on climbing back to the top 2 of the SEC ... on fixing the road woes ... on making Bud Walton Arena a place where teams come to die ... on having success again in the SEC tourney ... on getting in and staying ranked in the Top 25 most of the season ... on scheduling smart and staying in and around the RPI Top 20 ... on earning a 5-seed in our return to the NCCA tournament, which validates all the work ... on getting 2 Top 50 high school players for continued success ... on getting out of the house on an off night to show Malik Monk the love.
I believe this season is already a huge success, regardless of what happens next. However, advance to the Sweet 16 and the season takes on another level of success and relevance.
I'm so proud of the strides that guys like Bobby Portis, Michael Qualls, and Rashad Madden made this year, and credit goes to those players and the coaches who helped them develop and understand their roles.
I'm also proud of the development of Alandise Harris, who I think actually became a better player this season once he embraced his defense-first role. We all agreed that Coty Clark was the x-factor the past two seasons, and I believe Alandise was that for this team -- he was so much more valuable night-in, night-out than many fans realize.
I think Anthlon Bell has improved, mainly because the move to the bench helped create a more appropriate niche for him. I think the emergence of Anton Beard has been huge for this team and was an injection of toughness and confidence into that starting lineup. I'm also proud of Manny Watkins, a walk-on who has come in and been a vital part of the success, leading the second unit with effort and defense. I'm proud of Jacorey Williams for turning around a rough SEC season (remember, he actually played well in the non-con) in the SECT with solid play. Moses Kingsley was up and down, but you can see a lot of raw potential and ability. And how about Nick Babb? After mostly being an 11th or 12th option who rarely got off the bench, he started getting meaningful playing time in the Texas A&M game, and he has been contributing ever since.
This team has limitations, but in a league where several teams had a talent advantage or experience advantage, these Hogs rose above the entire league (save for Kentucky), forged a season of "firsts" for the program since the last century of basketball, planted the Arkansas Razorbacks flag, and now has let everybody know that this program is back.
So, sit back and enjoy the Dance. Our Hogs are back where they belong, and they've made March Madness more exciting and fun for all of us.
I believe this season is already a huge success, regardless of what happens next. However, advance to the Sweet 16 and the season takes on another level of success and relevance.
I'm so proud of the strides that guys like Bobby Portis, Michael Qualls, and Rashad Madden made this year, and credit goes to those players and the coaches who helped them develop and understand their roles.
I'm also proud of the development of Alandise Harris, who I think actually became a better player this season once he embraced his defense-first role. We all agreed that Coty Clark was the x-factor the past two seasons, and I believe Alandise was that for this team -- he was so much more valuable night-in, night-out than many fans realize.
I think Anthlon Bell has improved, mainly because the move to the bench helped create a more appropriate niche for him. I think the emergence of Anton Beard has been huge for this team and was an injection of toughness and confidence into that starting lineup. I'm also proud of Manny Watkins, a walk-on who has come in and been a vital part of the success, leading the second unit with effort and defense. I'm proud of Jacorey Williams for turning around a rough SEC season (remember, he actually played well in the non-con) in the SECT with solid play. Moses Kingsley was up and down, but you can see a lot of raw potential and ability. And how about Nick Babb? After mostly being an 11th or 12th option who rarely got off the bench, he started getting meaningful playing time in the Texas A&M game, and he has been contributing ever since.
This team has limitations, but in a league where several teams had a talent advantage or experience advantage, these Hogs rose above the entire league (save for Kentucky), forged a season of "firsts" for the program since the last century of basketball, planted the Arkansas Razorbacks flag, and now has let everybody know that this program is back.
So, sit back and enjoy the Dance. Our Hogs are back where they belong, and they've made March Madness more exciting and fun for all of us.
