I’ve Never Been Prouder …

(AP Photo/Beth Hall)

of a Razorback team.

What a game – I still can’t quite believe that we won it, especially after Fortson and Washington had to miss so much of the first half with foul trouble. But those two came up huge in the second half.

This is surely the biggest regular-season win since … since … well, I’m not sure – I’m too excited to think clearly right now. In any event, it’s the biggest one in a very long time. And this is the toughest Razorback team in a long time. Pelphrey is doing an amazing job with them – they play exactly as he did.

More thoughts to come later. In the meantime, the floor is open for your comments (and be sure to check out J. Hawg 3’s post-game post for more post-game euphoria). We’d love to hear your observations on this very special night.

Oh, and one thing’s for sure – I’ll have to revamp my list of my favorite wins over Texas.

Woo Pig Sooie!

Filed under: Basketball, Courtney Fortson, John Pelphrey, Michael Washington — Stephen at 9:55 pm on Tuesday, January 6, 2009

16 Comments »

Comment by russ

January 6, 2009 @ 10:09 pm

I’m rewatching it on my DVR. If they beat Texas again tonight I’m gonna go shoot off guns in the street!!!!!!!!

Comment by J. Hawg 3

January 6, 2009 @ 10:10 pm

Did you see Hubert Davis and Jay Williams get all giddy over Michael Washington’s game clinching drive slam and one? Said Hubert: “As a game winner? Are you kidding?”

I was on the phone screaming with Janet at every time out, and we couldn’t remember being this excited since, oh, 1995. Probably not true, but it sure feels like the Hog Hoops World has changed significantly since last week. Jimmy Dykes said they may just be too young to know any better. Maybe so. But I am loving the delusion.

Comment by The Hog Blogger

January 6, 2009 @ 10:20 pm

Crazy crowd. Crazy game.

Come back tomorrow for more.

Comment by Michael

January 6, 2009 @ 10:32 pm

I want to see that Washington slam on YouTube, and I want it NOW!

Comment by Andrew Thompson

January 6, 2009 @ 10:41 pm

Coach Pelphrey may be the best young coach in America. Tonight was the perfect example of that. Our team is talented but raw; they just don’t show a lot of polish. But they fight really, really hard and Coach P clearly gets the most out of what he’s got. Games like this one against the Horns and the one last week against OU are great for a young team like our Hogs.

An example of the level of Coach Pelphrey’s ability: Courtney Fortson really, really looked like the true freshman that he is in the first half. He was all over the place, and he just couldn’t seem to settle down. Now I don’t know what Coach Pelphrey said to him in the locker room at halftime, but he played like a different player in the last 20 mins. He was more composed, more in control, and more the Court General that he has the potential to be.

One other example of Coach P’s talents is what he got out of Stefan Welsh defensively tonight. That guy was like glue on the Texas guard who scores so much. Just a great performance, and Coach P clearly knew what he was doing w/ the defensive assignment.

Comment by Stephen

January 6, 2009 @ 10:48 pm

After seeing what Pelphrey is doing with this year’s team, I so very badly want to see Billy Gillespie do well at Kentucky.

Comment by Cliff from Omaha

January 6, 2009 @ 10:56 pm

I wrote Jeff Long last week and congratulated him on a good first year. I also reminded him he did not want to be the guy who let Pel get away. Lock him up long term!

Pingback by » Suddenly, an SEC hoops surge John Clay’s Sidelines

January 7, 2009 @ 6:18 am

[...] Razorback Expats has never been prouder of a Hogs team. [...]

Pingback by Suddenly, an SEC hoops surge | MrSEC.com

January 7, 2009 @ 6:31 am

[...] Razorback Expats has never been prouder of a Hogs team. [...]

Comment by KevinHog

January 7, 2009 @ 7:38 am

Excited, thrilled, tickled pink or Razorback red, happy, all of it! A great game for these young Hogs. And I know Pelphrey will do a good job of getting these guys to focus in on the fact that, even though it was Texas, this was still just one game. There’s much more to accomplish this season.

I think the big question that looms is just how well can these guys play when the size fourteen sneaker is on the other foot and they are playing in a hostile environment similar to Bud Walton as the visiting team. What will they do on the road in the SEC? I hope, the very good things we see them do at home.

A final observation, was it Jimmy Dykes or Brad Nessler who said that Texas hears the banjo music and better start paddling faster. A “Deliverance” reference. Bringing out that old tired Arkansas, hillbilly stereotype, huh? Uggh. Okay, if you want to go there, then you also have to say after we got through with Texas they were doing some Ned Beatty impersonations of their own! haha.

Comment by Tab Prewett

January 7, 2009 @ 8:00 am

Agree with everyone. I thought Texas played a brilliant game (hard to say that) but Barnes went right after our weaknesses by putting Fortson’s high school buddy on him (maybe that got in Fortson’s head some because he was awful the first half) and by pounding the ball inside every possession, going against Sanchez and Monk.

I still don’t know how we managed to get that 11-0 run. I think Britt’s no-foul tie-up on the Texas layup was huge and enabled us to keep the scoring streak going. And Washington is the best big man offensively we’ve had since Corliss, and in some ways has skills Corliss lacked.

We need Jason Henry and Bradon Moore to improve for our depth, and for Fortson to get Clarke a few more looks at the basket — but I think we are going to make big waves in SEC this year.

Love the upside down hookem horns sign!!

Pingback by Arkansas 67, Texas 61 | RazorBloggers Network

January 7, 2009 @ 8:30 am

[...] Razorback Expats: I’ve Never Been Prouder… [...]

Comment by CMAC

January 7, 2009 @ 11:43 am

Did anyone else pick up on just how awful Jimmy Dykes’ commentary was? I suppose he was trying to establish his bona fides as an objective announcer (read: not an Arkansas Homer), but he seemed stuck on two things: 1) The size of Dexter Pittman’s ass; and 2) the fact that Texas was simply MUCH better than Arkansas and how lucky we were to still be hanging around. What gives, Jimmy??? This is a small complaint, b/c I’m absolutely on cloud nine, but just thought I’d throw that out there.

Comment by Michael

January 10, 2009 @ 5:35 pm

Tab Prewett: Were you a grad student in English in 1978? I had a Tab Prewett as my Freshman English teacher (until I got bumped into Advanced after our first essay). Howdy if it’s you.

Pingback by Time Flies When You're Having...Well, Fun Isn't the Right Word | Razorback Expats

February 26, 2009 @ 11:08 pm

[...] January 6th of this year, the Hogs beat Texas in what I think we can all agree was one of the most glorious Razorback sports moments in recent [...]

Pingback by Time Flies When You’re Having…Well, Fun Isn’t the Right Word | MrSEC.com

February 27, 2009 @ 12:21 am

[...] January 6th of this year, the Hogs beat Texas in what I think we can all agree was one of the most glorious Razorback sports moments in recent [...]

RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI

Leave a comment

XHTML: You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>