Sure wish I could say that the loss on Saturday was the moment I could point to and say, “Well, I guess it’s just not going to happen here for Stan.”
Unfortunately, for me that statement was made back in March of 2005, as I sat at the SEC Tournament in the Georgia Dome and watched the Hogs play the most pathetic basketball game that I have ever seen in person.
Against a much less talented Tennessee team, who had a losing record and eventually fired their coach after the season, the Hogs were beaten by 19 points. While shooting 39 percent and being outrebounded 42-23, they scored a paltry 46 points. For most of the game, the Hogs played lazy, sulked and felt sorry for themselves.
During and after the game, I looked around the Arkansas “cheering” section and saw Frank Broyles, John White, and several of the “money people” just figuratively shaking their heads. The lack of effort that they also had to witness that night is probably why the NIT was told a few days later that Arkansas wasn’t interested in playing in their tournament that year.
At any rate, if you’ve ever been to the SEC tournament, you know that the arena section occupied by the losing team is always inundated after their game by numerous Kentucky fans. They feverishly want to buy your tickets, of course, so that they can call their friends back home and tell them to head to Atlanta for the party. (And maybe make a few bucks in the process, too.)
Unfortunately, after your team gets humiliated and you get asked about 500 times if your tickets are for sale, you’re really not in the mood to talk to any of them. Which is why I was surprised when I had a quick exchange with a middle-aged man wearing his “Big Blue” Wildcats jacket.
I guess he could tell I was there to watch four days of basketball and wasn’t interested in selling my seats. Instead, he just looked me in the eye and very graciously said, “Tough game.” I nodded and agreed.
Then he made a statement that I’ve remembered many times over the last two years of watching Arkansas basketball. I thought about it again after the game on Saturday.
“Let me tell you…we need you guys to be good again,” he said. “It’s just not the same anymore in the SEC as it was back when you guys were good.”
And with that, he summed up the feelings that I (and I believe many others) still have today about the state of Razorback basketball.
It’s why no one notices anymore the number of empty seats at “sold out” Bud Walton Arena. Or that they don’t remember anymore the large numbers who used to fill the student section. Or that they aren’t surprised anymore when games are frittered away. And why it seems no one even gets upset anymore after the losses.
Just not the same anymore, indeed.
I’d love to say things have changed over the past two years. Certainly returning to the NCAA tournament and defeating a few quality opponents has been a positive. But there’s been just as many inexplicably negative losses as well.
Ultimately, a basketball program is like a business. And it’s just too hard to build the support of your “customers” when they don’t trust what the quality of your product will be when they go to buy it. When inconsistency is the only consistent result that your company produces.
And right now there are many people who just aren’t interested in buying into the roller coaster product of the Stan Heath era anymore.
As for me, well…I tore my ride ticket up a couple of years ago.
Excellent Article. Stan is such a likeable guy. I really do wish him the best. His recruiting has been good although it is somewhat curious that he has not recruited a point guard in 5 years. Poor Jefferson was clearly not SEC material and now relying on Ervin instead of developing one of the younger kids or playing point by committee seems to be a real blind spot. It's almost like Houston trying to win without a QB. Very strange stuff. But, where ever Stan ends up, I hope he is happy and learned alot from his time at the top.
Excellent post, Tipster. I think many fans are feeling the frustration of what we have become. Nobody likes to become irrelevant…mediocre. There is no reason – none – why Arkansas Basketball should not be at the top of our division each year. With the advantages we have, there is no excuse. Just take a visit to any of the other five Western Division members’ gymnasiums, coliseums, and arenas. You’ll see how much importance each places on basketball. It is a diversion for most until Spring Football arrives.
I agree with BlindHog…Stan is a likeable guy. Too likeable maybe to get the attention of his players, resulting in the yo-yo, inconsistent play we have come to witness. It’s been said that players are a direct reflection of their coach; that over time they inherit his mentality…his will. Our players, at times are weak…weak-minded, weak with the ball, weak around the basket. This mentality must change if consistency is to be achieved.
With that said, I’m not sure Frank is ever going to pay three basketball coaches at the same time (Nolan, Stan, and whoever is next). In the meantime, we’ll just keep treading water and hope that Arkansas Basketball is a “Sleeping Giant” and not a “Former Basketball Power” like some are beginning to wonder.
I want Stan to succeed. But, I just am losing hope with every loss. I'm almost out of hope. I WANT this team to do well. I like the players. I like the coach. I just wonder what it is that we're lacking.
Tony Dungy reminds me a lot of Stan. Don't jump on me just yet. The ONLY similarity I see is the quietness of his demeanor. But, obviously Dungy has proven that a quiet demeanor and steady approach to his daily business can win in the end.
So, what is it that Dungy has that Heath or other coaches that walk softly, for that matter, don't?
Dungy has made me question whether a personality like Stan really CAN be successful at the highest level. I used to think it couldn't work, but now I'm not sure. I'm glad to see someone succeed who doesn't coach like Reggie Herring. It seems those are two extremes, and I've always felt there's somewhere in the middle that is the optimal coach, but I'm not so sure now.
You can make the case that things were so bad to start that this is really only like Stan’s 3rd or 4th year. He had so little to start with that he had to go out and find available guards his first year and then has relied on Boothead jr and a freshman frontline since then. That group was such an odd miss match of talent that the frontline was ignored and all of the guards had to play out of position for the entire three years. Now his front line should be ready but all of his guards are new. If he can last this year, it will be hard to ignore expectations next year.
He coached one year on a senior dominated team before he got here. Who is going to make the case that he was ready for the SEC?
Eddie may have come from some obscure east coast school and Nolan from Tulsa, but both were clearly proven commodities. Hiring should be the AD’s biggest job. I do not get it.
Frank has gone from emeritus coaching to covering his AD mistakes with more mistakes. I never thought I would see the day I wished he were just meddleing instead of doing his job.
"But, obviously Dungy has proven that a quiet demeanor and steady approach to his daily business can win in the end. "
So did John Wooden.
Maybe it is also WHAT you teach.
It's been nice knowing you Mister Stan Heath… But it's time for you to go…. and all a HOG Fan needs to do is look at your lack of road wins and the way the team falls apart in the second halves of games over the years.. to see why it's time for you to go… The Hog Fans deserve a better coach…. I'm sorry but you're know Eddie or Nolan… and I don't ever see you having their MUSTARD either… Good Luck Stan… Gary D Mitchell SR.
Tipster – great post. As is typical with this team, they lost intensity along the way and Kentucky took it to them. Kentucky goes small and we don't make a single pass into the post. And apparently the press still baffles us.
Dungy knows his x and o's. Stan doesn't appear to have that great a grasp.
But don't complain about the half full arena – if people actually show up I can't just go in and sit at half court like I do now.