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Passing Out Grades

February 13, 2008 by HogBaller 

The Razorbacks start the second half of the SEC schedule tonight with a tough, tough matchup against the #4-ranked Tennessee Volunteers.  But before we look ahead, let’s recap the season so far.

Patrick Beverley / Quinton Thornton (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)The Hogs are 17-5 and have 4 players averaging in double figures:  Sonny Weems at 14.9 points per game, Patrick Beverley with 12.2, Darian Townes at 11.0 and Charles Thomas with 10.

The Razorbacks hold a 6-2 record in the SEC West and are 1/2 game behind the division-leading Mississippi State Bulldogs.  Contrast that with last season, where the Hogs were 14-8 overall and 3-5 in the SEC through 22 games.

At this point, I’m giving this team a “B-” mainly due to their road win against Baylor and their conference mark through eight games in the always tough SEC.  Even though the results of the last four games look like the pieces are coming together, it’s obvious now how bad the losses were to South Carolina (now 3-5) and Georgia (2-6).  Win those games and the Hogs would’ve definitely earned an “A” from me.

Hopefully, at the end of the season we won’t be pointing back to those two games as keeping us from winning a division title or earning a ‘dance ticket.’  It certainly would’ve given this team a bit more room for error in what’s shaping up to be a very tough second half of the SEC schedule.

The remaining conference schedule has five games on the road and three at home.  Last year’s second half was an even split of road and home games and that team went 4-4.

Darian Townes / Chandler Parsons / Dan Werner (AP Photo/Beth Hall)So how will this year’s team do?  Three of the next four games are on the road and have the Hogs traveling to Tennessee, Mississippi State and Kentucky.  Playing back-to-back games on the road against SEC division-leading teams, followed up with a trip shortly thereafter to Rupp Arena (where the Wildcats always play well) doesn’t seem to setup well for a late season run.

Having said all of that, tonight’s game against the Volunteers should provide a measuring stick for what to expect from this bunch of Razorbacks over the next eight games.  This team definitely has the talent to win all of their remaining road games.  But they are going to have to play superb defense, hit shots and continue playing as a team.

So have these guys really grabbed hold of Pelphrey’s system?  Or are they going to let go now and fall back into familiar bad habits?  Repeat last year’s road woes and slide out of contention?  Or man-up to this week’s challenges at Knoxville and Starkville, and then finish the season strong?

What mid-term grade would you give this team?

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5 Responses to “Passing Out Grades”

  1. BACONBITS on February 13th, 2008 7:14 am

    I would give this team a B……..to break it down percentage wise 82%………
    The road loss at Georgia and home loss to S. Carolina were disheartning but this recent push has caused me to be optimistic. It’s like a emotional rollercoaster ride when you watch these hoop hogs play and i know Pelphrey really feels it on the sideline……….

    I hope the hogs finish strong this year and these seniors leave here on a positive note. GO HOGS GO!!!!!!!!!!!!

  2. BlindHog on February 13th, 2008 8:36 am

    It has to be a B with this record and the two poor performances. It is easy in hindsight to say that they should have won those games, and they should have, but marginal teams always play better early when they still have something to play for and South Carolina must have the best road record in the SEC outside of Tennessee.

    I am not as down on this bunch as I was after Georgia. They played very well at home and, if you can’t take advantage of that senior experience in February, well, then you didn’t really learn much from your years on the hill.

    They should know by now that defense is the cornerstone of hawgball. Always has been. Defense is the remedy for road games and defense, rebounding, and free throw shooting will win a lot of close games.

    This week will tell the tale. Is this the beginning of the Pelphry era or just the end of the Heath regime?

    Get a split, Baby! Go Hogs!

  3. GonzoHog on February 13th, 2008 12:32 pm

    Even with the 2 set-backs of SC and Georgia, these kids have progressed well under Pelphrey. They beat a very good Baylor Squad on a neutral court before the slide, and could have repeated the Georgia episode at LSU very easily. Granted the Tigers aren’t very good this year, anything can happen on the road in this league, as atested by the lack-luster performance by the Vols that almost got them beat at LSU recently. There’s no doubt some of the recent home wins by the Hogs could have easily been losses on the road, but you could say that about any team in the SEC from what I’ve seen so far. The Vols might be the 1 exception. This will have to be 1 game this year that the Hogs will have to put it all together. So far, they haven’t been able to play defense, rebound, and shoot FTs, all at the same time, consistantly for 40 minutes. This will be the game they will have to do all of them. FTs are a must! So far, I give this team a B. Even if they happen to lose tonight, that grade could still go up. The Vols have a very good team this year, so let’s keep our fingures crossed. GO HOGS GO!!!!! BEAT TENNESSEE!!!!!

  4. T-towner on February 13th, 2008 2:17 pm

    Good analysis and posts—-I agree “B-” is about right. They have won a couple of surprises, but all of the losses were to lesser teams——-go figure that! Even Eddie’s and Nolan’s better teams would lose a game here and there that they should not have. All teams do, but the five this team has lost are all head scratchers except OU at Norman and they would win that in a rematch probably.

  5. BlindHog on February 16th, 2008 7:57 pm

    C+

    Too much Heath left in these boys, not enough basketball team. They should never have let Beverly spent so much time on the international circuit this summer. He was too important to this team.