It's hard to describe the mood of the Razorbacks after their latest stumble, a 59-56 loss at Alabama.

  Shocked. Stunned. Confused. Frustrated. Probably a little bit of all that wrapped into one.

  But however you want to describe the mood, it means this: Arkansas could be in trouble.

  Losing four of their last five games (all on the road) certainly isn't a good thing for their NCAA Tournament hopes, which looked pretty good until this latest stretch. Turning in your worst performance of the season in a pivotal game against one of the worst teams in the SEC damages it a little more. So does the fact that Vanderbilt — which just knocked off top-ranked Tennessee — is the next opponent (Saturday at BWA).

  So, even though they started SEC play 7-3, the Razorbacks are fighting for their tournament lives.

  Again.

  How did it happen?

  Let me recap Wednesday's ugliness:


  • Arkansas shot 36.1 percent from the field against the Crimson Tide. They were 30 percent in the first half. But there's more. Take away Darian Townes (7-for-10) and the Hogs were 15-of-51 (29.4 percent).

  • Another sore spot: Fouls. The Razorbacks had 22 tonight. That means they've committed 20 or more fouls in four of the past five games. Twenty fouls typically means sloppy defense — reaching in, rotating late, poor position. Sloppy defense means big trouble.

  • One of their usual strengths was, well, awful. Arkansas was 3-for-21 behind the 3-point line. The Hogs struggled so much that when the game was coming to an end and Arkansas needed 3-pointers, nobody would take them. They settled for layups.

  • Finally, a couple other things lumped in: Arkansas was outrebounded (42-40) for the second straight game. The Hogs also missed seven of the their 16 free throws. That's not good. Period.

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 10:49 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  It wasn't long ago that I blogged about how ugly the first half was at Kentucky.

  I might as well copy and paste that post right here.

  The Crimson Tide and Razorbacks just plodded through the ugliest half of college basketball I've ever seen. Seriously. It was that bad. Alabama leads 26-23. Here are a couple numbers to prove my point:

  • Alabama is shooting 36.4 percent from the field, while the Hogs are 30 percent. At one point, Arkansas was 5 of 18 from the field.

  • It's even worse behind the 3-point line. Arkansas has made 1-of-10 long range attempts. The Crimson Tide hasn't made any (0-for-6). Add that up — a combined 1-for-16.

  • Both teams have turned the ball over 7 times. But it's not like the miscues have resulted in many points. Alabama has outscored the Hogs 6-3 off turnovers.

  • And did I mention the shotclock is broken? Yeah, it went dead with three minutes left in the half and it doesn't look like it's going to be fixed anytime soon. The courtside announcer is letting teams know when the shotclock hits the 15-second mark.
 

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 08:11 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  Here's one more nugget to chew on before the game starts:

  Senior Charles Thomas will be in the starting lineup tonight, replacing Michael Washington. The Razorbacks haven't gotten much out of any power forward the past few weeks, so this switch isn't unusual.

  Coach John Pelphrey is probably trying to mix things up in hopes of energizing both struggling players.

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 06:57 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Arkansas' season can go one of two ways beginning tonight. The Razorbacks (18-8, 7-5) have played their way onto the NCAA Tournament bubble, losing three of their past four games (all on the road).

So the Hogs can either win tonight over struggling Alabama in Coleman Coliseum and start thinking boosting their seed in the Big Dance.

Or, they can do what this senior class has done far too often throughout its time at Arkansas and make the first couple weeks of March more important than they should be.

Right now, I'm watching the Hogs warm up to the left of me, the Crimson Tide to the right. And one observation jumps out at me: Arkansas looks loose. Don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. But there are lots of smiles, lots of high-fives, lots of chest-bumps.

The Razorbacks look like they want to have a bit of fun tonight. They did last season, when they stormed out to a quick double-digit lead and staved off a furious Tide rally for the first of just two SEC road wins. Arkansas is on two for the SEC season right now. Can the Hogs get No. 3? If they want to, they better stop 'Bama forward Richard Hendrix, they better take care of the basketball and they better hit their 3-pointers.

Tip-time, on Cox channel 7 in Northwest Arkansas, is in a 25 minutes.

Check back for updates.

Posted by Ryan Malashock at 06:38 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  I'll start this blog with one disclaimer: I wasn't here last season.

  So I don't know exactly what sort of treatment Arkansas center Steven Hill received from the Alabama student section. But I can guess. I mean, he had a beard and long hair. He's a 7-footer. And Hill has spent most of his career as the subject of taunts from students (every team has that guy).

  But Hill said he hasn't forgotten Alabama's vocal student section as he prepares for his last game in Coleman Coliseum tonight. After all, this is the bunch that made an enormous sign that read "Arkansas basketball. So easy a Caveman can do it."

  "How can you forget that stuff?" Hill said. "They had the huge, 6-foot by 4-foot sign. Alabama is one of the worst places for me personally. They're all over me."

  Hill, of course, looks different this time. He cut his hair. His beard isn't as long. So what will the Tide faithful have in store for him? He's not sure. But he's certain it will be original.

  Either way, it didn't look like the student section bothered Hill too much last season. He grabbed 16 rebounds and helped the Razorbacks pick up a big road win. Can he do it again? Hill hopes so.

  "After we come off a game like (Kentucky) if I can go out and get 16 boards that will be nice.”

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 03:51 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  Typically, not much football news comes out in late February. But quite a few tidbits came Monday afternoon during a brief media gathering with Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long. Here are the highlights:

Posted by Alex Abrams at 04:26 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Spencer Tirey at 01:33 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  Unfortunately, we here at The Morning News couldn't be at the NFL Scouting Combine.

  But in case you haven't heard, Darren McFadden did pretty well.

  The Arkansas running back ran the 40-yard dash in 4.33 seconds, which virtually assured him of being one of the top players selected in the draft. Yes, there have been character issues raised. But, yes, McFadden has likely quieted a lot of those thanks to his workout.

  Here's a quick roundup of some of the McFadden aftermath from various sites:

  • First, ESPN's Todd McShay writes that McFadden shows why he's No. 1 after his workout. Unfortunately, you need to be an Insider to read this entire article.

  • USA Today writes about McFadden's "Blazing time" and rates him among the top performers.

  • SI.com said McFadden enjoyed a terrific workout and has solidified himself as the draft's top prospect.

  • This is a little different. Here is a blog from the Dallas Morning News with Jerry Jones' thoughts.

  • And, finally, a link from Yahoo! sports columnist Jason Cole. He writes about McFadden's character issues, but said he made a quick recovery with an impressive run.

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 10:36 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  This game might be ugly, but it looks like it won't end without some drama.

  Arkansas started hot in the second half and regained the lead. Kentucky responded and has stayed close. The two teams have been trading punches and the Hogs now lead 53-50 with less than 4 minutes remaining.

  Sonny Weems — for as bad as he was in the first half — has carried the Hogs after the break. He has 21 points and 17 of those have come in this half. Not a bad response to a 1-for-7 effort before the break.

  But one element keeps killing the Hogs: Second chance points. The Wildcats have grabbed loose balls and offensive rebounds throughout the game. If Arkansas loses, Pelphrey will certainly point to that as a big reason.
 

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 02:56 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  As if getting only three hours of sleep because of travel trouble wasn't challenging enough, Arkansas and Kentucky sure are making it hard to stay awake after a rugged first half.

  The Wildcats lead the Razorbacks 27-22 and neither team has looked good. The 'Cats are shooting 35.7 percent from the floor. Arkansas is shooting 35.3 percent, but has only taken 17 shots. Wow.

  Arkansas held a 17-12 lead at one point, but failed to make a field goal for a long, long stretch. Not sure exactly how long it was, but it was several minutes. As a result, Kentucky grinded out a 9-0 run to take the lead and held on to it.

  The second half is about to start. I'm sure CBS is glad they're televising this game after one ugly half.

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 02:11 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  Couple more things to add to Ryan's pre-game notes.

  • Pelphrey isn't the only reunion today. Former UA Ft. Smith coach Jeremy Cox is now a Kentucky assistant and will get to see one of his former players — Sonny Weems — this afternoon. In addition, point guards Ramel Bradley and Gary Ervin will square off again. Both players are from Brooklyn and know each other well.

  • Dudley Dawson is here with us and pointed out that John Pelphrey's mom was back behind on press row meeting and greeting Kentucky people. What's interesting about that? She's sporting a Razorback on her cheek in this sea of blue.

  • Pelphrey's jersey, of course, is hanging up here in Rupp Arena. It is to our left and is surrounded by the other three members of the group known as the "Unforgettables." To the right of them is a Wildcat that played with that group — Jamal Mashburn. To the right of Mashburn? Legendary coach Adolph Rupp.

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 12:49 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Live from the Rupp Arena media room, after a LONG evening of travel (LONG story, I won't bother), I'm amazed at how spectacular this venue is in person. This is one of those places every college basketball enthusiast must visit.

A Kansas alum, I, of course, am partial to Phog Allen Fieldhouse.

But once Arkansas-Kentucky tips today, I'm sure I'll be putting Rupp Arena in that company. 

So, every possible angle of the John Pelphrey-back-in-Rupp Arena story was covered today by various media outlets. Here are a few links for your reading pleasure:

• In today's edition of The Morning News, I wrote a story chronicling Pelphrey's playing career at Kentucky, explaining why Mr. Basketball from Paintsville is loved so dearly by the Bluegrass State.

• Mark Story of the Lexington Herald-Leader drove over to Paintsville this week and got some intersting comments for today's column. Apparently, Pelphrey is loved, but not loved enough to root against the Wildcats.

• Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer spoke with Richie Farmer, one of Pelphrey's teammates at Kentucky.

It needs to be said, though, that none of this Pelphrey's stuff will mean anything come 1 p.m.

I'll be looking for several things Arkansas must do to win their third SEC road game this season.

Can Gary Ervin control the Razorbacks offensively with poise? Can the Razorbacks play strong defense for 40 full minutes? Can the Hogs use their depth in the frontcourt to wear down Kentucky?

In an hour, we'll start to find out ... surely, right after a standing ovation for Paintsville's own. 

Posted by Ryan Malashock at 11:58 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Give it up for Dallas Keuchel. The Arkansas sophomore was marvelous in the 2008 baseball season opener.

In 5 1/3 innings of relief, Keuchel pitched no-hit ball and fanned a career-high six Wright State batters in a 9-4 Razorbacks win. The Tulsa, Okla. lefty also recorded his longest stint of his Arkansas tenure.

Keuchel made nine starts as a freshman but was primarily moved to the bullpen late in the season. But after Friday's performance, expect to see him back in the rotation as soon as next weekend when the Diamond Hogs visit College Station, Texas for the Texas A&M Classic.

Posted by Vernon Tarver at 12:37 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Well, it took until the fourth inning but Arkansas has its first home run of the 2008 baseball season. The Razorbacks are hosting Wright State at a frigid Baum Stadium today and thanks to a 3-run blast by freshman Andy Wilkins, Arkansas has taken a 5-4 lead into the fifth inning.

The Diamond Hogs fell behind 4-0 in the opener as another freshman, James Mahler, struggled in his debut on the mound. Mahler couldn't get out of the second inning before handing the ball over to sophomore Dallas Keuchel.

But stay tuned, because it looks like the Arkansas bats are starting to heat up!

Posted by Vernon Tarver at 05:13 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  John Pelphrey's hometown of Paintsville, Kent., has to be pretty torn this week.

  On one hand, its favorite son, Pelphrey, is returning home with his new basketball team. On the other hand, they're going to play Kentucky. Which way will they choose? Pelphrey took a stab Thursday:

  "I'd be very surprised if they don’t go with the 'Cats," Pelphrey said on the SEC Teleconference. "I'm sure there’s a lot of love and affection towards me and it may draw some lines down some family members. I understand that. Hey listen, before I went to Kentucky I was a Kentucky Wildcat fan. I understand what that’s like."

  But there's one drawback for Paintsville natives who are backing the 'Cats on Saturday.

  "Just those people, maybe make sure they don't call me for tickets," Pelphrey said.

  He was joking. We think. But Pelphrey did say he ran his dad through a series of questions before letting him have a ticket.

  It probably included things like: Are you going to wear red or blue? Do you know how to call the Hogs? Will you do it proudly in Rupp Arena?

  Of course, we're just scratching the surface with the Pelphrey-Kentucky info. Check out tomorrow's edition of The Morning News and the Hog Blog throughout the game to find out much more about Arkansas-Kentucky.

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 12:50 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  If anyone is wondering how the Razorbacks would respond after losing two games on the road last week, you've got your answer in the first half.

  What losses?

  Arkansas leads LSU 51-28 at halftime behind the strength of some strong shooting and solid shooting. The Razorbacks and Tigers were tied 14-14 before Arkansas ripped off a 21-0 run. That's right, 21-0.

  The spurt featured an unbelievable accuracy behind the 3-point line. They were 9 of 13 in the half from 3-point range. Arkansas opened the game missing its first three 3-pointers, but then made nine straight. Wow.

  Here are some other items of interest:

  • Gary Ervin started for the first time since Nov. 16 in place of Stefan Welsh. The move seems to have worked for both players. Ervin has 7 points and 4 rebounds. Welsh has a team-high 10 points.

  • LSU's leading scorer Marcus Thornton isn't playing much because of an ankle injury. He didn't start for the first time this season and has scored 2 points in 4 minutes. He is averaging 19 a game.

  • Arkansas center Steven Hill has only been credited with two blocks, but has altered things immensely in the middle. It's one of the big reasons the Tigers are shooting 32.2 percent from the field.

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 08:07 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Arkansas has benefited from loud sellout crowds its past two home wins.

As I sit courtside now at Bud Walton Arena, 15 minutes before the Razorbacks' tip with LSU, it's apparent no such 19,000-plus crowd will be on hand tonight. Not near as many people walking around the Bud. Not near as many people using up $5 parking lots in yards. Not saying the Bud won't be the Bud.

Surely, the 16,000- or 17,000-some fans will undoubtedly give the Razorbacks a boost tonight. Arkansas' loss to South Carolina still marks its only home defeat this season.

Maybe it was the firing of John Brady that will keep this game from being a sellout. Brady was one of those coaches Razorback fans loved to hate. He'll be missed tonight, actually. Students couldn't wait to chant "sit down, Brady." But LSU comes to Fayetteville instead with Butch Pierre, Brady's longtime assistant as its coach.

The Tigers have improved under Pierre. They scared Tennessee and Kentucky at home and won at Florida.

Vegas oddsmakers set the pointspread for this game at 12 points in Arkansas' favor, and, if the Razorbacks can cover that margin, their chances of securing their best NCAA Tournament seed since Nolan Richardson go up in my mind.

Posted by Ryan Malashock at 06:44 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

In is episode of Hog Talk, sports reporters Alex Abrams, Vernon Tarver and  Ryan Malashock recap Arkansas' two basketball losses over the past week and look ahead to the Razorbacks upcoming game with LSU. The guys also discuss the upcoming NFL combine and take a look back at the Tyson Invitational meet.

Episode Information
10:22, 4.7 megabytes

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Posted by Spencer Tirey at 05:48 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  Everybody knows the Nutt's used to be the first family of Arkansas.

  Houston, Danny, Dickey and Dennis were all coaches at Division I schools in the state at one point in time. Houston and Danny were coaching football at Arkansas. Dickey and Dennis were basketball coaches at Arkansas State. Who can forget the Sports Illustrated story documenting the fact a few years back?

  But an interesting thing happened today: The Nutt family lost its final coaching tie to the state.

  Arkansas State basketball coach Dickey Nutt has agreed to resign, ending his 13-year tenure at the school. It comes roughly three months after his brother, Houston, resigned at Arkansas and accepted the head coaching position at Ole Miss. Dickey Nutt's team was just 9-17 this season and stepped down after meeting with Arkansas State's athletic director this afternoon.

  No word on if Dickey Nutt will land at a conference rival like his brother.

  Now that Dickey is gone, is this nut next?

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 11:35 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Just got back from Bud Walton Arena, from a visit with John Pelphrey and the 17-7 Arkansas Razorbacks.

And they didn't seem too down about consecutive losses this past week at Tennessee and Mississippi State. Hard to blame them. They do feel disappointed. They trailed by only five points at halftime Wednesday night in Knoxville and rallied to take a four-point lead Saturday in Starkville. And they still lost.

But they can feel a lot better about themselves after these defeats than their last two back-to-back losses (to South Carolina and at Georgia). These losses were to quality opponents, on their home floors, and Arkansas performed well in one half in each.

"We have to play a full 40 minutes, though," sophomore Patrick Beverley said before Monday's practice.

Asked how many minutes Arkansas played to his liking in the losses, Beverley said, "probably 20."

Pelphrey and several Razorbacks insisted Arkansas needed more minutes of quality play to win Wednesday night in against LSU. Under interim coach Butch Pierre, with junior center Chris Johnson back and healthy, the Tigers are far competitive. They won at Florida and gave Tennessee and Kentucky tough battles.

So not a bad thing to leave an 0-2 week still feeling confident.

Back-up-the-DVR moment

So I'm starting a new tradition, new in the sense that I'm taking an old tradition and trying to be more faithful and consistent with it. I love watching sports of any kind on my DVR. Period. I can zap the commercials, plus I can take a longer gander at a play that needs a second look.

After each televised game, since I watch a fast-forwarded version of Arkansas' contests after the fact, I'll try to share an intriguing moment that forced me to hit the reverse button.

(And those who watched the game live know that not all the game was available. Thanks ESPN for the live look-in elsewhere during the game. Thanks a lot).

The moment from Starkville: Mississippi State led 69-68 when 6-foot-4 point guard Jamont Gordon dribbled into the lane and backed Beverley down. Arkansas 7-footer Steven Hill came over to help, but Gordon jumped into him and hit him with his right forearm as he tossed in a wild lefty layup. His only field goal of the whole game easily could've been negated by an offensive foul, and Pelphrey questioned that a bit afterward.

Nos. 1 vs. 2

This week's college basketball rankings came out today, and Tennessee moved up to No. 2.

That sets up the first 1 vs. 2 matchup of the season. Bruce Pearl's Vols head to Memphis on Saturday for a non-conference game with John Calipari's Tigers.

One other part of the polls stuck out when I checked them out today.

Arkansas, 27th in both polls last week, somehow got seven votes in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll. Got to wonder what those coaches saw this past week out of the Hogs. Or, more likely, got to wonder why they get the privilege of voting when most of them don't even watch the games.
 

Posted by Ryan Malashock at 04:38 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Alex Abrams at 01:16 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  Arkansas trails MSU 47-34 at halftime and can thank a poor defensive effort.

  The Bulldogs spent the first 20 minutes making layups, throwing down dunks and hitting an occassional 3-pointer against the Razorbacks. Charles Rhodes has been the biggest problem, scoring 19 points on 8 of 12 shooting. MSU made 55.9 percent of its shots in the first half. But that's not the only problem:

  • Arkansas is getting killed on the boards as well. MSU has a 22-11 advantage in the first half. The Arkansas big men - Thomas, Hill, Townes and Washington - combined for four rebounds in the half. MSU has a 12-4 edge in second chance points.

  • The Razorbacks aren't passing the ball very well either. They had two assists in the first half, both of which came from swingman Sonny Weems. MSU, meanwhile, has 7 assists at halftime.

  • Weems got off to a good start, knocking down a 3-pointer to open the game. But the Razorbacks' leading scorer has been missing in action most of the half. He had 5 points in the first half on 2 of 6 shooting.
 

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 04:15 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  If Arkansas has any hope of winning this game, it is going to have to find a way to stop Charles Rhodes.

  So far, that hasn't happened.

  Rhodes has scored 15 of Mississippi State's 20 points. He has done it in a variety of ways, too. Rhodes scored in the post with nifty moves. He got a nice dunk. He beat the Hogs downcourt for a layup. He even knocked down a 3-pointer, which was his first of the season.

  Rhodes just went to the bench to a standing ovation from the crowd. MSU leads 20-13 with 14 minutes left.

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 03:19 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Well, our trek through Tennessee and Mississippi State is nearly over. Robbie Neiswanger, Will Moore and myself left Fayetteville on Wednesday, covered Arkansas' 22-point defeat at Tennessee, hung around and worked in Knoxville until Friday night, and then flew here to Starkville.

We decided to get to Humphrey Coliseum quite early today for the Razorbacks' crucial SEC West showdown with the Bulldogs. And the second I walked into The Hump, you could tell this is a big game.

Actually, I knew that last night, when we went out to dinner and ran into a couple of Mississippi State fans who said they were taking a break from "camping out" for seats.

I saw them again 90 minutes before tip-off, along with the rest of Rick's Rowdies (after MSU coach Rick Stansbury). The student sections in The Hump were nearly full already, and those rabid fans were already starting in on Gary Ervin, the former MSU point guard. And Ervin hadn't even stepped on the floor yet.

"Go to hell, Gary," was the phrase shouted most by students with smiles on their faces. It should only get worse once Ervin gets onto the floor, no doubt.

How Ervin deals with the heckling could determine if Arkansas can leave Starkville with its first win here since 2000. Him and starting point guard Stefan Welsh must take care of the basketball, and if they do, the Razorbacks should hang around.

We'll be updating as the game progresses. 

Posted by Ryan Malashock at 02:11 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

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Posted by Alex Abrams at 11:48 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  Arkansas sports information just put out an interesting press release a little few minutes ago, announcing details of the Razorbacks' spring football game, which will be played April 26 at 6 p.m.

  What's interesting about that? How about this little snippet: "Unlike previous spring finales, Arkansas will stage a true game with only two minor adjustments. The spring game will resemble a regular season game in every way with the exception that punts, kickoffs and placement kicks will not be run at full speed or with contact. In addition, the game clock will run continuously in the second half."

  Sounds like a small slap at the previous coaching staff, which always failed to make the spring game, well, a game. The outcry from some fans wishing to see more than a short scrimmage always reminded me of the Bad News Bears in Breaking Training, when the crowd in the Astrodome chanted "Let them play. Let them play."

  Well Arkansas fans, new coach Bobby Petrino has granted your wish.

  Now, will you come and watch them play on April 26?

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 02:36 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  In the wacky world of the college basketball RPI, a loss can be good.

  Just ask Arkansas. The Razorbacks may have lost to Tennessee by 22 points on Wednesday night, but climbed from No. 33 to No. 30 in the RPI according to RealtimeRPI.com. Check it out by clicking here.

  How does that happen? Easy.

  The Vols are No. 1 in the RPi and playing Tennessee boosted Arkansas' strength of schedule. Of course, the Razorbacks would've climbed even higher with a win against Tennessee.

  But you can't have everything.

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 01:06 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  Arkansas coach John Pelphrey flashed a quick smile in the interview room tonight here in Thompson-Boling Arena, minutes after the Razorbacks' 93-71 loss to No. 4 Tennessee.

  It's because he had a good feeling when Arkansas went into the locker room trailing the Vols by five at halftime. The Razorbacks didn't shoot the ball well, committed a bunch of fouls and even missed nine free throws in the first half. But they still were neck-and-neck with Tennessee on its home court.

  Why the smile? Unfortunately for Pelphrey, it was a false sense of hope.

  Tennessee blitzed the Razorbacks to open the second half, going on an 11-0 run that buried any thought of an upset. The Vols did it quickly, too, putting up the points in 2 1/2 minutes. They built their lead to as many as 27 points and snapped Arkansas' four-game win streak.

  Now that it's over and our stories are filed, here are a couple of things that stood out:

  • Fouls, fouls, fouls. Pelphrey might hear whistles in his sleep after this one. The teams combined to commit 49 fouls and the Razorbacks had 27 of them. Two of the most costly were assessed to guard Patrick Beverley in the first seven minutes. He went to the bench and never got on track.

  • Who needs Chris Lofton? Tennessee didn't Wednesday. The guard was held to six points, but Bruce Pearl's group showed its depth by getting production elsewhere. Most of it came from guard JuJuan Smith, who put up a career-high, tying 32 points. He was 6-for-6 from 3-point range. Sick.

  • Sonny Weems continued to lead the Razorbacks in scoring, but there is one thing to harp on about his 20 points. He only got five of them after the break. Weems was criticized earlier this season for not getting off to a good start. Now he's starting strong, but struggling to score in the second half of SEC games. Why?

  • Arkansas players were upset with the loss, but didn't seem dejected. The Razorbacks would've liked this win, but the loss didn't cripple their SEC West hopes. There's a much, much bigger game coming Saturday at Mississippi State. Arkansas trails MSU by one game in the standings.

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 11:03 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  The most critical four-day stretch for the Arkansas basketball team begins tonight here in Thompson-Boling Arena, where the Razorbacks play fourth-ranked Tennessee. Tip-off is in roughly 30 minutes.

  It's no secret Arkansas hasn't had much success on the road, although, it is 2-1 in SEC road games this season. Those wins came against division doormats LSU and Auburn. Neither one of those half-empty venues compares to the 20,000-seat cavern here in Knoxville.

  Tennessee rarely loses at home under coach Bruce Pearl. The Vols are 41-2 during his tenure and riding a 28-game home win streak that dates back to the 2005-06. Arkansas, in fact, is one of the two teams that beat the Vols at home under Pearl's watch after winning here 73-69 in 2006.

  The win was part of the season-ending, five-game win streak that propelled the Razorbacks back into the NCAA Tournament. Another win would go a long way in securing Arkansas' tournament hopes again. It also would vault the Razorbacks right in the middle of the SEC title chase.

  Is it possible? Stay tuned.

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 06:42 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

In the eighth episode of Hog Talk, sports reporters Alex Abrams, Vernon Tarver, Ryan Malashockand Robbie Neiswanger recap Arkansas football signing day, the hiring of defensive coordinator Willy Robinson, as well as an in depth look at the Razorbacks basketball team's recent win against Ole Miss and upcoming games against Tennessee and Mississippi State.

Episode Information
12:39, 3 megabytes

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Posted by Spencer Tirey at 03:24 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Arkansas' four-game winning streak wasn't enough to get voters to place the Razorbacks into this week's Top 25.

The Hogs received the 27th-most votes in both college basketball polls, which were released earlier this afternoon. That is two spots up from last week and the closest Arkansas has been to being officially ranked since the third poll this season. Tennessee, the Razorbacks' opponent Wednesday night (7 p.m., Cox channel 7), moved up to No. 4 in both polls.

Arkansas' four-game tear has forced ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi to move the Hogs up to a No. 7 seed in his recently updated bracket.

Also, Tennessee's Chris Lofton and Ole Miss' Chris Warren won SEC Player of the Week honors, the league office announced today.

Posted by Ryan Malashock at 02:04 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Arkansas again was trying to overcome a huge size disadvantage Sunday when it hosted Auburn in Bud Walton Arena. But even with the Tigers holding all the edges inside the paint, the Lady Razorbacks were still thinking about a win as the game turned down the stretch.

Then Auburn did the one thing that proved to be key in the final outcome, a 73-68 win for the Tigers. By switching to a zone defense in the last five minutes, Arkansas went from having a chance to suffering through yet another disappointing loss.

"I feel like we were right there and they jumped into a zone, and our kids just weren’t ready for that after seeing man-to-man," Arkansas coach Tom Collen said. "I think that befuddled us a little bit and in my mind, that’s when we stopped scoring and when they made their run. I thought it was a good move on their part and it made the difference for them.” 

The Lady'Backs (17-7, 2-7) have now lost three in a row for the first time this season. And things won't get any easier in their next game, a trip to Florida on Sunday.

Posted by Vernon Tarver at 05:54 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

It's another springlike game day in Fayetteville. Kids were tossing footballs outside Bud Walton Arena, running around in short-sleeves before Arkansas' 4:05 p.m. contest against Ole Miss.

On the line for the Razorbacks: A 6-2 start in the Southeastern Conference and possibly sole possession of the first place in the Western Division.

Joey Jones, Ole Miss' basketball sports information director, fresh off a 10 a.m. team flight from Oxford, did give some info that could make Arkansas' task tougher.

Forward Jermey Parnell, one of three senior frontcourt players for Ole Miss, will try and come off the bench today. He has missed the last four games with a high ankle sprain. The others, Dwayne Curtis and Kenny Williams, make up the most physical post duo in the SEC.

About 15 minutes until tip-off, and BWA is filling up fast.

Posted by Ryan Malashock at 03:47 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Alex Abrams at 12:19 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  The Southeastern Conference basketball season has only hit the midway point, but we know a second coach won't return next season.

  LSU coach John Brady joins South Carolina's Dave Odom as a coaching casualty after being fired by athletic director Skip Bertman on Friday. Odom, of course, announced he is retiring at the end of the season.

   Bertman told the media during a press conference today that he planned to fire Brady after Saturday's game against Tennessee, but pulled the trigger because he was afraid word would leak out before then. It seems like a peculiar time to announce a firing. But assistant Butch Pierre will take over a team that is 8-13 this season.

  Brady will be remembered for his animated scowls on the sideline, but also led the program to plenty of success in his 10 years. LSU went to the Final Four two seasons ago, but the Tigers have struggled in the two seasons since. He finishes his run with the Tigers with a 192-139 record.

  Arkansas will play the Brady-less Tigers in Bud Walton Arena on Feb. 20.

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 04:08 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Thursday was Think Pink Night at Bud Walton Arena as Arkansas hosted Georgia in women's basketball. To help bring awareness to breast cancer, several thousand in attendance wore pink shirts during Georgia's 72-58 win against the Lady'Backs.

The Arkansas players themselves sported pink headbands and pink shots, but their play on the court had the Lady'Backs perhaps seeing more red after the game. Because of poor shooting, especially in the first half, Arkansas let on possibly slip away Thursday against the No. 24-ranked Lady Bulldogs.

"Just being at home, you could tell it was a winnable game," senior Brittney Vaughn said. "..It did feel like a game that was winnable."

Posted by Vernon Tarver at 09:41 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

The question seemed laughable when 2007 became 2008. The Southeastern Conference, according to RealTimeRPI.com, was the sixth-strongest basketball league in the country (it is now 5th). So before SEC play began, the notion of getting five at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament felt like a stretch.

But now, this must be asked: Can the SEC send six teams to March Madness?

Gary Parrish thinks so. CBSSports.com's national college basketball writer projects NCAA Tournament teams every week. And he has Tennessee, Florida, Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Mississippi State and Ole Miss in his field.

Here's another SEC squad to watch out for: Kentucky.

Billy Gillispie's Wildcats -- the same 'Cats who lost at home to Gardner-Webb and San Diego -- are on a four-game tear. Without the services of senior point guard Ramel Bradley and sophomore Jodie Meeks, they managed to win 66-63 at Auburn on Wednesday night.

Kentucky now plays the next four of its next six at home.

So how 'about seven SEC bids? Well, let's not get crazy.

Posted by Ryan Malashock at 02:04 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

In the seventh episode of Hog Talk, sports reporters Alex Abrams, Vernon Tarver, Ryan Malashockand Robbie Neiswanger start back up Hog Talk after a long break recapping Arkansas basketball wins against Mississippi State and Florida and take a look ahead to Razorbacks' next game against Ole Miss. Also discussed is Arkansas football recruiting, National Signing Day and Arkansas' search for a football defensive coordinator.

Episode Information
15:48, 9.1 megabytes

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Posted by Spencer Tirey at 01:48 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

  Arkansas offensive coordinator Paul Petrino said he had a gut feeling two weeks ago, but most of the coaching staff didn't believe him. Receiver Joe Adams was going to turn his back on a Southern Cal scholarship offer and sign with Arkansas? Whatever.

  But Petrino was right. Adams, who is rated as a four-star prospect on a five-star scale by both Scout.com and Rivals.com, signed with the Razorbacks on Wednesday morning. It put a surprise, and welcome, twist on Arkansas' first signing class under coach Bobby Petrino.

  “I think everyone else was worried until this morning," Paul said. "I told everybody two weeks ago I thought we were going to get him. Everybody else wasn’t quite as confident. Me and Joe just hit it off real good."

  Adams is one of five receivers to sign with the Razorbacks. The Hogs also added three quarterbacks. And, at least, two running backs. They've got a handful of "athletes" that could add to the total. But there's little doubt Adams' addition is the most significant for Arkansas because of the clout he carries.

  Overall, his signing was proof that Petrino and the Razorbacks are serious when they say they're going to get some of the nation's top offensive prospects. It's also proof that Arkansas doesn't intend to let any big-name recruits escape the state, either.

  Even if USC comes calling.

  Here's what Paul Petrino had to say about Adams and both subjects today:

  (on the skill players) "To get (Adams) to join that class just really finishes it off and makes it a great class because you get him and (running back) De'Anthony Curtis and those are some real good players. They’re going to have to come in here and be ready to play because we lost some great players. ... We call it FTS: Feed the Studs. We’re as much about calling plays for players than we are just calling plays. You need great players and find out what they can do best and then go and get them the ball."

  (on keeping in-state prospects) "You’re not going to win a national championship with your best players playing for other teams. You've got to keep them all here and I think Joe took pride in coming here and he wants to be a part of being the guy that stayed here and go and helps us win a national championship. He took great pride in being a guy that helps build that wall. The people behind him, hopefully they’re going to see Joe Adams out there lighting it up and they’re going to stay here too.”

Posted by Robbie Neiswanger at 09:10 PM | Permalink