Arkansas Making Historic Marks, but Not in Good Way

Razorbacks 21-point loss moves Hogs up in school record books

Author:
Kent Smith
Updated:
Feb 3, 2024 4:06 PM EST
Original:
Feb 3, 2024

In this story:

BATON ROUGE, La. – For the second time in roughly 15 hours, things got off to a bad start for an Arkansas Razorbacks team with no room to catch up the rest of the way.

Last night the No. 7 gymnastics team got behind big after one event in front of a packed house in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center and couldn't catch No. 5 LSU. Then, Saturday morning, in front of a much more quaint crowd, the basketball team got down by double digits early and never could get above water in a 95-74 loss that wasn't even that close for much of the game.

It's the sixth loss in SEC play by double digits, which has moved this 2024 version of the Razorbacks into dubious historic territory. Not since Mike Anderson's first season in 2011-12 when he was trying to clean up the mess left behind by John Pelphrey has an Arkansas team lost six SEC games by double digits in a season.

With nine regular season games remaining, odds are high this year's team will blow past that number. To put things in perspective, you have to go back through the past two seasons, plus a good portion of the 2021 SEC basketball season to accumulate six losses by double digits.

Of course, if a team is losing by double digits regularly, then it stands to reason it must be pushing for the highest total of points lost by in SEC play also. That would be correct.

For starters, the three 20+ losses already on the books are weighing this team down. Beyond this season, the Razorbacks only have one loss by 20+ under Musselman, a 31-point loss at Alabama in 2021. From Jan. 3, 2016 through the end of last season Arkansas only had three 20+ SEC losses.

Coming into Saturday's game, the Hogs had lost by a total of 100 points in conference play, meaning that total has been extended to 121 following the LSU loss. The 2024 team has lost by more points in SEC play than the last two teams combined and is only 57 points from surpassing the last three.

Only four times since 2012 has an Arkansas team lost by at least 100 points in SEC games over the course of a full season.
2019 - 105
2016 - 113
2013 - 106
2012 - 147
The current team has already surpassed three of those teams and is only 26 points short of blowing by the Anderson's 2012 team.

This type of historic losing is clearly wearing on head coach Eric Musselman. The clear look of wanting the season to end ASAP was painted firmly across his face early as he leaned back in his chair early in the second half.

"Defensively, not good. Offensively, not good," Musselman said. "I was hopeful we'd be able to capitalize off the last two games, but obviously, we did not."

He now has a week to figure out how to get the Razorbacks on track to avoid making anymore dubious school records.

"Well, I'd certainly like to have a week off after a win," Musselman said. "We've gotta get better. We gotta keep coaching. We gotta keep trying to improve."