The End of an Era

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Well, that was ugly (but not at all unexpected). I was hoping for a build-on-it-for-next-year type of moral victory like the 1993 loss to the Tar Heels, but any hopes for that vanished about two minutes into the game. Sadly, today proves the point that this year’s team, especially when the Good Hogs version doesn’t show up, simply can’t hang with the big boys. In other words, the Bad Hogs might keep it close for a still pretty dismal loss against Alabama, but anything less than their A-game against an A-list team equals getting doubled up by halftime.

But, enough about the UNC game. With six seniors leaving, this is one of those true end of an era moments. I’m sure Stephen and I will have more to say about this over the coming days (we’ll certainly be in need of the material…sorry baseball fans, but for us today officially begins a Razorback sports Dead Zone of about four months), but for now, what do you guys think? How will this senior class be remembered? And what does the future hold?

As always, we look forward to what you have to say.

Filed under: NCAA Tournament, Basketball — John at 5:12 pm on Sunday, March 23, 2008

11 Comments »

Comment by Skywalker

March 23, 2008 @ 7:44 pm

They’ll be remembered for the embarrassing road record.
They’ll be remembered for pulling together late-season runs to squeak into the NCAA Tournament.
They’ll be remembered for the seventy-six times that one of our players said, in a postgame interview, “We just didn’t want it enough.”
They’ll be remembered for marking the contrast between Heath and Pelphrey by finally winning a Big Dance game.
They’ll be remembered for showing flashes of what could have been, which made it all the more humiliating when they dropped home games to bad teams.
They’ll be remembered for re-establishing a (tentative) Arkansas foothold in the NCAA tournament that will last for a long time.
They’ll be remembered as the group that Pelphrey had to flush out so he could really begin with his kind of players.
They’ll be remembered for a consistent inconsistency that few teams can rival.
They’ll be remembered for a few moments and then quickly forgotten as we focus on the teams that come after them.

Comment by Tab Prewett

March 23, 2008 @ 8:03 pm

In the two minutes we missed four shots, two free throws, had two turnovers, and no rebounds, and were down 9-0. I quite watching and started talking about alternatives to fossil fuels. That’s how boring the game was.

They will be remembered for tantalizing us all, and having no ability to fight on the road.

But honestly I think they tried and just suffered from not being good enough. Recruiting can change that. However, commenting on next year’s team, I think it could be a very ugly season. Right now we have four guys that are passable SEC players: Beverley, Welsh, Britt, Washington — that’s it. I mean, I don’t see Sanchez or Rakestraw ever contributing, which means the five freshmen will see a lot of playing time. Unfortunately, none of them is a superstar. Pelphrey will need another year of recruiting just to get this team competitive in the SEC, and certainly a few years to get competitive with the likes of North Carolina.

But two and done beats one and done.

Comment by J. Hawg 3

March 23, 2008 @ 8:36 pm

Here’s the real story, and I stole this from someone (if you’re on this board I apologize): in this day, if you have six seniors on your team, that means they suck.

To really compete, you have to recruit guys who will go pro in one or two years.

Honest, though, North Carolina was unbelievable today. What did they shoot? 67% from the field? Yes, we could have played better defense, but I am not sure how we would have stopped that onslaught. We had to hit shots to stay with them. And, to emphasize my earlier point, we can’t shoot. It’s the most fundamental thing in the game — you have to put it in the hole.

The most disheartening thing, and Packer saw it, Beverley is afraid to shoot. The seniors have been a lousy group, but Beverley has been the single most disappointing Hog in the last ten games. What is wrong with him? He passed up more open looks than _I_ would have. Sheesh.

I agree with Tab, it’s going to be tough for the next two years.

But today guys, nothing short of the Celtics would have stopped the Tarheels. They were awesome. I don’t like my Jayhawks against these guys.

Comment by J. Hawg 3

March 23, 2008 @ 8:44 pm

Oh, and some props to D. Townes. Almost alone among our players, he didn’t back down today. While the guards got tentative and wussy, he flat went at Tyler Hansbrough. No doubt, he improved the most under Pelphrey. And, he got position way more than he got the ball. Typical. Our guards are neither ready to shoot or pass when they get the ball. We wait a beat, and against the best, that means ugly death.

Tentative. That’s the word for this team.

Recruit. Recruit. Recruit.

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March 23, 2008 @ 8:52 pm

[…] Hang it up for the season (and 6 carrers at UA)…UA-77 UNC-108. The Expats say it’s the end of an era. And the Diamond Hogs lose the rubber game of the series with LSU…UA-2 LSU-4. Happy Easter […]

Comment by KevinHog

March 24, 2008 @ 6:34 am

If Pelphrey was one of the “Unforgetables” at Kentucky, then you could call these guys the “Forgetables” at Arkansas. This is not an era of Arkansas basketball that we will want to tell stories about. “Ah, yeah, beat Indiana in the tournament.” That’s about as far as we’ll want to go. I work with student atheletes, so I do want to thank them for the sacrifices I know they made to be a college athlete. But I am looking, like a lot of people, forward to see what Pelphrey can put on the court in the seasons ahead. And I am hoping that these seniors were working harder in the classroom than they were at playing road games, for my sincere wish for them is that they get their names placed on senior walk where they will certainly deserve to be remembered for finishing something great.

Comment by Biggus Piggus

March 24, 2008 @ 1:24 pm

Most fans are shrugging and assuming North Carolina has a world-beating team. The Tar Heels may be, but Arkansas didn’t really put that notion to the test. I still can’t believe the Hogs had 13 fouls in the whole game. They could have gotten more fouls playing powder puff football. Defensive effort in transition was nonexistent. And Steven Hill? His only stat in 15 minutes was a single foul. Where did he go? Did Pelphrey scare them half to death with his pregame speech? Whatever happened, the Razorbacks were completely unprepared to play a game of this stature.

Comment by Biggus Piggus

March 24, 2008 @ 1:31 pm

Oh by the way, Western Kentucky has six seniors too.

Comment by Tab Prewett

March 24, 2008 @ 5:05 pm

Hill regressed this year, in leadership, in ambition, in fury, in skills, in everything. H

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