It was mentioned during the game on Saturday that the Arkansas-Kentucky matchup for a few years there was the lead-in event to the Super Bowl. How distant and remote does that sound today?
The 101-70 ass-whuppin’ (embarrassment…whatever…you fill in the blank) in Rupp Arena hurts — really hurts — on so many levels.
It hurts to think we have fallen that far. It hurts to think Kentucky could recover that quickly from the Billy Clyde fiasco and beat us like that with mainly freshmen.
It hurts to lose to a snake like Calipari. Although I will say he was nice to us, letting off the gas with 14 minutes left to play when Kentucky led 75-29.
It hurts for those of us who think John Pelphrey is a good guy. Someone who is passionate about basketball. It hurts to think that these last two tough, back-to-back losses could start a slide reminiscent of last year’s 2-14 debacle. A more than half-empty Bud Walton Arena is a certainty for the rest of the way.
It hurts to see us put a team on the floor with so little basketball talent. It hurts to see our team unable to press and run — play Hawg Ball — because we are not well-conditioned.
More than anything else, though, it hurts because Arkansas — the school, the state, the fans — truly care about basketball. Besides Kentucky, Arkansas is really the only school that gives a rip about basketball in the SEC. The others really only consider it a distraction between football and spring football.
A few years back, Tipster and I went to the SEC Basketball Tournament in Atlanta. Many of the Kentucky faithful (when they weren’t trying to buy our tickets after we lost) made it a point to tell us that the most fun they ever had was when Nolan had the Hogs rolling in the early 90′s after we joined the SEC.
They loved it that somebody else in the league finally cared like they did and, in some cases, were as arrogant and brash as they were. Finally they had somebody to challenge them and be a true rival. And that team was the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Those days are gone for now…and it hurts.
That was very embarrassing. I am the newest passenger on the replace Opie Taylor train. It's time for Mike.
I know it is bad / dangerous to remove a coach after this short of a time period, but I agree that he is in over his head. He has had his shot. Is he really going to get better, enough so that we can go in and beat KY at Rupp? We were little boys playing in a house of men this weekend. I haven't been a big fan of what I think we have to do now, but I believe it is our only hope. – Mike Anderson.
This is not a big time program anymore. We are not going to be able to recruit any big name coach. We tried to get a Billy Donovan-esque firey up and comer coach. It didn't work. Mike Anderson knows Hawg Ball. Mike knows what it's like to be the underdog – but still have the true belief that we are going to come in your house – run you to death – give you 40 minutes of pure hell, and beat you. One way or another we are going to beat you. We never had the prettiest team. We made our own success by working for it. Nolan and Mike would run those guys up Cleveland street over and over again so that 40 minutes indoors was fun for our players. Razorbacks are scrappy, Razorbacks are HUNGRY. This team is lazy. This team is tired. This team is full of excuses.
It won't be easy to get Mike, but hopefully we can get pull on his heart a little. He remembers the 1990s. He raised the banner in 94. The fans will support him. I hope the powers that be will shell out the cash it takes to get him.
40 minutes of Pel – sucks.
If we really are basketball fans, and a basketball school, we need to make a change. The football program proved that paying the money for a good coach is a wise investment. Opie Taylor is going to see about 3,000 fans per game in BWA for the rest of the year.
I like Mike.
Amen!
Even if you think that Pelfrey is not getting the job done, why disrespect him by calling him Opie? Like some of you, I also wonder if Pel can get the job done, but am willing to let things play out a little more. Mike Anderson may not want to come here. What if he doesn't, then who do we get? Remember how hard it was to find someone last time? Pelfrey came in knowing that it was going to be a challenge. So who would we get now? We won't be able to get a big-time established coach. Though were were embarrassed in Kentucky, I personally was proud of the way our team worked, especially when they knew they had no chance. Remember, that's a darn good team at Kentucky. I don't know how many of you guys played basketball in school, but I've played with talented guys who quit when the game was out of reach, and I played with less talented guys who never stopped hustling, never stopped encouraging each other, and played with pride no matter what. We won more games with the latter type of guys. You know what, those are the kind of players I saw on the court Saturday in Razorback red We should get behind them.
Lets call him Conan. Conan only had seven months.
Two types of players:
Those that are very talented, that you just have to guide as they pass through to the NBA.
Those less talented that require the coach to get more than they think they have out of them.
Pelphrey has the latter, and cannot get what they have, much less get them to play larger than themselves as a team. If he can't get the first type, then he has the second and he has to coach his ass off to get more than what he has been getting.
You don't have to be a type 1 player to play great defense. We can't even do that.
Lots and lots of good points. I like Mike (maybe we need buttons, banners, and t-shirts.)
Our team is not in shape. Even an poor coach can get his team in playing shape.
As poor as our starters are, we need to play some hawgball and get those second 5 off the bench. They actually provided a spark. Clark is a great kid but, on any real contending SEC team he gets 15 to 20 minutes a game, tops. The same really goes for Fortson. As good as he is, he is also a liability until he learns to play big boy basketball instead of 'look at me.' Washington is only good for 20 minutes a game anyway. We have no offense and don't play very good defense, we might as well play hawgball and press for 40 minutes a game.
I don't so much mind Saturday. Those guys are all going pro next year and probably start in the NBA the next. What I can't stand is not seeing anything resembling improvement. It looks like our coaching is limited to selecting the starters and rolling the ball out on the floor.
We are spoiled. We had back to back, two of the best 'system' coaches in basketball. Eddie's system was wonderful in it's day. A five point lead was like 20 points with anyone else. It was like watching a chess match. And players, the boy always had players. And, we all still miss Nolan's forty minutes of hell when it was played by a fully stocked bench. It was a wonder to see. Those patented 20 point runs in three minutes were shocking and exhilarating. Nolan had a million combinations off that bench and worked his magic. But, he got lazy and forgot to recruit and Frank was a control freak with a big ego and, here we are.
I've said for a few months now that you are stuck with Pel for a couple of years just to get a foundation under the program again. If he doesn't start to win a few at home they had better crank up the PR machine or they are going to have another Nutty revolt on their hands.
I like Mike. It would look good a bumper sticker. Or, a banner.
I called him Opie Taylor because he is a boy in a world of Men. I meant no real disrespect – I think Opie Taylor is a great little boy. Plus, Pel can take a little heat for the money that he makes per win right now. I think Pelphrey will do great back at a school like USA. (and he does look like Opie)
My opinion is that John is not the right man to be the Coach & Leader of the Razorback Basketball Team for the next 10 years. It stinks. I was hoping he would be it. It just didn't turn out. I know this is short turnaround, but here is why I think we need to do it now.
We need better coaching and we need better players. From what I hear/have read – 2011 has a big batch of talented in-state recruits. We get a new coach in now – ASAP – after this season at the latest. Bring in Mike. Fan base will swoon – because it's a new guy naturally, and because it's Mike – it's 40 minutes of hell, it's Hawg Ball! He will get his one year honeymoon with these guys – and can probably get more out of them than Pel – because he will get them into "game shape". Then we have our 2011 Arkansas recruits – and Hawg Ball is back in action. Hungry Hogs scrapping for wins. Then we can recruit again.
Sure it's a gamble – but I think it's our best bet for higher success. If we stay with Pel, they will get better. But we won't go into Rupp feeling like we are going to run them to death and show them we are back. We will be hoping it is a game where "our team clicks" and we sneak one away for being underestimated. Yuck.
It is my humble opinion that hiring Mike Anderson right now is the best move for the Future of The Razorback Basketball Program. Unfortunately I am not a decision maker with the boosters, so I don't know how the feeling is there, but I would hope we have the money to pay him more than Mizzou – enough so that he will come back. It's a great fit for everyone involved. The Nolan fiasco has subsided. It's time right now to get back to our style. Bring Hawg Ball back.
I like Mike
I believe that Phel can coach as he showed some ability the first year and last year for half of a season. I have not seen much since. Has he lost his focus? I wonder if we had 1/2 the talent that has left UA during his tenure what kind of team would we have. I know we speak of discipline and you have to be this or that but I have heard very little from the ex-players side of the story. Could Phel be over doing the discipline thing? I am not sure but I do know of one guy in Arkansas who can coach, John Brady.
Tom, I had previously raised the points you mentioned, without getting any response from commenters. I too would like to hear the ex-players's side of the story of why they left. Is Pelphrey "over doing the discipline thing?" Is Jeff Long overdoing the discipline thing?
Obviously we have a problem getting basketball players to graduate, a big issue that hardly gets mentioned on this site but is critical to the future of the program. That's an odd conundrum because good basketball players tend to be smart students. Obviously they can't graduate if they are not enrolled at the university.
Pelphrey does remind me of Opie a little bit. Somebody else gets Dudley Dooright, which is apt. He reminds me of the Cookie Monster sometimes when he gets that crazed look on his face. I like Perlphrey as a person. He seems forthright and respectful. I feel sad for him now, because surely he feels intense pressure to win and to re-establish the program, and he feels the wrath of the fans, especially the ones whose seats go empty in the Bud. That's gotta hurt.
I Like Mike.
As much as I would like to see Mike Anderson coach the HOGS, I don't think it will ever happen. Mike was given token consideration only to succeed Nolan. I think it was something like "win the SEC tourney and we'll consider you for the job." Winning the SEC tourney was a slim chance at best since the HOGS had to win 4 games in 4 days with not much talent on that team.
Good point Tom. I think ASU has a much better coach in John Brady than we have in John Pelphrey. But Pel seems to be loyal to his duty as the head HOG and we might as well get used to it. I don't think many good coaches will want to touch the ARKANSAS job with a ten foot pole. We had to go to the university of South Alabama to find Pel. Remember too that we couldn't even lure the coach away from the Creighton Blue Jays!!!!
Mike Anderson doesn't want the job. John Brady doesn't want the job. Maybe we can get Paul Petrino to come back to AR and coach basketball……..
ALthough I don't agree that now is the time to fire Coach Pelphry, you can take this for what it is worth, but he has a grad assistant who is an Arkansas kid and what the scuttle butt is Anderson will not consider another job unless it is Arkansas. That we would be the only school that he would leave Missouri for. It was said that he loves NW Arkansas and would give anything to go back. I am not one who usually has inside scoop but in this case I do no the grad assistant. He played High School ball with my son. SO there ya go. But I vote for Pelphry, give him 2 more years.
Thanks for the scoop Mike…good stuff.
A couple points:
- if Pelphrey is fired, a lot of our young players may transfer. That kills our grad rates once again, which we stand to lose more scholarships if we don't improve grad rates quickly. If you lose scholarships, forget about recruiting options. That is the real program killer.
- if Pelphrey is fired, what makes you think our recruiting for next year stays intact? The recurits are coming to play for Pelphrey, not the debacle that is the basketball program. I'm am sure Pelphrey is selling them as the kids that can rebuild Arkansas basketball, and has them convinced Pelphrey can make it happen. With a new coach, all of that goes out the window.
- no big name coach will come to Arkansas until it is stable, and it's not stable. Why get rid of Pelphrey for someone at the same or below average level for the sake of getting rid of Pelphrey? Why not wait 2-3 more years then get the big name?
I was about to say that there is no way Mike Anderson comes back to Arkansas just by virtue of the whole Nolan debacle – family runs deeper than a job. But it seems Mike in Magnolia has some inside info, as hard as it is for me to personally beleive. I do think Anderson is a good coach, but thought there would be too much bad blood there.
I think that Long is stuck with Pelphrey until we can actually graduate some Srs. Washington and Cox will help, but we need 3 or 4 more to make an impact so we don't lose scholarships. Unfortunately there is more at play now than winning a few basketball games.
I don't think Pelphrey is as bad as you all make out. My predection is that we win 5 SEC games and Pelphrey is back for 2 more years. So you should all get comfortable and start supporting the kids.
And Opinionated, I don't mean to start a feud between us
, but your statement "You don’t have to be a type 1 player to play great defense." couldn't be more wrong. If that were the case, there would be MANY excellent defenders in basketball, and that's not true. It takes a certain agressiveness, quickness, and anticipation to be a good defender. Not all kids have it; some are better than others. Coaching can play a part, but if a kid does not have fundamental characteristics of a great defender, they'll only be average or below average. I will concede Pelphrey could be doing a better job of coaching TEAM defense (rotation, switching, protecting the basket, etc). We don't seem to have that nailed down.
Soupd,
I like your stuff but,
I don't see scholarships as an issue. Pel has not fielded a complete team in 3 years. He is leaking players like crazy. I would love to know more about that. Last night on radio Wally indicated that Fortson will not be back next year.
I don't think we fire Pel unless we have a back channel understanding that Mike is coming. And, we are not doing Pel any favors asking him to wait until we get ready to fire him. He seems like he is defeated already. He doesn't act like a coach or talk like a coach. I think he is shocked that he dug such a hole and doesn't know how he got here. It has got to be real shot to his self confidence. And, we all know, a team reflects their coach. He is going to have to find himself again if he is going to stay more than one more year, or even past March.
Mike would be the one guy who could heal the wounds and bring Nolan back into the fold. He knows only too well that Arkansas can be an SEC and National power. It is one of the 4 or 5 jobs in the SEC that can say that. The key to all of that is the support of the administration. Will he get it? What assurances can they provide? Do they really even want to rebuild basketball right now? They have not demostrated that they do. A few more years like this and they can just go back to being a football school. That may indeed be the plan.
If we are going that way we need to concentrate on Arkansas kids. We can shoot for second in the west every few years and an occasional trip to dance. A decent brand of basketball will draw enough in NWA to pay the bills.
I would say that some of our better defenders were not necessarily big time scorers. I do believe it is esier to teach someone to be a really good defender than to teach him to be a scoring threat.
It is kind of like the Football scenario, more time to build a defense, or offense.
We probably just won't agree on that point.
No feud taken.
Honestly, the reason Heath was here was to build stability so the next guy could come in. I don't think it happens that way very often. If you get a good enough coach and pay him the money, that will be proof to him and the recruits that he is here to rebuild and is staying.