May 22, 2013

Kentucky 101, Arkansas 70

January 23, 2010 by

Courtney Fortson / Darius Miller (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

ESPN.com: No. 2 Kentucky cruises to keep perfect record

Darius Miller had a career-high 18 points and DeMarcus Cousins got his 10th double-double as No. 2 Kentucky coasted by Arkansas 101-70 Saturday.

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Filed Under: Arkansas Razorbacks, Basketball, Recap Tagged With:
  • tomahog

    Sad day for the hogs. If I saw something that made me feel like Phel was an asset I would find maybe just a little comfort. I still see us getting out played on defense, offense and rebounding. I look back at the last 2 games and admired the other team for the ability to pass the ball and show an impressive offensive. I watch R Clark stand around and wait for the non existent offense to make him a factor and I just shake my head. I believe Phel is a good man but I also believe he is in way over his head. I wish him the best but feel he is not the best for Arkansas Razorbacks.

  • tomahog

    BTW I truly hope I am wrong about Phel.

  • soupdhog

    So, do you blame Pelphrey for 2 of 20 shooting at one point? Our kids were peeing in their pants they were so scared and intimidated. Missing wide open jump shots, layups, dunks, etc? Give me a break. You can only prepare your kids so much, but if they can’t hit the broad side of the barn there is not much you can do except play defense….which brings me to…

    I agree with the assessment of the defense. Our defense is horrible. I will blame Pelphrey for that.

    And as far as offensive movement and Clarke, you’ve got to get over it. Clarke draws way to much attention. It’s easy for someone to say change the offense so Clarke gets open, but when you have the team’s best defender in your jock running around the court to get open, it’s a tough thing to accomplish. What you should be saying is, ‘the other kids need to step up and get open to make some shots’. When they start hitting, it opens up more opportunity for Clarke.

    My assessment is that Kentucky is an incredible team, playing in the toughest venue in the country, against a scared, overmatched team. We were lucky they only scored 100 on us.

    • tomahog

      Yes I do blame the coach for kids being scared to death and peeing in their pants. I feel the coach sets the tone and to be a true warrior you must be fearless. That is what leads to SEC victories. The leadership starts from the top and I feel we are going thru the motions with no true personality. I agree with you that Phel cannot shoot the ball but he can provide the heart to win. We cant seem to find the the true grit to really fight. Thanks for your feedback it was of value.

    • opionatedblowhard

      Pretty much yes. Never saw Nolan’s kids scared or Eddies for that matter. So yeah, he is responsible for picking them and getting their heads ready to play.

      • soupdhog

        That’s not true – I remember Day and Mayberry freaking out under the pressure during their early years. Also remember Corliss being way outclassed when he was a freshman. And one could argue that SWC/SEC basketball was not what it is today. I don’t recall 20,000 seat venues 15-20 years ago.

        Point is, we now know Washington and Welsh will not really materially contribute. Washington has little discipline to stay out of foul trouble, and well, Welsh is Welsh. Our stars are Freshmen and sophmores, who have VERY little expereince playing in front of huge crowds and television audiences.

        I’m convinced we have some potential. If Fortson’s penetration was a factor, Clarke frees up for some shots. If we could have hit a couple mid range shots, that frees up the middle for Washington and Powell.

        I think the Kentucky game was an anomaly – we shot horribly which I think was due to lack of experience in playing in one of the toughest atmospheres in college basketball. We’ve proven against Miss St, Alabama and Florida that we can be competitive in the SEC. Can we challenge elite teams yet? We hung tough with Texas, but no, we’re still young.

        It frustrates me to no end that you people go off the deep end after a loss. Try showing some support and maybe you’ll be surprised at what happens.

      • opionatedblowhard

        It frustrates me that you can’t tell the difference between Fortson and Lee Mayberry or Cory Beck. He brought in his players and he can’t get them ready.

      • soupdhog

        Blowhard, keep blowin…Mayberry wasn’t top rate until his mid-sophmore year. Beck didn’t come around until junior and I would suggest maybe senior year. I never said Fortson was a Mayberry or Beck – I just pointed out that those kids were not born ready to go into Rupp as a freshman or sophmore, which you seemed to lay on the coach. I simply disagree that a coach can get young kids mentally ready to go in front of 22,000 screaming fans against arguably the most dominant team in the country and expect them to play like they’ve been there before.

        Let’s try something you might relate to – That’s like you mentally preparing your new hire right out of college to deliver a pitch to Donald Trump, in his boardroom, full of the top businessmen in the country. If that kiid had never delivered a speech in front of that type of audience, do you think they wouldn’t be nervous and not intimidated? C’mon, join the real world with the rest of us.

        You need to lay off Fortson – we are much better off since he has re-joined the team. Despite his turnovers and ill advised drives at times, he helps us be a better team. Frankly, I’m amazed at the difference between Forston without and Fortson with. It’s a totally different team.

        Now, if Fortson doesn’t improve over the next 2-3 weeks, I may start to agree with you. But remember the kid was one of the top freshman in the SEC last year, and is off to a pretty good start after just a few games.

        Are you really a fan or just someone that picks apart the program?

      • opionatedblowhard

        I go to the games and have been a fan since a kid. I am 47 now so yeah I am a fan. I am just saying I see nothing out of Pelphrey making this a better program with his kids and his coaching.

        That’s pretty much it. That doesn’t mean I am not a fan.

        You can’t get a decent defense in three years?????????

        Lay off the personal attacks, it is unbecoming of someone as Righteous as you are.

      • Soupdhog

        Sorry blowhard, it wasn’t my intent to attack you personally. I apologize for you taking it that way.

        Let’s just agree to disagree.

  • Hawgfan100

    “Yes I do blame the coach for kids being scared to death and peeing in their pants.”

    Oh horseshit. I don’t care who you are or how great a ‘motivator’ you’re supposed to be. If they ain’t buyin’, they ain’t buyin’. Period.

    • Soupd

      And obviously the person that says this hasn’t played ball past te 8th grade. There is no way you can ‘get a kids head right’ to play in front of 22,000 screaming hostiles in the sec. That comes from being there before, also called experience.

      It will get better.

      • http://www.razorbloggers.net/ HogBaller

        “It will get better.”

        You are right, it will get better at the end of the season when Pelphrey is FIRED.

  • GonzoHog

    When people are disatisfied with the effort/outcome of ballgames/frustrated/need a scapegoat or whatever, the complaining always goes back to the head coach.

    We’ll get better, but people have to realize we’re not as good as UK.

    They not only have better talent at the starting positions, they have better talent on the bench as well.

    We’re not the only team UK has made look foolish in Rupp area this season.

    That doesn’t make me feel any better about the loss, but I certainly understand it.

    I think everyone understands we’re not on the level of UK right now, so why use that game as the backbone of arguing over the head coach trying to rebuild what is currently lost?

    Let’s be real guys. Did anyone not believe there was a good chance we get blown out in Rupp? I know I certainly did.

    Just because we were down by as many as 42 points to the #1 team in the country in their house, doesn’t all of a sudden mean the end of the world. It happens everywhere. We aren’t the only so called ex-nationally publisized basketball program to take a hit like that.

    We did it to Missouri back in ’93, (a 50+ masacre) right before we became #1 that season.

    I believe that same Missouri squade made the elite 8 that season.

    Look at Florida St. and Michigan in football. How do you think their fans feel? Much like we do in basketball, I suppose.

    • soupdhog

      Well put Gonzo!

    • OwassoHog

      I’ve never heard more whining about the state of our basketball program than right now and that’s just from the Bloggers from this site!

      Personally, I understanding that this is a progression for our program… we may or may not get there with this coach. But in my mind, this coach really on barely into his second year. That first year was nothing more than transitional… he just had to let that play itself out. The level of whining began well before the beginning of his real first year and has only gotten worse… with all of the junk that began this year, it doesn’t surprise me that this team is struggling.

      Maybe… just maybe, with a little fan support, we get past all of this over the next couple of years. I BELIEVE that we can!

      • opionatedblowhard

        I believe you are mistaken. It is called regression.

      • soupdhog

        Blowhard, where is the regression? I beleive we were 0-4 at this point last year, right? We’re already at 50% of our SEC win total.

        Do you blame Pelphrey for Sanchez’s foot injury too?

      • opionatedblowhard

        Sanchez is not a center and we already have forwards. I blame Pelphrey for not getting a center in three years time.

  • http://www.fayettevilleflyer.com sg

    Yesterday’s loss wasn’t surprising to me. I’ve mentioned it before, our stat sheets are becoming so similar it’s almost hard to distinguish one from another. We have problems, true, but I’m not ready to give up on the program now. We still have to support our team.

    My state of the Hogs article:
    http://www.fayettevilleflyer.com/2010/01/24/sg-sp…

    • http://www.razorbloggers.net Walking on Sunshine

      Nice writeup SG…we feel your pain.

  • RazorHog

    Pelphrey is in over his head and has got to go.

  • Swineherd

    You guys who sat through the whole thing have more endurance than I do. I fouled out before the end of the first half and hit the showers, knowing I could get a better handle on the game by reading about here on Razorbloggers. (And if you’ll vote for me I promise. . ..)

    I agree with most of what has been said. Like Soup, I am inclined to think this game was an anomaly. We were off; they were on.

    I also think the most important thing for this season is to land the recruits who have orally committed to the Hogs, and I think Pelphrey is in the best position to do that. Bringing in a new coach this year would be foolish in the extreme. Not even John Wooden in his prime could turn this situation around in less than two or three years.

    If Pelphrey fails to get the recruits, then there’s no obvious reason to keep him around.

    Re E. Sutton: His first recruiting class had Moncrief, Brewer and Delph. It didn’t take him long to get these guys competitive in the SWC. By the end of their second year they were already getting salty. Sutton was the first at AR to stress Defense and ball control, in the days before the 3-point shot and the shot clock.

    Nolan had a couple of mediocre years before he got rollin’. It probably took two years for Nolan’s players to get into shape to play his brand of ball. Nolan didn’t seem to have any problem with discipline. But players were different back then, probably less selfish and spoiled, more respectful of authority.

    Both these guys took a few troubled young men and molded them into basketball players. I’m not sure Pelphrey has that kind of character.

  • Hawgfan100

    “I’m not sure Pelphrey has that kind of character.”

    Jesus, do you guys even listen to yourselves? What gives you the right to question the man’s character?

    • Swineherd

      “Sports do not build character; they reveal it.”–John Wooden

      “Character is destiny.”–Heraclitus

      Character is that quality which commands respect, or the lack of it.–Swineherd

      • Hawgfan100

        And is there an answer to my question in all that blather?

    • opionatedblowhard

      Jesus?

      • Hawgfan100

        None for me, thanks.

    • Swineherd

      The U.S Constitution.

      • Swineherd

        What gives you the right to question my statement?

      • Hawgfan100

        The right to free speech doesn’t extend to libel (which is what you’re dancing around).

      • Hawgfan100

        “What gives you the right to question my statement?”

        All good men should stand up for those dishonestly and unfairly accused, especially in their absence.

      • Swineherd

        This is a thousand miles from libel. I was only opining that perhaps Pelphrey doesn’t have the character of Sutton and Richardson, and the record indicates the truth of that. I was also implying that the character of the coach commands loyalty, respect, discipline and effort from the players. Didn’t think I’d have to spell it out.

        Who’s to blame for the poor performance of the team? Coach or players? Coach is the first suspect. If a coach has any character he will accept responsibility for his team’s performance. The players are just kids, comparatively speaking, many still in their teens. You can’t put the responsibility for the state of a program in long decline on the shoulders of the players.

        Richardson used to say he was to blame for the losses and the players were responsible for the wins. That’s the kind of coach you want to play for.

        “Jesus, do you guys even listen to yourselves”? –Hawgfan 100

      • Hawgfan100

        “This is a thousand miles from libel.”

        It’s not right on top of it but it’s a lot closer than a 1,000 miles…you know, like dancin’ around…

        “…and the record indicates the truth of that.’

        The record only indicates wins and losses.

        “I was also implying that the character of the coach commands loyalty, respect, discipline and effort from the players. Didn’t think I’d have to spell it out.”

        Pelphrey has all that; kinda sad you don’t see it.

        “You can’t put the responsibility for the state of a program in long decline on the shoulders of the players.”

        Not completely. You can’t completely lay it at the feet of the man brought in to clean up that long-standing decline either.

        “That’s the kind of coach you want to play for.”

        Not the kind of coach I’d want to play for: half of his quote is a lie. It’s cute and I’m sure it made you go all warm and fuzzy inside but still half a lie.

      • Swineherd

        You say “the record only indicates wins and losses.”

        No, it also indicates the state of program past and present, which includes fan support and revenues. Even if it only indicated wins and losses, Pelphrey would still be at the bottom of the list for the last forty years.

      • opionatedblowhard

        Pelphrey is tall and red headed and is conspiring to drive us into the ground to help his alma mater. Now that would be libel.

  • http://www.razorbloggers.net/ HogBaller

    FIRE PELPHREY

  • GolfHog

    I think you’re both right.

    Kentucky is playing next year’s NBA All Rookie team. We are young and have never played in Rupp before.

    And, there is no way around it, Pel is in over his head. He’ll be gone sooner or later. There is no other way to look at it.

    The only real question left is how do we bring in this Arkansas class in 2011 and who do we get to coach them?

  • Allied Moving Compan

    FIRE PELPHREY TODAY! He is not ever going to get this team back into National Championship shape. Period. He’s given no indication that he knows how to do that. I refuse to lower my expectations, and I’m unwilling to think it’s o.k. to wait two more years to finish 3rd in the SEC West. That might be all John Long wants out of a coach, but it is not what I have grown to expect from the University of Arkansas basketball program. We need to open up the checkbook and offer Villanova’s Jay Wright one dollar more than Calipari is earning at Kentucky. FIRE PELPHREY TODAY!!

  • Mike in Magnolia

    Long will Keep Pelphry as well as he should. You who say fire him just don’t realize that at this stage there is NO one who would take the job. Look what happened when Heath was fired. If you give him 3 years and out all that says to a future hire that he has only 3 years then he is gone. Yea I can just see them lineing up for an application. You have to give any coach 4-5 years. WE take our lumps now and look to next year. I may sound like a democrat, but its the last administrations fault. It is what it is for now. All I want to see is improvement the rest of the season.

  • GonzoHog

    Mike in Magnolia,

    Good post. I agree 100%.

    I think a lot of people are just jealous of what Kentucky has and like to use the excuse of Calipari resurecting their program his very first season to blast John Pelphrey.

    If some of you will remember, John Calipari and Bill Self were both contacted by F. Broyles before the search firm was hired to find the next best thing to an elite coach.

    Calipari said flat out, no thanks, while Self probably could have been landed, but Frank wasn’t going to put out that kind of money when he knew another search for a football coach was soon to be on the horizan, otherwise, there’s a darn good chance Bobby Petrino isn’t here today.

    Some of you ought to stop a think about that for a moment.

    • opionatedblowhard

      Ok, I thought about it for a day and Pelphrey is still not the dude.

  • http://www.thoughts.com/OKOFCOURSE/blog OKOFCOURSE

    Take this with a grain of salt because it’s just a rumor but I heard Calipari wanted to come to Arkansas when he was offered but asked Arkansas to wait one more year (Calipari thought he could win the National Championship the next year @ “Shelby County Community College” which he almost did) but Arkansas couldn’t wait. They were afraid that Heath might go to the NCAA tournament that year and win a game or two, or win the NIT if he didn’t get an NCAA bid. They would then be stuck with Heath for a few more years; the ideal time to can Heath was the year they did with 6 scholarships coming available.

    Here’s my problem: Why does anyone want a cheater? Calipari has been nailed at the last 2 programs he’s been in for cheating, leaving them in the wreckage as he moved on with his life. If anyone thinks that he’s not doing the same thing @ UK (by far the best recruiting class last year – probably ever) then why not? History does in fact repeat itself, you know.

    • GolfHog

      Yeah, those six scholarships were really important. At least Heath could sign kids taller than 6 feet.

  • http://www.thoughts.com/OKOFCOURSE/blog OKOFCOURSE

    Like Olu Famutimi, Vincent Hunter, Darian Townes or Anthoney Gray? Besides, if you’re such a good golfer then why aren’t you on the basketball team?