Courtney Fortson may be back soon, but how much of a difference would he really make if this team, as a whole, doesn't show the intensity and passion of what we have come to know as REAL Razorback basketball.

The players just seem to go through the motions, as if they really don't have any confidence in what they're doing.

As much as I hate to say it, that comes from the leadership and coaching they're recieving, or at least it seems that way to me.

We're winning, sure, (a 3 game winning streak) but considering the competition we've been facing, we sure haven't looked all that impressive. As a matter of fact, we've looked down right boring at best.

I don't nessesarily believe the lack of attendance have everything to do with Pelphrey's lack of coaching, but like HogBlogger mentioned, the lack of confidence Razorback fans have in the overall basketball program in general has a lot to do with it.

If things don't start turning around pretty soon, i'm afraid our recruiting will start crumbling at the most crucial time I can ever remember in Razorback basketball.

Any good performer knows you have to put on an exciting show before you can expect a good audience. When Eddie Sutton first came to Fayetteville, Barnhill Fieldhouse was about a 4000 seat arena, with sawdust on the floor around the court. Arkansas basketball couldn't draw flies. Moncrief and Brewer and Delph and Co. provided the excitement, and the fan base grew. And grew. The fans will come back if and when exciting basketball returns.

As for the fans hanging in there: I believe they have done that for much longer already than most fans would have. Their patience is worn out. Who could blame them? Quality has been deterioraing for a long time, since '95, as others have noted. Now it is at rock bottom. I never thought I would see this.

What's the situation with student tickets? Do they have to buy regular-price tickets, discounted tickets? Seems that with low attendance the university should give students free tickets, just to warm the seats and make some noise. If any group should support the team through thick and thin, it is the students. However, I'm afraid "the program" has not been supportive of the students in a long time. After "Hawgball" went big-time, the students were given the shaft, IMO.

There is no hope in the goofball.

I yelled loud the entire time last year at the Texas Game last year and then sat dumbfounded at how pitiful we looked against M State a few days later when we played a team that actually new how to play defense against our team that has not even a clue how to play team offense. I wanted to yell and did occasionally, but dude they were pitiful.

Put a good product on the floor or move on. Bobby Knight didn't always have the most talent, but they knew how to play the game. And it was even fun to watch.

Nolan was fun to watch even into his second and third year. He didn't have squat to start with.

The opposing team doesn't even pull their chairs onto the court anymore during timeouts. Only our team does. What does that tell you.

Arkansas Basketball slowing fading into the night since 1999.

I got there earlier and there were several older people holding up tickets, but no takers. Walking through the North Parking lot was a breeze as hardly anyone was parked in there.

It will be interesting to see how many people show up for the Texas Game.

It is always interesting at the beginning of the game to see who the starting guards will be.

The girls competing for the halftime prize were hilarious.

Oh well, a few good athletes or a cohesive team would start the rebuilding process. Just not sure the players or fans have faith that Pel can get it done.

Do we continue to wait it out? and wait what out? Richie Cunningham isn't one day going to say, "I guess I wasn't up to the job – I am not a top tier coach. I am not the fiesty, up and coming fireball you bought."

Can we bring in a good, proven coach? With Coach Petrino, we see firsthand that shelling out the money for true coaching talent is worth it. But have we fallen so far that a proven coach wouldn't come here for a million dollar raise?

Kentucky wasn't the fit for Gillespe, and they forked out the dough, and righted the ship. I am not trying to put us at the same table as Kentucky (I would have before Kareem Reid) – but can we right our ship with a big name hire? Petrino is worth the money – no doubt. Is there a name out there that would come to Fayetteville?

Before we go do that – is Richie Cunningham the right guy for us? Is he going to be able to recruit, train, and teach the talent we need to compete at a national level – in 2 to 3 years? Can he do it? What are his strengths?

Is he a basketball Xs and Os coach that can build a team with his "system"?

Is he the hard-butt coach that puts guys into incredible physical shape so we can overpower and outspeed our opponents?

Is he a super motivator that can get these 18 year olds to overachieve because they believe in themselves?

I don't know. I am scared to let him go though to go after a big name, because I am a little embarrassed to find out the best replacement we could get.

I love Razorback basketball. This frustrates me to no end. Beck, Corliss, Thurman, McDaniel, Darnell… I remember crazy Ken Biley prancing around "knockin' on tha door to tha final four!" It was so fun to have a team of almost no-names – but we would come in there and Hawg Ball you to death. In the middle of the game we would be up by a dozen, and Nolan would all of a sudden send back in all of the starters! We could win with our second team in the day. Guys were hustling, playing tough defense, passing the ball… and BWA was PACKED and LOUD. that was fun. Then came Kareem Reid (but that is my opinion and has nothing to do here)

So – what do we need to do?

Is Opie Taylor our man? Do we bet our ranch on him? Do we have a choice?

I would also like to point out that this is not just a case of "fair-weather" fans abandoning a team in a tough time. The basketball program has been in an almost constant decline since the mid-90s. Each year there are reports of so-and-so recruit who will finally get our team over the hump and back into national consideration, and each year the Razorbacks end up in about the same or a worse state than when the season began.

Add to that the suspensions, accusations, and general lack of excitement that has come to characterize the program, and it's not hard to see why the level of interest is so low. The team appears undisciplined and unmotivated, and that suggests that improvement is nowhere in sight.

Until the players and coaches show (not say, but SHOW) that they are committed to competing and improving, the program will be met with indifference.

I think the issue is the quality of the product. When the fans are not seeing good basketball they will not come. No amount of 'rah rah' or comments about the responsibility of a true fan can overcome the product. The Arkansas fans can tell the difference between good basketball and not good basketball.

The quality of the product is a function of the emphasis given to the overall program by the powers that be, the coaching, the coaches personal ability to appeal to fans (putting a quality product on the floor certainly heightens personal appeal, but some amount of personal charisma helps), recruiting and winning or at least the opportunity to win.

It's not the fans or the arena that has lost their edge. It's the program that has lost it's edge. Since the latter days of Nolan this program has not carried itself in a way that is focused on competing at the highest level.

The fans definitely realize this. The powers that be are pretending not to know.

One of the top 20 programs in the history of college basketball has a power ranking in the 300's with a coach in his third year with the program. Yes, I know all the current issues. Yes, I've been told we should wait until the coach 'gets his team on the floor,' before we judge the situation.

My view is we are seeing the coach's team on the floor every night. Whatever or whoever, it's his team.

And I say with all seriousness that unless they are all new fans that start to come out when this upswing happens, that the current fans don't even deserve it.

Arkansas Basketball Fans: Disappointing Since 1999

Hog fans have lost their edge when it comes to basketball. Blame it on the team struggling all you want. I was there when Sutton and Nolan were coaching and the fans rocked the house.

The new age of fans just don't know how, even if the team is playing well.

This is more than just sad. It pisses me off. I live 1,200 miles away and I think I have been to more Arkansas basketball games the last 10 years than 80% of the people living in the NW Arkansas area.

That is just lame.

Wednesday night's game was the first I've attended all year after having season tickets for the past 15 years. (That should tell you something about how I feel about the state of the program and college basketball overall.)

I went in with the lowest expectations for the BWA atmosphere based on all I had heard from others. So when it wasn't just plain awful, I guess I was pleasantly surprised.

It wasn't awful…but as this post describes, it wasn't good, either. As Nolan used to say, Bud Walton Arena is a monster you have to feed. And right now, it's starving to death.

What do you think? Is the fan base "rebuilding"? Could we help the team by filling up BWA? Or does the team need to give us a reason to show up?

And it's the best account of the game I've heard. Thanks for experiencing it, HogBlogger, so the rest of us didn't have to. And for the heartfelt writing. I got a phone call during the second half of the radio broadcast, and I forgot to turn the game back on when the call was over.

What a great opportunity to check out the cheerleaders! You know I'm always hungry for word about them.

That's great news about the band, especially the drummer. Do you think they'll be releasing a CD in time for Christmas?