Arkansas Expats

Yes, Arkansas, You Do Have an NCAA Team

2010-03-14T03:50:31Z

Yes, Arkansas, You Do Have an NCAA Team

It's Arkansas-Pine Bluff. A hearty congrats to the Golden Lions and their fans.

Report: Clarke May Transfer

2010-03-14T03:34:46Z

Report: Clarke May Transfer

Pelphrey declines to comment.

Friday Hodge Podge

2010-03-12T22:52:11Z

It's a short hodge podge, but here goes:

• Pulling No Punches. AS360's Jim Harris seems, oh, just a wee bit frustrated with the state of the basketball program. A sample of the column that he published earlier this afternoon:

The program's slogan of "40 Minutes of Hell," which morphed into "40 Minutes of Pel" when John Pelphrey took over, is now "40 Minutes of Fail."

More of the same next year, folks. Pelphrey's not going anywhere, UA athletic director Jeff Long insists, and the coaching staff is all returning. The speculation for some time was that Rob Evans, the former Ole Miss head coach, was riding out this season and would retire. But seriously, if Evans were to be the only coach leaving this staff, that would be a disgrace - he's the only one of the group we're sure can coach.

And another:

For John Pelphrey to keep trotting out the "we're just not playing well" line to explain a six-game collapse shows just how in over his head he apparently is with this job.

Programming note: You'll get a chance to hear more of Jim's blunt opinions on our site next week when we publish a Q&A with him.

• Color Him Unimpressed. I hope John Pelphrey's family is steering clear of the Internet today. It's rough out there. Consider this tweet from noted SEC blogger and author Clay Travis, who's attending the SEC Tournament:

"Most disappointing? How apathetic the Arkansas fans are under Pelphrey. They used to be awesome at SEC Tourney. Now? Pelphrey has to go."

Big Nasty to Become Head Coach at UCA

2010-03-12T19:48:25Z

Big Nasty to Become Head Coach at UCA

Hope he kicks butt.

Poll: Better Off with or without Fortson?

2010-03-12T18:17:35Z

This morning, the Old Graybeard tweeted the following:

"After the game, former college coach came up and says he'd send Fortson packing today, that he divides the team."

Strong words. And so, we ask you the following (and, as always, please pipe up in the comments thread):

Poll

Would the team be better off without Fortson?

The Fat Lady Has Sung: Georgia 77, Arkansas 64

2010-03-12T05:26:18Z

More photos » Dave Martin - AP

Browse more photos »

The 2010 season has come to an end, as has Mike Nail's 29-year career as the Hogs' radio play-by-play man.

Thanks for the great calls, Mike. You will be missed. The 2010 season, on the other hand, not so much.

It's late here in the Eastern time zone, so we're going to sign off for the evening. We'll be back with some postseason analysis in the days ahead. Until then ...

Thursday Hodge Podge

2010-03-11T21:07:49Z

• Time Flies. It's hard to believe, but it was 10 years ago this month that the Hogs shocked us all by winning the 2000 SEC Tournament in Atlanta. After finishing the regular season at 15-14, Arkansas had no hope of snagging an at-large bid to the NCAA and seemingly no hope of securing the conference's automatic bid. But secure that automatic bid they did, by doing what only three other teams have done: win the SEC Tournament by winning four games.

Some may be seeking parallels between that squad and this year's team, which can make the NCAA only by doing exactly what the 2000 Hogs did. But that team was more talented than this year's Razorback squad (it had Joe Johnson), and it compiled its lackluster record against much better competition (the Hogs' last six regular-season games that year, of which they won two, were against teams ranked in the Top 25). Still, where there's a game, there's hope.

• Speaking of Feel-Good Stories. After starting the season with 14 consecutive road games and 11 straight losses, the Golden Lions of the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, who have won nine of their last 11 games and now have a 15-15 record, are two wins away from snagging an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Go Golden Lions!

• Cuckoo for Cal. Saying John Calipari has been well-received by the Wildcat faithful is like saying ... like saying ... uh ... uh, Wally, could you finish this sentence?

Anyway, the point is that Kentucky fans are enthusiastic about their new coach. Case in point: Maker's Mark has issued a limited-edition bottle bearing His Holiness' likeness. Second case in point: a Kentucky Ford dealership is offering five "Coach Cal" editions of the 2010 Roush Mustang. Hurry, supplies are limited.

• Wanted: improved Anger Management Skills. It appears that Ky Madden, one of several Arkansas high-school hoopsters that Hog fans are hoping will lead the program back to the Promised Land, has a bit of a temper.

• At Least He Got to See How Much He's Needed. Power forward Ricardo Ratliffe, ranked the No. 1 junior college player in the whole U.S. of A, was in Bud Walton last weekend to observe the Hogs' late-game meltdown against Ole Miss. According to this article, Arkansas is one of seven teams Ratliffe is considering. The others? Alabama, LSU, Florida, Missouri, South Carolina and Clemson.

Poll: The Hogs and the SEC Tournament

2010-03-10T21:21:06Z

The SEC Tournament starts tomorrow, and you can just feel the excitement in the air. How do you think the Hogs will fare in Nashville?

Poll

What's your prediction on how the Hogs will fare in the SEC Tournament?

One and done - this team is toast

52 votes

They will beat Georgia and then lose on Friday

35 votes

They won't win the whole thing, but they will make it to Saturday or Sunday

9 votes

We're gonna shock the world - Hogs win the tourney and advance to the NCAAs

12 votes

108 votes | Poll has closed

Powell: Hogs Are "My Team"

2010-03-10T16:22:49Z

Powell: Hogs Are "My Team"

I'm not quite sure that the 2010 bball Hogs are much of a prize to claim, but props to the big freshman for his take-charge attitude.

Diamond Hog Update: March 8

2010-03-08T23:17:35Z

This weekend saw the Hogs far from home, in the decidely anti-Ozarks of Berkeley California. This series was the Diamond Hogs' first "real" test of the season, and they didn't disappoint, taking 2 of 3 from those pot-smoking hippies (present company excluded, John).

Hogs fell behind 2-3 late in Game 1, until blowing the game open with a 5-run 8th inning, headlined Zack Cox's 2-RBI single and James McCann's 3-run homer. Starting pitcher Mike Bolsinger had a workman-like performance, pitching a career-high 7 innings, with 6 Ks and only 1 ER. However, his performance was marred by 2 ERRs. Unfortunately, errors would become all-too-common throughout the series. Hogs win 7-3, with DJ Baxendale notching his third save of the season.

Game 2 saw the return of 2009's "cardiac Hogs", with multiple clutch situations. Zack Cox got the Hogs on the board with a 2-RBI single in the 3rd, with 2 outs. Tim Carver kept the theme going by hitting 2 HRs, headlined by his 3 run shot in the 5th, again with 2 outs. Starting pitcher Drew Smyly got into a jam early in the third inning, but managed to pitch his way out, escaping with only 1 unearned run. Smyly ended the day with 7 Ks and no earned runs through 5 innings. The Razorback bullpen let the Bears get back into the game, with reliever TJ Forrest immediately giving up a 3-run homer in the 6th. Cal attempted a rally in the bottom of the 9th, but came up far short, scoring only 1 run. Hogs take the series with the 9-5 win, with Smyly moving to 1-0 on the season. For an excellent eye-witness account by John Expat, see here.

Starting centerfielder Brett Eibner took the mound for Game 3, requiring significant shuffling of both the outfield and infield to accomodate him. Eibner will remain in the rotation throughout the season, which is a testament to the teamwork and flexibility this club is capable of. Eibner had a good showing, with 5 Ks, 1 ER, and only 3 hits through 5 innings. Unfortuately, the bullpen slipped up again, with Geoffry Davenport immediately giving up a 3-run shot with no out in the 6th. Cal would add 2 more in the 7th to pad their lead. The Hogs fall 0-6, snapping their 7 game win streak, with Eibner picking up the L. It was the first time the Hogs have been shutout since April 10, 2009, against Vandy. 8 runners get stranded on base, many in scoring position.

Arkansas delivers on its first real test of the season: on the road, 2000 miles from home, against a relative powerhouse in the baseball-heavy state of California. The Razorback offense has proven to be potent, but their defense needs a little work. They just seemed unable to not give up runs. Of course, the best defense if a good offense, but without some defensive improvement, they'll be unable to win those games where the offense just isn't "clicking". Also, errors are a concern, with the Hogs committing 9 over the weekend.

This week, the Hogs return to Baum for a mid-week series against South Dakota State on Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by a weekend series against Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Neither squad seems to be much to worry about, but should serve as a nice warm up for a HUGE series with #2 LSU down in Baton Rogue the following weekend. Hogs move up the rankings to #14, per Rivals, with a record of 8-2.

Baseball in Berkeley: An Eyewitness Account

2010-03-08T17:38:30Z

Extensive archival research shows that, until last weekend, the fine city of Berkeley, California had never been treated to the majesty of a Hog call. But, I'm pleased to say that this is no longer the case.

I've been a Bay Area-based Arkansas Expat since the mid-90s (first in San Francisco, then Oakland, now Berkeley), and one of the only significant drawbacks about living here is that it's not the world's easiest place to follow the Hogs. So, even though I've never been much of a college baseball fan, when I realized the Razorbacks would be playing locally I had to check them out.

I went to the game fully expecting to be one of the only people wearing red in the whole place, but was pleasantly surprised to find a very solid contingent of Hog fans waiting there. In fact, I'd guess that a good 25-30% of the people there were on the Arkansas side. It was pretty awesome to see, and even more awesome to hear: as noted above, the sonorous sounds of Woo Pig Sooie rang out loud and clear several times.

As for the game itself, you can probably find better accounts elsewhere. I was chasing around my two small boys for most of the time, and although it was excellent father-son bonding it didn't make for the most blogging-friendly situation. But, I can report that the Hogs are as good as advertised. They jumped on the Bears early and never really looked back, particularly during a big five run 5th inning (the highlight of which was Tim Carver's three run HR - very nice). Fun times.

Besides the home run and Hog calls, the other highlight was that we were able to sit ridiculously close to the Razorback dugout (which was really more of a bench). The Cal stadium is what I'd call pleasantly intimate - definitely not the SEC here, folks - and we were right in the thick of things. After the jump, check out some firsthand photos and videos (including the Hog call!):

Photo slideshow (view the full-size pictures here):

Calling the Hogs in Berkeley:

Celebrating Carver's 2nd Home Run:

Requiem for a Dream: Ole Miss 68, Arkansas 66

2010-03-06T23:49:15Z

Way back in January (given all the ups and downs of this season, it seems like several years ago by now) I unveiled an oh-so-stirring dream of mine: to see the Hogs finish with an 8-8 record in SEC play. I first articulated this on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, and like Dr. King's soaring vision of an America rooted in racial equality, my wish of a .500 conference record no doubt inspired millions and brought tears to many an eye.

With about five minutes to go in the second half, I felt certain my dream would shortly become a reality. In fact, I was preparing for a lucrative career as a corporate motivational speaker. My eyes kept glancing at the phone, certain that Jeff Long would be calling to thank me for my inspirational words.

And then, well ... the Hogs proceeded to score one point over the final 5 minutes and 22 seconds of play, and allowed the Rebels to rally from a 64-53 deficit during that time. Ole Miss took its first lead of the game with 53 seconds left to play. To quote The Walrus:

"And so dear friends,
you'll just have to carry on,
the dream is over."

It's hard to feel this way now, but the Hogs made some progress this year. Going from 2 wins in the SEC to 7 may not be cause for a ticker-tape parade, but it shouldn't be entirely dismissed, either. Having said all that, the regular-season-ending, five-game losing streak has done a good job of reviving the bad vibes that have surrounded this program for too much of the recent past.

Inaugural Diamond Hog Update

2010-03-05T01:48:04Z

On the basis of a somewhat pointed suggestion from John Expat, I'm going to start leaving regular updates on the status of the Diamond Hogs. Yes, I know, college baseball isn't a "major" sport that garners regular attention from ESPN and can sometimes be as boring as week-old, store-bought apple pie, but the Arkansas baseball program has a strong pedigree and is regularly competitive for a national title. The least all good Hog fans can do is be aware of how the Hogs are doing on the diamond, and that's where I step in. If you're close enough to Fayetteville to make a day trip, I encourage you to go check out the Hogs at Baum Stadium one weekend. Tickets are cheap, so it's great for a family trip or just a day out with the kids. And, if you're so inclined, you can bring adult beverages (beer only) into the Hog Pen behind left field.

For those of you who need a primer, the Diamond Hogs have 22 NCAA Tourney appearance to their name, along with 6 appearances in the College World Series (5 in the last 15 years). The '79 Diamond Hogs came within 2 runs of being National Champions, and the 2009 squad had a fantastic season, finishing third at the CWS, posting numerous come-from-behind, ninth- and extra-inning victories, and sweeping #1 Arizona St. during the regular season, as well as upsetting #2 national seed Cal State-Fullerton in the first game of the CWS. Despite their post-season success, the Hogs have only won 4 conference titles (2 SEC, 2 SWC), which is a testament to the competitive nature of SEC Baseball.

The club is currently coached by Dave van Horn, an Arkansas alum. Van Horn was previously the head coach at Nebraska, where he brought the Cornhuskers to national prominence and won Big XII and National Coach of the Year honors in 2001. When legendary coach Norm Debriyn (think John McDonnell, with fewer NCs) retired at the end of 2002, after spending his entire 33 year career with Hogs, van Horn jumped at the chance to coach the Razorbacks. I think we can all agree, in light of some of our recent coaching situations (See: Dana Altman), that the opportunity to get someone who loves the University like Coach van Horn is a rarity.

One of the best things about Arkansas Baseball is the atmosphere. The baseball facilities, like all of Arkansas' sports facilities, are top notch. Baum Stadium (at George Cole Field, for the purists), which has been called the "palace of college baseball stadiums", was rated the best stadium in the country by Rivals in 2008. Fan support is also quite strong, with Arkansas Baseball attendance ranking in the top 2 in the nation for the past 5 seasons, including first in 2007. Arkansas was the first school to average 8,000 fans/game and several games have brought more than 10,000+ fans. That's more than some SEC basketball programs can say. Also, Arkansas Baseball is one of only 3 SEC teams to actually turn a profit. That is, the baseball team is a "money generating sport" and doesn't sponge off the financial successes of football and basketball.

The team is currently 6-1, leading into a 3 game series with the Cal Golden Bears this weekend. They took the opening series from Ball State 2-1, swept Troy last weekend, and toppled Kansas on Tuesday, out-scoring their opponents 63-28 in the process. Notable players include (and this is definitely not all-inclusive): Andy Wilkins (1B, leads team in RBIs, rated as the 3rd best 1B in the country), Zach Cox (3B, Freshman All-American in 2009, 3rd best 3B in the country), and Brett Eibner (OF/RHP, Freshman All-American in 2008, 2-0 on the mound). Also, Coach van Horn is rated at the 9th best coach in the country, per Rivals' Power Rankings.

The Hogs are currently ranked 15th by Rivals. There's some ambiguity in the college baseball polls; there are several polls that are all about equally well-regarded. Kendall Rogers at Rivals (who does a fantastic job with Rivals' college baseball coverage) has one, and Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball also have polls. USA Today/ESPN publish a Coaches' Poll. This has led to some "interesting" matchups, such as the first ever #1 vs. #1 last year, the aforementioned sweep of Arizona St.

So, that should get everybody (everybody who cares, at least) up to speed. I'm going to try to update early in the week after each weekend series. The mid-week matchups have some notable games, such as last Tuesday's whallopping of #25 Kansas, Oklahoma, and Oral Roberts, but nothing nearly as exciting as Arizona St.'s visit to Fayetteville last season, so I'll probably just lump the mid-week results in with weekend series update. That being said, I hope these posts are informative and drum up some interest and support for the Diamond Hogs. Woo Pig Sooie!

Just the (Depressing) Facts

2010-03-04T17:16:51Z

Check out this deflating tweet about the basketball Hogs from Dem.-Gaz. online editor Brandon Marcello:

"This is 5th season in last 9 UA will finish regular season below .500. Hogs had 5 losing seasons in 32-year stretch prior to 2001-02. Yikes."

And just to keep the good times a-rollin', chew on this fact, dug up by one of our interns: Since the end of the 1998-99 season, the Razorbacks have finished with a winning record in SEC play in just three - THREE - seasons. In the other seasons since then, the Hogs have posted losing conference records; there are no 8-8 marks to be found.

However, the Hogs can finish this SEC season with an 8-8 record by defeating Ole Miss on Saturday. In the meantime, you may want to check out this page.

Final Nail, Meet Coffin

2010-03-04T02:23:23Z

More photos » Wade Payne - AP

Browse more photos »

Well, the Razorbacks gave it the old college try on the road against a good Tennessee team, but it just wasn't meant to be.

Better than the LSU, Alabama or Auburn losses? Yes. A moral victory we can feel good about? Not really. Moral victories don't get you into postseason play, nor do they win you the SEC West. And, since both of those goals now seem solidly out of reach it doesn't seem like there's all that much to celebrate at the moment

Fellow Hog callers, as you look back on this season and ahead to the future what do you think?

Good Night, Game Over, Drive Home Safely

2010-03-03T00:15:14Z

That's the phrase that came to mind when reading this excellent Slophouse post, in which Dem.-Gaz. online editor Brandon Marcello shows what an uphill climb Arkansas faces just to snag a measly 'ole NIT bid. I think many Hog fans, myself included, have long felt that an overall .500 record would be enough to receive an invite to the junior varsity version of March Madness. Considering the schedule ahead, though, the Razorbacks are going to be extremely hard-pressed to do that.

And if they were to defy the odds and finish right at .500, that's probably not going to be enough to persuade the folks who run the NIT, Marcello notes. For one thing, all of last year's NIT teams had records over .500. For another, Arkansas' robust RPI ranking of 143 doesn't compare favorably - not at all - with those of the final teams selected for last year's tournament.

Way back when, when the Hogs were sitting alone atop the SEC West with a very surprising 7-4 conference record and had games against Auburn and LSU on the horizon, I believed an NIT bid was virtually in the bag. Not the most exciting thing in the world, perhaps, but I was fairly jazzed about it. I thought an appearance in the tournament would have represented signifcant progress from last year's 2-14 conference debacle. And given the way the Hogs were playing at that time, I thought Arkansas had a chance to do some damage in the NIT and generate some positive momentum for next year.

Oh well. There's always the prestigious CBI and CollegeInsider.com tournaments. Who's up for hosting the watching party if the Hogs appear in one of those? I'll bring the guacamole dip.

Time for a Poll: Just How Bad Is It?

2010-03-01T22:26:19Z

These are tough times for Razorback basketball fans. For those of us who came of age during the Eddie & Nolan eras it's quite disconcerting to see the Hogs struggling to remain in the NIT hunt. Younger fans are likely still looking for their first taste of basketball greatness, and older fans may be searching for the appropriate comparisons to the immortal Duddy Waller and Lanny Van Eman eras.

But how does the current situation compare to similarly unpleasant past seasons? To answer that question, we turn to the most accurate method we know: a highly scientific ArkansasExpats.com poll. Cast your vote on this all-too-sobering topic and then let us know why in the comments section.

Poll

What's the most depressing Razorback basketball season of the modern era?

A Brief Return to Happier Times

2010-03-01T02:59:59Z

We'll soon return to talking about the Hogs' steadily imploding basketball season, but we're just not up to it this evening. Instead, we'd rather think about happier times.

When we need a lift, we think of Dwight. And when we think of Dwight, we often think of the beyond-half-court-bomb shown below.

The setting: the 1995 national semifinal victory over North Carolina. The audio and video in this clip are showing a little wear and tear, but the memories will never fade.

The Vandy Post-Game Thread that I Wrote Before the Game

2010-02-27T20:45:10Z

Via the wonders of SB Nation's jaw-dropping technology, I composed this post in the wee hours of this morning and scheduled it to publish this afternoon. I realize the preceding sentence may have blown your mind a little bit, so I'll pause a few seconds for you to compose yourself ...

The reason I did so is because I'm in Fayetteville this weekend to attend the game and will be away from a computer until tomorrow afternoon (our generous slice of federal stimulus money ran out before I could buy a laptop). I tried to get staff soothsayer Rasputin to let me know the outcome of today's contest so that I would have something game-related to say here, but he has joined the interns for a spring break trip to Florida and could not be reached.

Anyhoo, consider this your place to either celebrate a rousing and surprising victory that put the Hogs squarely back on the NIT track or bemoan another loss in a late-season skid.

Regardless of the outcome, I hope you're having a great weekend. See you soon.

Say It Ain't So, Alvin

2010-02-26T22:26:12Z

Say It Ain't So, Alvin

During his playing days Alvin Robertson was one of our favorite Hogs, but his post-Razorback life has seen a number of unpleasant and unsavory incidents.

However, the latest one tops the rest and is truly disturbing. The AS360 headline says it all: "Former Razorback Alvin Robertson Charged In Sex Trafficking Ring."

Hard to know what to say about that. Very, very, very disappointing.