Toney's Defensive Masterpiece Sweetest Key to Hogs' Win
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas coach Eric Musselman finally got what he's always wanted — super-human defensive effort.
"The way (Toney) played individually tonight was as good as any defender that I've ever coached," he said later in Buffalo, N.Y., after the Razorbacks' ugly 53-48 win over New Mexico State.
He will give the bulk of the credit to the players. Just as big was the game plan Musselman and his staff put together defensively and managed to get everybody to buy into in less than 48 hours.
"Collectively the team being able to adjust in a short turnaround and be able switch (schemes) from time out to time out to different coverages ..." he said.
Mark Konezny / USA TODAY Sports
Musselman can give you a lot of information in one sentence at times, but the coaching staff had a game plan that shut down the Aggies' Teddy Allen.
It was clear early he probably wasn't going to have a 37-point night again like he did in a first-round game where UConn was caught completely by surprise.
Not Toney.
"My mindsight was just to keep (Allen) under control and not let him get loose," Toney said later.
It took a toll on Allen, who only had 12 points for the game. Considering the way he normally scores, that wasn't what he was expecting.
"In the second half he started getting a little frustrated," Toney said. "That was my key to keep doing what I was doing. This game it didn't seem he wanted the ball as much. I just tried to be locked in on that."
Mark Konezny / USA TODAY Sports
He also got to put the cherry on top at the end of a win that needed something sweet on it late. It was his one-handed, fast-break dunk with about six minutes left that changed momentum.
"That was perfect," Musselman said of Toney converting Davonte Davis' long pass with a roaring slam to put Arkansas up 41-33. "For him to be rewarded with basically the exclamation point after everything that he had done defensively."
Toney had the incredible individual effort. This one was as much about coaching, but you probably won't hear that from Musselman. The assistants did the bulk of the work and probably didn't sleep much getting this one together.
"The guys just did an incredible job," Musselman said. "We were worried about giving them too much in a short amount of time, but these guys play so hard."
Mark Konezny / USA TODAY Sports
That usually makes games ugly. This one was uglier than a mud fence on a rainy day. Admittedly, that's a Southern reference some won't get, but mud doesn't have a social media account to complain.
"It was obviously not a cosmetically pleasing offensive game," he said, which is a wordy way of saying it was ugly.
He really doesn't care about that. Hog fans don't, either.
Maybe a couple in the Lunatic Fringe will complain but it was Noland Richardson that pointed out a few decades ago that an ugly win beats a pretty loss every time.
Now comes the big test, though.
The Razorbacks will have to turn around and face No. 1 seed Gonzaga this week. But Musselman will have more time to prepare.
Which could make things interesting.
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