some assistants that weren’t the best.
At A&M politics and Aggie pride sometimes trumps quality when it comes to football. That’s not my opinion … it’s what at least three previous head coaches there have told me. There’s a reason they haven’t won a championship there in 78 years.
Don’t look at the last three years with Chavis. Look at the body of work. If the game has passed him by, as some are convinced, we’ll know soon enough and changes can be made. The guess here is Morris’ offense will prevent a full-blown meltdown.
It’s also a guess Arkansas’ defense will be much improved, even with the players coming back.
Besides, who do you think the Hogs could get?
Brent Venables isn’t going to leave Clemson. That would be the biggest story in college football in quite some time if he left a regular title contender for a lateral move to a school that’s not in that category.
Don’t say it’s because they were trying to be cheap. When you get to coordinators, they are less likely to leave a winning situation for a lateral move over money than a head coach.
Some say find the best up-and-comer as a defensive coordinator, but that’s easier said than done. I don’t know who that would be.
We mentioned Kiffin coming to Arkansas in 1977 and immediately putting one of the best defenses in school history on the field.
It might be a stretch to expect Chavis (or even Venables) to come close to duplicating that.
There isn’t the same level of talent coming back that there was in 1977 (Dan Hampton, Larry Jackson and others) that had been coached by Jimmy Johnson for four years. A Hall of Famer coaching Hall of Famers.
While I think Paul Rhoads is a good guy and worked hard, he’s not Jimmy Johnson and I don’t see any future Hall of Famers on this roster.
So, if you don’t like the Chavis hire, who do you think they can get that’s better?
Hogs survive Ole Miss for win in SEC opener
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas survived a tough fourth quarter to notch its first Southeastern Conference win of the year with a 73-72 victory over Ole Miss in Bud Walton Arena on Sunday.
Razorback coach Mike Neighbors took a 30 second timeout and graduate student Devin Cosper got Arkansas on the board with a 3-pointer to maintain the lead.
Arkansas played Ole Miss even, 11-11, from that point on.
Arkansas (10-4, 1-0 SEC) allowed the Rebels (10-4, 0-1 SEC) to open the frame on an 11-0 run erasing the 62-50 lead the Razorbacks held at the end of three periods.
The back-and-forth battle came down to the final seconds of the game. Arkansas held a 73-72 lead with 0:54 seconds to play.
The Razorbacks missed a jumper and Ole Miss grabbed the defensive rebound.
The Rebels slowed the pace holding for the final shot but missed with 0:07 seconds on the clock.
Arkansas forced a jump ball on the rebound, but the possession arrow favored Ole Miss. With 0:05 seconds on the clock, Ole Miss had to inbound the ball under their basket.
The Razorbacks double-teamed the post player and Ole Miss tried to throw the ball off Taylah Thomas’ back.
Malica Monk was able to steal the ball and charge up the court as time expired.
Notes
• Four 3-pointers ties Arkansas’ 1Q record for makes from distance in the frame.
• Malica Monk has scored in double figures in all 14 games. She finished with 12 points and four assists.
• Devin Cosper scored in double figures in 12 games this year.
• Devin Cosper finishes with a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds. It is the sixth double-double of her career — all recorded this season.
• Arkansas has forced double figure turnovers for the 12th time this year (17).
• Arkansas is 4-6 in SEC home openers.
• Three players scored in double figures lead by Devin Cosper with 18 points. Jailyn Mason added 13 points and Malica Monk had 12 points.
Up Next
Arkansas has its first SEC road game of the season traveling to NCAA runner-up Mississippi State on Thursday for an 8 p.m. tip on the SEC Network.
Overstreet caps stellar year with Patriot All-America victory
LITCHFIELD PARK, Ariz. — A year to remember for Mason Overstreet got a little bit sweeter on the final day of 2017, as he cruised to a six-shot victory at the 2017 Patriot All-America Invitational at The Wigwam in Litchfield Park.
In a loaded event that features 84 PING All-America golfers from all three NCAA Divisions, Overstreet ran away from the field with a final round 6-under 64 to capture a six-shot victory.
He rolled in nine birdies in the final round, including birdies in five of the first seven holes.
Overstreet bested defending champion and Ole Miss Rebel Braden Thornberry by 11 shots. Thornberry not only won the event last year, but also defeated Overstreet for the NCAA individual title in June. In all, the Razorback standout defeated 11 Southeastern Conference players in the field.
For the weekend, Overstreet posted rounds of 67-68-64 – 199 (-11), recording 19 birdies and one eagle to earn a statement victory on the final day of the calendar year.
Every player at the Patriot All-America honors a fallen or severely injured soldier by carrying a golf bag bearing the name of that soldier.
At the conclusion of the tournament, the golf bags are shipped to players’ schools and auctioned with all proceeds benefiting the Folds of Honor Foundation, which provides post-secondary educational scholarships for children and spouses of military service men and women killed or disabled while in active service.
The Patriot All-America has featured a slew of current PGA TOUR players, including 2017 US Open champion Brooks Koepka (2011), 2017 PGA Championship winner and FedEx Cup champion Justin Thomas (2011), Patrick Rodgers (2011), Daniel Berger (2012) and Bryson DeChambeau (2013).
In what was an incredible year for Overstreet, he finished runner-up at the NCAA National Championship, became the first Razorback freshman to finish at even par or better at the SEC Championship and captured his first collegiate win this fall at the Jerry Pate Intercollegiate.
Overstreet and the Razorbacks return to action in February, playing the spring opener at TPC Sawgrass for the Sea Best Invitational. The two-day event is scheduled for Feb. 5-6 in Ponte Vedra, Florida.
Report has ex-strength coach headed to Michigan
Former Razorbacks director of strength and conditioning Ben Herbert, who served under Bret Bielema for several seasons at Wisconsin and Arkansas, is headed to Michigan, according to multiple reports.
Herbert will replace Kevin Tolbert for the Wolverines, who Jim Harbaugh fired two weeks ago. Herbert was gone when Bielema was fired after the season finale against Missouri the day after Thanksgiving.
Herbert will bring plenty of familiarity with the Big Ten to his new job with the Wolverines, spending 11 seasons on the strength and conditioning staff at Wisconsin, which is his alma mater.
Herbert followed Bielema to Arkansas after the former Badgers head coach left Madison for Fayetteville after the 2012 season.
