Arkansas has fired coach John Pelphrey after four seasons with the Razorbacks, the school said Sunday.

Also:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Pelphrey dismissed as UA coach, Jeff Long Press Conference (Video)
• AP: Jeff Long Saw Attendance Dip, ‘Student-Athlete Experience’ As Reasons For Pelphrey Firing
• Robbie Neiswanger: Arkansas Fires Pelphrey, Opens National Search, Timeline of John Pelphrey’s Tenure
• Matt Jones: Long: Player Experience Was Lacking
• Chris Bahn: Razorbacks’ Jeff Long Provides Insight Into How He’ll Handle Replacing Pelphrey, Players, Long See Pelphrey Dismissal as Chance to Return to ‘National Prominence’
• Razorback Nation (Video): Summary of the John Pelphrey Era, Analysis On Pelphrey Firing
• 4029TV.com (Video): The John Pelphrey Era: A Look Back

Earlier:

• Matt Jones: Pelphrey Fired at Arkansas
• Robbie Neiswanger: Pelphrey Out At Arkansas
• Chris Bahn: John Pelphrey Out as Basketball Coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks

As many predicted, the Arkansas basketball team finished fourth in the SEC West this season.  According to John Pelphrey, it could’ve easily been much better.

“I am the head coach at Arkansas and we are getting ready for the SEC Tournament,” Pelphrey told Hawgs Illustrated on Saturday.  “Obviously I have been in this situation before in terms of building a program and I believe in what we are doing. [...] To me, anyway, it is evident how close we are to winning four or five more games this season and how that would be putting a totally different spin on everything.”

I think the Coach is right.  It was evident how “close” the Hogs were to winning four or five more games this season.  For those that are calling out for a new basketball coach, I think that is the point.  It certainly seemed like the opportunities were there.

Unfortunately, “close,” as they say, only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.

So what is it about Pelphrey’s basketball program that is causing it to fall short of expectations?  Here are a few questions and observations.

Setting Goals and Talking Up the Program — Have you ever heard any goals from Coach Pelphrey other than “play hard,” “overachieve” and NCAA Tournament?  This guy is not exactly a goal-setting public relations machine.

Offense and Defense — The offensive personality of a John Pelphrey Razorback basketball team consists of a lot of dribbling, emphasis on 1-on-1 play and an overall lack of ball movement.  Players would rather drive and get their shot blocked than drive and dish off for a layup.  Opportunities abounded all year to rack up more assists.

The defensive personality of a John Pelphrey Razorback basketball team is a soft man-to-man, overplaying the high post screen, featuring poor defensive rotations off the ball.  There is no real approach to a “pressure” defense other than a “let’s just get after them harder.”

Razorback fans look at the offensive and defensive personalities of the team and see the shortcomings.  After years of watching Hall of Fame caliber coaches, it’s basically like watching poor high school coaching.

There Were Positives as the Season Progressed — Rotnei Clarke grew up a lot.  That’s important when you figure out you have carry the whole team on offense.  There’s a lot of pressure involved in knowing you have to score 20+ points every night.

Julysses Nobles continued to mature and improve.  He doesn’t get mentioned much, but he was a pretty consistent key contributor during the conference season.  Marcus Britt moved closer to actually having a role and making a solid contribution towards the end of the season.

The return of Michael Sanchez improved the team.  He may have not brought an elegant game, but he brought passion, energy and desire onto the floor and made it obvious to everyone there was room to “step up.”

John Pelphrey is obviously learning on the job at Arkansas.  With his back to the wall, he did do some things differently to improve the performance on the court.  The question is, “Where was that back earlier in the conference season?”

Something to chew on for now.  More tomorrow on whether talent or coaching had more to do with only coming “close” to a successful season.

There was a time when the Razorback basketball team was nationally recognized and feared.  Bud Walton Arena was sold out.  Fans wanting tickets needed to get in line on a waiting list.  The Kentucky game was a Sunday afternoon showcase on CBS and one of the toughest tickets in the state.

The monster that Eddie Sutton birthed and Nolan Richardson nurtured into adulthood was a sight to behold.  24 conference titles, 29 NCAA Tournament appearances, 10 Sweet 16 appearances, 10 Elite 8 appearances, 6 Final Four appearances, 2 Title game appearances, and a National Championship.  Annual trips to the NCAA tournament were not only anticipated…they were expected.

Yet, here we sit in year four of John Pelphrey’s tenure and the familiar refrain of “one more year” is being used by the administration and Pelphrey supporters to keep Razorback fans hanging on to that proverbial rope.

But my question really isn’t as much about this season because, unlike our coaching staff, I don’t believe we’ve overachieved.  It’s more about what the future holds for Razorback basketball with John Pelphrey and Jeff Long as its stewards.

Can they get the program back to the upper echelon where it belongs and once stood?  Are we really one year away?  Is this recruiting class the silver bullet?  Have we fixed the APR issues and removed all the cancers?  What other obstacles not mentioned are blocking our path back to greatness?

At what point in a coach’s tenure does it begin to be about results rather than excuses?  For some Razorback fans, we are past that point and want a change to be made.  For others, there are still obstacles and excuses to explain the results.  And the rest hold the opinion that Jeff Long knows best and will support whoever coaches the basketball team.

I’ve been in the first camp for most of the last two seasons.  I don’t ever recall being in the last camp, as I’m too much of a critical thinker and independent for that.

However, as this season wraps up, I find myself in the excuses camp — and not for the reasons that most are.  Simply stated: I’m tired of Razorback basketball not living up to expectations and as a fan being told we’ve not had enough time (i.e. wait until next year).

If in five years you haven’t established a firm foundation on which to build your program, you aren’t going to.  Show me a program that needs more than five years, and I’ll show you the Baylor basketball program after the scandal.

The scandal left Baylor’s basketball program in ruin.  Under new coach Scott Drew, the Bears only won a total of 36 games (and only 13 conference games) from 2003 to 2007.  However, Drew quickly turned the program around after his recruits arrived; the Bears made the NCAA Tournament in 2008, finished second in the 2009 NIT, and lost in the Elite Eight of the 2010 NCAA Tournament.

The Razorback basketball program was not in that kind of shape when Stan Heath and John Pelphrey were handed the keys.  Simply put…we’ve made the wrong hires the last two times the position has been open.

However, with that being said, I am strongly in favor of giving John Pelphrey and staff one more year and here’s why: It will remove all of the excuses.

You see, I’m a firm believer that you are what your track record says you are.  (And I need not remind you about John Pelphrey’s track record.)  We’re getting ready to see what we have next season.  Do we have a young coach, learning on the job and on the cusp of turning the corner?  Or have we seen this movie before?

Case in point: What would Danny Ford have done with his recruits had he been retained?  Similar to his last two seasons (4-7) or would he have had the success Houston Nutt had in the 1998 season?

What would Stan Heath have done if he had been retained to coach the senior class John Pelphrey inherited?  Would he have turned the corner, or would the results have mirrored his previous four seasons?

When the Razorbacks top 5 recruiting class arrives next fall, the pieces will be in place to lay a foundation that a good coach can use to establish their program.

Eddie Sutton started his foundation with the Triplets and Nolan Richardson with Day, Miller and Mayberry.  Will John Pelphrey do the same with Ky Madden, Aaron Ross and Hunter Mickelson?

“I think from our standpoint, last year was last year, the year before was the year before, so I’m dealing with right now and where we are today,” Pelphrey said.  “I appreciate how hard these guys work.  I know what we’re doing.  I know some of the things that are making us better all around.  I think we’re doing the right things to get that done.”

“That is what gives me optimism for the next seven, eight games and the SEC Tournament.”

Besides begging the question of, ‘What does any of that really mean?’…the real question is, ‘What is it about that perspective that is supposed to give us fans any optimism?’

I know…great recruiting class.  I’ve heard that.  Makes me think deep thoughts like, “Last year was last year, the year before was the year before.”  In other words…’Just wait until next year!’  Haven’t we been hearing this recruiting story for a while now?

But this story is different you say?  How?  Really?  That’s what you’re going with?

I know…it’s all the improvement we’re seeing in the performance of the team on the floor.  It’s visible in how the team is getting progressively better as we get deeper into the season.  The growth we are seeing in the floor leadership.  The on-floor hustle and effort. Improvements in offensive and defensive execution.  The obvious improvements in basketball IQ that give hope to better days.  The pleasure we’re getting from seeing the results of all the hard work these guys are putting in and how the young Hogs just keep getting better all around.

The fact that the coaching staff and team is doing the right things that are making Razorback basketball better just oozes out of this bunch in ways that can’t be denied by any casual, much less astute, observer.

Truthfully, if any of you are seeing any of this wonderful activity out on the floor fill me in.  It’s totally evading me.

As to next year’s recruits, if you can’t coach ‘em up, it won’t do much good to have them around.  But you know, this whole deal is really not about John Pelphrey.

It’s obvious he is in over his head when it comes to developing a basketball program.  He may be great for suspending people and holding study hall and talking about “overachievers.”  And spouting quotes that I’m certain he’s taking from some obscure passage in Alice and Wonderland.*  But he’s not proving to be useful if we’re going to bring Razorback basketball back to anywhere approaching it’s former state.

——

As for Jeff Long, that’s another story.  Yes, he’s been off doing his ‘football school’ thing, which we all appreciate.  It was nice that Bobby Petrino conveniently appeared and gave him an excellent jump start.

But now Jeff Long is actually going to have to demonstrate some leadership that doesn’t include one of the best coaches in America falling into his lap.  He’s going to have to be honest with the fans.  His stewardship of Razorback basketball is currently not taking advantage of a potential revenue stream that was once many millions of dollars annually richer that it is today.  He hasn’t offered up any vision or direction for the basketball program that gives anyone any idea about his perspective on things.

At this point, given the way the program is seemingly being managed (i.e. back-burnered), why would any good coach consider going to Arkansas?  On the face of things, the athletic administration isn’t doing an awful lot to indicate that they either care or have a grasp on the situation.

So far all Jeff Long has done is add annoying ribbon boards and vanity sideline seats while letting the the concourses grow yellow and stale, hike concession prices to rival 5-star dining, and made the notion of season ticket renewals become a novelty idea.

And, he seems to think the Arkansas fans that have grown with this program since the sawdust floors of Barnhill and the arrival of Martin Terry — the proud fans and contributors who helped build the ‘Basketball Palace of Mid-America’ and watched the program rise to become National Champions — can be corporate-talked into thinking all of this is what we should expect and deserve.

As far as I’m concerned, the story on John Pelphrey has already been written.  It’s time for this story to turn to Jeff Long.  Has he got what it takes to fix this?

I’m not sure he does.

*  “But I don’t want to go among mad people,” Alice remarked.
“Oh, you can’t help that,” said the Cat: “we’re all mad here.  I’m mad.  You’re mad.”
“How do you know I’m mad?” said Alice.
“You must be,” said the Cat, “or you wouldn’t have come here.”

– Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Chapter 6

The truth is…like many fans, apathy among the RazorBloggers is high.  Heck…even our resident basketball ombudsman HogBaller can’t even bring himself to blog about his beloved program.  “Razorback basketball is dead to me,” he says.

While those of you who follow us on Twitter know we can be a little more colorful there, we’ve been trying to stay positive here on the blog…by not saying anything at all.  But that’s virtually impossible now after back-to-back home losses last week to Georgia and Ole Miss.

We could go on and on about “X’s and O’s,” but there’s little to argue there.  When my 10-year old asks, “Why are the players standing around?”…that tells the story.  And spare me the “we want to play up-tempo” lies.

I guess you can argue, “Why doesn’t Jeff Long do something NOW?”  While we can question Long’s decision to retain Pelphrey last year after consecutive late season collapses, he’s saying the correct things right now.

If you’re an Athletic Director, you support your coach during the season and say “we will evaluate things” at the end of the year.  What’s he supposed to say publicly?  “The guy can’t coach” or “he’s outta here as soon as the season is over?”  Come on…who would come here to work for an AD like that?  Anyway, I digress.

One thing did catch my attention while watching the Ole Miss debacle.  The game was tied at 43-43 when Michael Sanchez was called for his technical foul for “hitting” Ole Miss defender Trevor Gaskins with an elbow.  Gaskins was in the process of fouling Sanchez when Mike raised the ball above his head in an attempt to pass the ball.

Gaskins was called for a foul, the referees go to the replay, and then call a technical on Sanchez.  Bad call for the Hogs…momentum swings…and the Rebels go on a 15-3 run and win going away.

Did Pelphrey argue the call even a little?  Did he make an attempt to stand up for his player?

We had a head coach here at one time that if he sensed for even a second that he or one of his players was being wronged by an official, you would’ve had to drag him off the court.  We might have lost the game on technical free throws, but the fans and players KNEW he had their back and was NOT going to stand for crap like that.

What did our coach do Saturday?  All we saw was the ‘golf clap’ during timeouts that I guess is supposed to put off the aura that we are poised, in control, etc.  This team doesn’t need that…and it certainly didn’t need that at that moment.

Where’s the fire we saw from Pelphrey as a player?  Where’s the emotion that we saw from him early in his Arkansas coaching career when he kicked and busted out a fiberglass panel on press row after a bad call.

Show us something…anything!

You have to know as a coach when to pull those strings.  When to be composed.  When to get on the officials.  When to kick your team in the pants.  When to lift them up.

Our guy is still learning.  And he’s run out of time.

And while four games is not nearly enough time to completely evaluate John Pelphrey’s 2010-11 Razorbacks (3-1), here’s a few early observations heading into Wednesday’s showdown at Bud Walton Arena with Oklahoma (3-3).

In his current state, Marshawn Powell is just a shell of the player we remember from last season.  The broken foot Powell suffered in August has sapped the star sophomore of his conditioning and elevation in the early going.  You can tell he’s still hurting, limping noticeably in the two games he’s played.  It may be January before we see Marshawn close to 100 percent.

The player missing Powell the most is Rotnei Clarke.  If there’s one thing Clarke needs, it’s someone to help carry the scoring load for this team.  Rotnei is averaging 15.8 points per game, but is struggling again this season to get open looks.  An inside scoring presence could help immensely in this area.

Junior transfer Jeff Peterson hasn’t lived up to the billing in the early going.  Slowed the first couple of weeks by a hamstring injury, Peterson (7.0 ppg) had not flashed much until he knocked down a long three to send the UAB game into overtime.  A negative assist (6) to turnover (8) ratio is not what we’re looking for from the player that averaged 10.6 points and 4.2 assists per game for Iowa two years ago.  Look for improvement here.

Delvon Johnson and Glenn Bryant are, by far, the most improved Razorbacks from a year ago.  Johnson continues to gain confidence in his inside game, pouring in 16 points and 13 rebounds vs. UAB.  Bryant is averaging 5.3 ppg, has 9 blocks thus far, and has been a solid defender.

Marcus Britt’s minutes seem high compared to promising freshmen Rickey Scott and Mardracus Wade.  Britt, the senior from Forrest City, appears no better than the freshman tandem, and leads the team in turnovers (12).  While Britt is a good on-the-ball defender, if you watch closely, he is consistently beaten off the dribble.  If a senior and a freshman are equal — and you’re building for the future — who should get those minutes?

Junior college transfer Marvell Waithe is a work in progress.  Usually when you recruit a juco player, he better be able to come in and contribute right away.  Waithe was described by coaches as “athletic and long.”  We see the “long” part (6-9), but “athletic” he is not.  Waithe seems slow down the floor and not quick off the floor.  He can shoot, but is going to struggle to find someone he can guard.

While we applaud Coach Pelphrey for continuing to say that we want to ‘press and run’ and be ‘up-tempo,’ we really don’t know how, when or where to press and trap.  Teams with good guards (like UAB) are blowing through the Hogs’ pressure and getting easy baskets when they choose.

If you are going to play pressure man-to-man, then your help defense needs to be pretty good.  Ours is not at the moment.  This was evident last Friday night as UAB guards Aaron Johnson and Jamarr Sanders continually got to the rim or set up easy baskets after penetration.

As in recent years, the Hogs look challenged in their half-court offense.  Plagued by over dribbling and a lack of movement by everyone not named Rotnei Clarke, each possession turns into a struggle.  When Clarke goes to the bench and the other side jumps into a zone, we look lost trying to attack.

Like we said…four games does not a season make.  This team can continue to improve, especially when Powell gets back to full strength.  It’s just tough to watch sometimes.

It’s been over five weeks since the selection committee announced the field for the NCAA Tournament.  The Hogs, of course, were not invited to any of the post-season tournaments for the second year in a row.

The Razorbacks collapsed down the stretch, losing seven out of their last eight games.  That losing skid was eerily similar to last year when they lost 11 of 12 to end the season.

Those types of finishes are not what most would call “signs of improvement.”  Much to the contrary, they are indicators that real problems exist in the leadership and management of the men’s basketball program and to pretend otherwise is just foolhardy.

Having seen these signs, Athletic Director Jeff Long and Head Coach John Pelphrey quickly moved into action and began making changes to get the Razorback basketball program back on track.

First, it was announced that assistant Isaac Brown would be reassigned.  One of the ways to improve a program is to upgrade your coaching staff.  And, apparently, Isaac Brown was standing in the way of getting us back to national prominence.

Second, Jeff Long released a statement  in support of Coach Pelphrey.  Of course, it didn’t actually provide any details as to why he felt so strongly that Pelphrey was the man destined to bring Hog basketball back from the dead.  But actually, we think that’s a sophisticated PR move — being vague is better.  As any good entertainer will say, “Always leave them wanting more.”

Third was to bring in top notch recruits.  It’s always important to keep that proverbial cupboard stocked with talent ready to fill in the gaps as you build the program back “the right way.”  So far, Coach Pelphrey has done that by not landing Ricardo Ratliffe, a 6-9 power forward heavily recruited to replace Michael Washington.

Instead, it looks like Pelphrey is planning to go with a smaller lineup to better run his “40 Minutes of Pel” style that Razorback fans have “groaned” accustomed to watching since he took the job.

The final step was sharing with fans how the Razorback basketball program will return to prominence.  Coach Pelphrey recently did just that at the Razorback Club in El Dorado.  Speaking with fans, Pelphrey promised, “I will get you home.”  He compared building a winning basketball program to flying cross-country on a plane.  Uh…okay.

Now, if all those “changes” don’t get you excited and ready to renew your season tickets, then I don’t know what will.

You may be wondering why post an article on the basketball program so long after the season has ended.  Well, to be truthful, I intended to write a season wrap-up earlier.  But I wanted to wait and see how Pelphrey and Long were going to respond to another disappointing season.

Now here we are into late April with an assistant vacancy to fill…a post player to replace…and an explanation still due to fans on the plan to get Razorback basketball out of the ditch.

Unfortunately, I don’t think that explanation is coming.  Jeff Long is too busy doing his best Nero impression while the Razorback basketball program burns.

Having said that, the great thing about college basketball is that one class can make a huge difference in the hands of an able coach.  The Hogs should have more length at guard next year and more quickness on defense.

The areas that absolutely killed this year’s team were giving up second chance points, turnovers per possession and perimeter defense.  Put another way: rebounding, a 5-foot, 11-inch “shoot first, pass…nah” point guard, and a 6-foot shooting guard were big issues.

An interesting stat: Courtney Fortson led the nation in percentage of possessions ended for his team.  Fortson ended 36% of Razorback possessions while he was on the floor with either a made or missed shot, free throw or turnover.  If he continues to own that many possessions…the Hogs will continue to appear to have a “stand around” offense.

The roles of Rotnei Clarke and Fortson (assuming he returns) could very well change dramatically next year with the addition of four new guards.  I doubt either of them are happy thinking about that prospect.

However, the key player supposedly needed to pull things together is Ricardo Ratliffe, 6-9, 238, of Central Florida Community College.  Other than the fact that I’ve never seen a junior college player step in and be a “key player,” I could get pretty excited if Ricardo decides to come to Arkansas.  But it will take more than just him coming in.  The Hogs must have stronger players in the middle.

And then there’s the “able coach” thing.  There’s a whole school of thought out there that John Pelphrey is just not a very good basketball coach.  Certainly the product on the floor to date has done little to convince anyone that he is an excellent coach.  Will this change with improved talent?  Will the Hogs really have improved talent next year?

Even if they do, next year can’t help but be another reboot.  There’s a number of new players to integrate into the…ahem…system.  I can’t see that going very well.

If Jeff Long’s measuring stick next year for Coach Pelphrey is making the NCAA Tournament, then he should’ve fired him last week.  This program is realistically at least two years away from competing at that level.

“Contrary to a local television station report over the weekend that I was ‘seriously considering’ transferring, I wanted to make clear to the Razorback fans that I will return to play basketball for the University of Arkansas next season.”

Afterwards, of course, the folks at KNWA felt the need to defend their honor for breaking the “strongly considering” story, stating that their reporting was based on “fact.”  They have alleged that the University has “spun” the message.

This is crazy stuff.  Even the RazorBloggers know that comments made out of frustration after the embarrassing end to a game or season shouldn’t be reported, well-sourced or not.  If every time a solid source brought me news that Peyton Hillis said something about transferring while in a state of frustration, I would have worn myself out writing blog posts.

While the majority of the media that follow Razorback sports seem to do so with a fair bit of journalistic integrity, there are some that need to give a bit more consideration to what they are doing.  TV stations aligning with message boards and reporters viewing Twitter as personal commentary rather than as media commentary are areas that need to be examined.

I do get it.  We have bright new ribbon boards while the National Championship pictures in the concourse of Bud Walton have faded to the point of embarrassment.  There is a frustration among the fans and the media that Jeff Long is being totally tone deaf regarding the state of the basketball program.

Unfortunately, a 48 hour plus news cycle about supposed comments made by a frustrated basketball player only serves to distract from the real issues surrounding the basketball program.  Reporting on smoke does little to tell the story of the fire.

The program is doing a terrible job of communicating to the fans about what’s going on, what the really important things being managed are, and painting any type of hope for the future.  Silence is not golden.  Even when John Pelphrey says something…he says little.

Besides the record-setting six game losing streak at the end of the season, the Hogs have a PR disaster going on and don’t even seem to know what to do about it other than issuing statements and upping Bobby Petrino’s visibility level.

Jeff Long is rapidly developing a huge credibility gap regarding Razorback basketball.  There’s a concern among the fan base that the combination of Jeff Long and John Pelphrey constitutes a real life example of the blind leading the blind.

John Pelphrey can’t answer the question of what type of identity he wants for his basketball program in any type of concise fashion.  Can Jeff Long tell us his expectations for the program next year or into the future without quickly bringing up the subject of money?  Is this program going to be better next year or not?  If so, how?  Why?

This is the time for some serious, in-depth, reflective, and forward-looking journalism on the subject of Razorback basketball.  “You don’t need a weatherman to tell which way the wind blows.”

– First, a local television sports anchor was reading his station-sponsored message board and decided to report on Saturday afternoon that Rotnei Clarke was “strongly considering” transferring.  Uh huh.

Before the weekend was over, other reports had it “virtually certain” that Clarke would remain a Razorback.  But no doubt Rotnei “strongly considered” his options before deciding!

– An ad was placed in Sunday’s Democrat-Gazette recommending that Hog fans write letters to the infamous “powers that be.”  The ad was paid for by a “G. Cluck of Niceville, Florida.”  Because, you know, saying it was purchased by “Bubba from the Redneck Riviera” didn’t quite sound as believable.

– A sportswriter linked to a message board in a blog post on Sunday morning to illustrate the state of mind of Razorback basketball fans.  Somewhat of an unusual practice…but since said sportswriter also links to the crazy stuff we write on this site, it’s cool.

– Assistant Coach Isaac Brown was reportedly either fired or reassigned on Sunday afternoon just three days after Coach Pelphrey indicated that he liked the “continuity” of his staff.

– And finally, late word on Sunday night that “there is a lot happening behind the scenes” and that “nothing is certain right now for UA basketball.  Nothing.  Other than Rotnei returns.”

Because, as we learned through the course of this crazy weekend, Rotnei has “strongly considered” the meaning of life and has decided to continue living it on The Hill.  We think.  (We hope.)

As for us here at RazorBloggers, we have a season-ending basketball post ready to run.  But honestly, with all that’s “happening,” we’re going to hold it for a few days (weeks?) until we see exactly who will be playing and coaching on this team next season.

Stay tuned.  Like the real “Big Dance,” it looks like the Madness may just be getting started.

TipsterHog also contributed to the post.

Identity?  Legacy?  That’s a question John Pelphrey faced up to last Friday.  His long-winded, somewhat rambling answer left a lot to be desired.  He seemed to be talking more about his view of what Arkansas basketball was…instead of what he wants it to be under his leadership.

While there’s not even a question that Razorback basketball has no identity right now (other than just continuing to “go back to work”), Pelphrey’s teams have proven to have some consistent attributes.  Some examples…

Ole Miss scored 10 points Saturday off absolutely stupid, unnecessary mistakes by the Hogs against a rather ordinary zone press.  Careless possessions — a regular feature of John Pelphrey coached Razorback teams — once again proved to be the real difference in the game.

Even with the mistakes against the press, the Hogs took a 10 point lead into halftime.  But then they came out flat in the second half and allowed a eight point Ole Miss run before finally scoring themselves.  It was almost as if the Hogs thought the second half (like that entire game at LSU) didn’t matter as the point had already been proven that they could outplay the opposition.

Up and down performances — many times during the same game — have also been a staple of this year’s Hog team, especially during conference season.

To close out the game, the Hogs scored six points in the final 9:41.  An inability to hit open shots or get to the foul line down the stretch — another regular feature of this team — once again proved to be the final nail versus the Rebels.

I don’t know if this qualifies as “identity” or “legacy,” but Pelphrey is now 4-12 at Arkansas in games decided by five points or less.  Teams that stay within 10 points can fully expect the Hogs to crack down the stretch.

Oh well, as Pelphrey said afterwards: “That’s basketball.  That’s life.”

I’m thinking next year’s Foundation donation packet will address the identity question for Coach Pelphrey by providing graduation rate statistics and philosophy quotes.  It should definitely stay away from any comments about “overachievers.”

But then again, it may not matter what they say.  If the Hogs go one and done this week at the SEC Tournament, there may not be anyone left paying attention.

In announcing ticket prices for the 2010-11 season, no increase was announced for Razorback basketball games.  But wait…that’s good news, right?  Well…yes…and no.  In this tough economy, certainly no one wants to see prices go up.

But everyone knows the real reason for the pricing stability: there was no way most Hog fans were going to pay more than they do currently to attend a Razorback basketball game.  Especially when they’re hardly getting their money’s worth today.

It’s called deflation.  An economist would define that term as “a decrease in the general price level of goods and services.”  In the case of Razorback basketball, the word has several different meanings.

Deflation…as in…the air leaking out of the basketball.  Under Stan Heath and John Pelphrey, the Razorback program has completely lost its identity on the court.  What once was a pressing, trapping, fast-paced style — Hawg Ball — has devolved over the years into a jumbled mess.

What fans see today on offense (that is, when there’s an attempt to actually run an offense) is typically an NBA-style where one player tries to make a one-on-one move while everyone else clears out and watches.  That player either scores, passes to someone to bail himself out, or turns the ball over.

What fans see today on defense…well, overall, we really don’t see much defense from the Hogs anymore.  Certainly not anything close to the standards of defense that the teams of the 1990′s established.

Poor conditioning (especially by past standards) and bad defensive execution have typically translated into a good scoring day for the opposing team.  Certainly there’s rarely an attempt to press or trap in the backcourt even when the full compliment of players has been available to the coach.

Deflation…as in…the overall value of the program.  Since Arkansas last won the SEC West in 1995, Mississippi State has won or tied for the division six times.  Ole Miss and LSU…four times.  Alabama and Auburn have won the West outright at least once, as well.

Because of the 1994 National Championship, Hog fans have wanted to believe their team was one of the marquee programs of the SEC.  Fifteen years of not even winning a division title says otherwise.

Deflation…as in…the disappointment and apathy of much of the fan base.  The confidence that Bobby Petrino and Dave Van Horn have given fans in football and baseball, respectively, hasn’t materialized for the basketball program since Nolan Richardson was fired.

In the eight seasons of Stan Heath and John Pelphrey, rarely has an offseason held the promise of a preseason top 25 ranking or realistic NCAA tournament chances.  And when it did, those hopes were hastily dashed by early losses to subpar teams.

This is the “State of the Hogs” in basketball and Athletic Director Jeff Long knows it all too well.  His ability to break this deflationary spiral and turn around a revenue generating sport may well define his tenure on The Hill.

In the meantime, Hog fans are left to decide whether the level of play on the court is worth paying the price of admission.  Even when that price remains unchanged.

As a few of our loyal readers and comment providers have noted, the RazorBloggers have been noticeably quiet about the basketball team.  I can assure you this has not been by accident.  We were all raised well and remember what our mom told us: “If you you can’t say something nice…”

The truth is there hasn’t been that much worth saying that wasn’t being covered in the regular press.  There wasn’t really a team to say much about until Britt, Welsh and Fortson were back.  Now, after four straight conference wins, things are a little more interesting.

What’s really behind this “resurgence” we have witnessed?  After all, Britt, Welsh and Fortson had been back for a few games and things weren’t looking so good.  Coach Pelphrey had commented on a couple of occasions something to the effect of, “that’s not my basketball team out there.”  That’s a coach’s way of saying, “they’re not doing what we coached them to do.”

I think the Kentucky game was a total embarrassment to the players.  By the Georgia game, Coach Pelphrey went into reverse psychology mode according to Brandon Marcello, saying:

“I told the guys at halftime, tonight’s just not going to be our night,” Pelphrey said after Arkansas’ 72-68 win at Georgia on Wednesday.  “We’re not going to be able to get it done.  Just go ahead and keep it close and we’ll try to get back in.”

In effect, Pelphrey called them out for playing lazy and dumb.  I suspect they were reading the press and noticing that the coach was the one getting the blame.

So, they have stepped it up.  Intensity — particularly on defense — combined with smarter play have made the Hogs much more competitive.  Fortson’s return has helped immensely because he plays intense, at least on offense anyway, all the time.  Britt and Welsh have stepped up the defense and both have contributed on offense.

Washington is playing harder and trying to avoid foul trouble.  Powell is just a beast.  Delvon Johnson is playing a nice role for a freshman.  Farmer and Bryant have contributed a bit.  The golfer, Stephen Cox, has shown intensity and leadership every time he has stepped on the floor this year.

To top things off, they finally have a play designed specifically to get Rotnei Clarke a shot that works.  Not using it much, but it’s there.  Clarke is a weapon.

Has the light has finally clicked on?  When this bunch plays with intensity, they can play with anyone in the conference except Kentucky.  It’s not that great of a basketball conference this year, but winning is winning.

The snow game against Mississippi State on January 28th was a definite turning point.  The crowd was made up primarily of students.  The atmosphere was more Barnhill than I’ve felt since…well, Barnhill.  Having that many students that close to the floor created an electricity that fed the team.  They played as hard, if not harder, than I’ve seen a John Pelphrey team play.  It’s like they finally understood what Arkansas basketball was supposed to be.  I think they finally understood what they could be.

Intensity, defense and smart basketball not only leads to winning, they fill the seats in the arena.

These last two weeks may have been the best coaching we’ve seen out of John Pelphrey since he’s been at Arkansas.  He’s finally gotten them to play hard for the majority of the game.  Makes a big difference.  With the next five games coming against teams at or under .500 in conference play, the chance to redeem the season is there.  It will be interesting to watch.

The Longhorns were taller, smoother, longer, there were more of them than us, and they played totally under control the entire game.  Texas center Dexter Pittman and forward Damion James were men among boys.

James had 20 points in 17 minutes, and seemed to be able to score whenever he wanted.  He was easily the best player I’ve seen in person since watching Carmelo Anthony in the 2003 Final Four.

Of course, Tuesday mid-afternoon also brought the news that Courtney Fortson was finally released from banishment into purgatory.  But wasn’t it just on Monday that John Pelphrey sounded somewhat pitiful regarding Fortson’s return?

Pelphrey was asked if he was confident Fortson would return at all this year during today’s press conference.  His answer didn’t sound, well, very confident.

“I don’t know how to answer that,” Pelphrey said. “I would say he has an opportunity to be back.  I think we all would like for him to get back.  Probably a little surprised that we’re here so I can’t really say anything with 100 percent confidence.  I wished I could.  But that probably wouldn’t be a very intelligent thing to say that I’m confident one way or the other.”

In other words: “This is out of my hands and it’s getting old…but I have to keep my mouth shut.”

It seems that with Texas coming to town — and the possibility of being embarrassed again on ESPN (think Baylor) hovering like an Eastern Arkansas funnel cloud on the path between Heber Springs and Jonesboro — whatever sins Fortson had committed could finally be forgiven.

Chris Bahn’s post-game column headline said, “Fortson’s Return Guarantees Nothing, But Provides Hope.”  Actually, though, I think Fortson’s return does “guarantee” something.

Coach Pelphrey now has ‘his team’ on the floor.  It is guaranteed that the fans expectations (a.k.a. “hope”) will increase dramatically.  It is also guaranteed that the pressure on Pelphrey during the SEC season for wins will be even more intense because of those expectations.

Fortson’s return did bring a lot of energy to this team.  The question now…can the Hogs bring that type of energy into the conference schedule?  After wonderful wins over Texas and Oklahoma last year, the Razorbacks lost momentum immediately when the SEC season started.

And with a tough first half conference schedule facing them starting a week from today, the next several games look rocky.

The hiring of Pelphrey in April, 2007 was supposed to be the start of the return to a brand and style of basketball that Razorback fans had grown to love: “Hawg Ball.”  Or, as it became better known nationally: “40 Minutes of Hell.”

Razorback fans ready to put the Stan Heath years behind them looked forward to the return of the success of the early 90′s and even wanted to brand Pelphrey’s style as “40 Minutes of Pel.”

During his first season, Coach Pelphrey said and did a lot of things right.  He set the school record for wins by a first-year coach, going 23-12.  The Hogs were ranked as high as #18 in the polls, going 6-2 against ranked teams.  Arkansas finished 2nd in the SEC West, made the NCAA tournament and won their opening round game for the first time since 1999.

However, the decisions and actions that followed are where the train jumped the tracks.  And it’s led to a situation where the Razorbacks open season play tonight with eight players available.  Of those eight, one is a walk-on and another is a football player who joined the team last week.

So how did we get to this point?  Two reasons: not recruiting character guys and not running a disciplined program.

Pelphrey and his coaching staff had the opportunity to quickly turnover the roster after the 2007-2008 season with the graduation of six seniors.  They could have begun recruiting the pieces needed to get Razorback basketball back to prominence.

Instead, this staff chose a riskier path by signing players of questionable character and desire.  The problems in and out of the locker room, on and off the court last year are well-documented.  Suffice to say, recruiting individuals of good character and strong desire are half the battle — a battle of attrition that now puts this staff behind the APR eight-ball.

Granted…it’s not uncommon for coaches to bring in a player or two that need some ‘extra attention.’  Most of the time, those situations have happy endings.  However, a key ingredient in those success stories is discipline that is predictable and consistent.  Discipline that does not differentiate or vary between key starters and walk-ons.

This lack of predictability and consistency was also a frequently discussed problem last season.  Running a disciplined program is not for the faint of heart, and requires a commitment to principle over wins in order to set the right foundation.

So here we are in year three of John Pelphrey’s tenure and one has to wonder if any lessons were learned from last season.  I must admit…watching his press conference announcing the player suspensions was very persuasive.  Yet, I find myself wondering if any of the tough talk will last.

I hope I’m wrong, but only time will tell.  Until then, Pelphrey has become nothing more to me than “Big Hat, No Cattle” — he talks a good game, but needs to start backing it up.  Soon.

I follow Courtney Fortson on Twitter.  When the September 7th tweet rolled across my iPhone screen, I had to do a double take.  It didn’t seem possible that he would publish such a statement.  But there it was.

Should Razorback athletes be held to a higher standard than the “regular” students?  Pretty wild things happen at Greek houses at the U of A and on Dickson Street that don’t make the papers (but sometimes make Facebook).  I know of alleged and investigated incidents not involving U of A athletes that never made the papers.  Why do the students that play sports get singled out?

Just because the Razorback athletes wear the colors of the school and appear regularly before crowds of thousands in arenas and on TV representing the University, some think they should be held to a higher standard?

We must realize these are just college students, struggling like all other college students to get their degree.  Sure, they get free tuition, books, a place to live, food, cool clothes and shoes — but that’s the least the University can do (or most, according to the NCAA) in exchange for the millions in revenue that are generated from college athletics and the many hours a week of training demanded from the athletes.

The fact the athletes represent the University does nothing to make women swoon or blogging fools like me follow them on Twitter and collect autographed jerseys.  That #4 basketball jersey in size T4 on sale at the Razorback Shop has no more to do with Courtney Fortson than those #16 football jerseys had to do with Mitch Mustain a few years back…or the #21 jerseys have to do with Michael Smith today.  Totally unrelated.

And even though I have that #5 football jersey autographed by Darren McFadden on my wall in a $250 frame filled with some weird preservative gas, the truth is anyone could have worn that number.

DMac plays for the Raiders now and Coach Broyles is out of sight, but I still tailgate in The Gardens.  Razorback athletics are bigger and beyond one individual.  Otherwise…why have a trademark licensing program?

Many years ago, Charles Barkley said, “I’m not a role model.”  Over the years, he has many times behaved in a manner that has reinforced his point.  Professional athletes are just in it for the money and the perks.  The NCAA makes certain that student athletes are making progress towards and eventually completing their degree through the APR monitoring and reporting process.

Why can’t everyone realize that all these things going on are just a normal part of the process of growing into maturity that college students (including student athletes) go through?

John Pelphrey gets his money to coach and recruit student athletes.  Why is it his problem when they act like wild and crazy college students?  Coach Pelphrey should be measured by wins and losses, nothing else.  Eligibility of students and their behavior on and off campus is not his problem.

Have we learned nothing from John Calipari?  It’s whether you win or lose that counts…getting put on probation later doesn’t matter.  The coach can’t be responsible for the whole basketball program — that’s what Athletic Directors are for.

Totally absurd.

I thought Andre Clark’s comment was pretty telling:

“When that many guys leave after one year, it tells you something’s not working,” Clark said of being among four players to leave the program.  “I don’t want to say anything bad about the coaches, I still love those guys and I still talk to them.”

It seems to be thought of as a basketball certainty that the player who works hard and overachieves will make an excellent coach one day.  John Pelphrey fits that mold perfectly.  They tend to: 1) understand the game; 2) place a great value on hard work; and 3) understand players such that they can get the best from them.

My view on Pelphrey is that he currently has only one of those three attributes.  He has the next year to get players to love to play for him or he’s gone.  He doesn’t have the credibility to continue to have guys leave on him.

Jason Henry may have been a problem child, but sending him away after one year (if he truly was academically eligible) creates questions.  With Washington back and no changes in the coaching staff, the rumored locker room issues from last year are sure to resurface in the coming season.

As to understanding the game, you only have to look at the number of close losses last year and the overreliance on Courtney Fortson as proof points.  The failure to establish a power forward other than Monk early in the season, as well as a solid half court offense in the fall, cost dearly in the conference season.

To say Razorback basketball is down would be an understatement.  John Pelphrey has to get the program looking like it is going in the right direction or he will be history by this time next year.

RBN: Coach Pelphrey, tell us about this year’s recruiting class?

John Pelphrey:  “Anthony Borden has great, great physical size.  [...]  He’s well-proportioned.  He can run and he can catch the ball.  We hope he will give us some depth up front.  I think in a year or so, he will be a major force for us.

“Jemal Farmer is a big, athletic wing.  We needed that with the loss of Patrick (Beverley).  I think he was the leading scorer in the Jayhawk Conference last year.  He has a 40-inch vertical leap, and we expect him to fill some needs at the small forward spot.

“Marshawn Powell will help fill the power forward spot for us, which is an area where we definitely need help.  I’m very, very excited about Marshawn.  [...]  I think he’s a consensus top 50 player.  [...]  He gives us a guy at the power forward spot that’s versatile from the perimeter.  He can handle it, he can pass it and he can shoot it.  He has a good understanding of how to play.

“We are very excited to have Julysses Nobles as a Razorback and in our program.  [...]  He’s a really good player and a tough kid.  He’s committed to playing both offense and defense, and he’s committed to being a student-athlete.  [...]  He is a point guard from a great high school program, and helped lead Callaway to the overall state championship this past year.  It was good for us to recruit and sign someone from Mississippi.

“Glenn Bryant is a 6-7 athlete who was one of the highest-rated high school players left unsigned.  [...]  He spent the last two years at arguably the best high school program in the country and played for legendary Coach Steve Smith.  He is an uncanny shot blocker.  He’s a tremendous athlete and we believe his best basketball is ahead of him.

“We are very excited to add Delvon Johnson to our team.  [...]  He will give us good front court depth.  He’s a good player who we also believe has his best basketball ahead of him.  He is a young man we will enjoy having around and representing the state of Arkansas.  Not only is he willing to work on the court, he’s an outstanding student as well.  He will help Arkansas.”

From:

• ArkansasRazorbacks.com: Borden, Farmer, Powell sign for next season, Nobles joins hoops recruiting class, Hogs add two forwards to signing class
• Forrest City Times-Herald: Pelphrey entertaining at Razorback banquet

* Billy Gillispie was fired at Kentucky because he was apparently not the “right fit.”  And if “fit” was really what Kentucky wanted right now, then maybe Rick Pitino’s recommendation of John Pelphrey or Travis Ford might be more relevant.

But the truth is, as a scathing editorial by the Lexington Herald-Leader’s Mark Story suggests, “fit” has nothing to do with the courting of John Calipari.  More like the desperate attempt of a school’s administration to sacrifice all (again) to win big (again).

Then, in 2007, Kentucky was seeking to fill it’s men’s basketball head coaching position. Which only happens to be one of the most high-profile jobs in all of American sports.

In filling this vital public relations-oriented job, UK’s background check failed to identify that it was offering the position to a prickly introvert (Billy Gillispie) prone to extreme mood swings.

Given the past performance, Dr. Todd, you’ll forgive me for being skeptical that the background check UK will run on John Calipari will actually ask the questions that need to be raised.

* Chris Low of ESPN.com has a nice write-up about D.J. Williams and his efforts during the offseason to become a more complete player.  With Andrew Davie gone, Williams has bulked back up from 235 pounds to nearly 250 in order to become a better blocker.  (Low reported previously that Williams was over 260 pounds at the end of the 2007 season.)

An interesting comment at the end of the article:

“It’s going to be very fun to watch next year,” Williams said. “Now we’re able to get into the meeting rooms and go over stuff, and it doesn’t sound like Chinese anymore. We’re able to add more complex things and get out there on the field and execute them. Everybody sees how well they’re working. Coach Petrino’s a great coach. The way he can break down a defense and build up an offense is amazing.”

Questions about players and coaches and everyone getting along – all valid. Questions about recruiting – all valid. Questions about the character and work ethic of some of the recruits from last year – all valid. The question of, “can Pelphrey really coach?” – valid. The question of players actually paying attention and applying coaching in the games – valid.

On a bright note, in spite of the fact that we can’t win a conference game at home lately, the voting for EA sports toughest places to play is going on.

EA SPORTS visited the University of Arkansas for the Kentucky basketball game on Feb. 15 to experience the home court atmosphere of Bud Walton Arena in order to develop a new feature in its NCAA Basketball video game called the “Toughest Places to Play” in college basketball.Over 100,000 fans participated in an online vote, selecting Arkansas along with Clemson, Duke, Syracuse, UCLA, North Carolina, Kansas, Florida, Pittsburgh, Illinois, Louisville, Maryland, Tennessee, Texas, and Xavier as the most difficult home sites to play.Producers of the NCAA Basketball videogame franchise have visited the home court of many of the final 15 schools to experience each school’s home environment on game day in order to capture and replicate the experience in next year’s NCAA Basketball game.

Wally Hall is now the public defender of Matt Jones. I’ve not heard of Matt complaining about the cost of beer lately, but I’m sure it has been on his mind.

Hopefully Razorback quarterback-to-be Ryan Mallett is giving thought to Matt’s troubles while he’s running the steps each morning. Media relations aside, I hear he’s otherwise been following pretty close to MJ’s footsteps. The fact that Petrino is taking a fairly stern approach to Mallett makes me a little more hopeful than I was previously that we will see him on the field this fall.

Monday night the Razorbacks’ women’s team (the former “Lady Razorbacks”) tips off in the WNIT. Coach Tom Collen made a lot of progress this year, winning five straight in the last half of the season. They made steady improvement after a rough start to conference play, highlighted by beating then 15th ranked Florida on the road. Ticket information is here. If you live in Northwest Arkansas I encourage you to get out to Bud Walton Monday night and call the Hogs.