Razorbacks Continue to Play with Fans' Emotions

Should people of Arkansas trust enough in Hogs to put hearts out there one more time?

Author:
Kent Smith
Updated:
Feb 21, 2024 1:38 PM EST
Original:
Feb 21, 2024

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Razorbacks fans have been burned before, but much like that girl in high school who always took back her cheating boyfriend because he swore this time he was going to change, it looks like Eric Musselman and his basketball team have played their way back into the hearts of the people of Arkansas.

This latest argument to be taken back is a good one. It's a slick tale of going down to College Station and knocking off a Texas A&M team that just two weeks ago beat the brakes off Tennessee.

It was impressive. Lockdown defense. An assertive and confident Makhi Mitchell dominating the paint. Tramon Mark clearly injuring his shoulder, then going to the dressing room and telling the trainer he was going to play whether no matter what, then coming out in the second half to drop 22.

Khalif Battle showed who he is capable of being offensively and freshman Layden Blocker did his best sophomore version of Davonte Davis impression. Even the postgame atmosphere and locker room speech by Musselman were convincing.

For the first time all season, it feels like the players have truly set aside whatever was going on behind the scenes and decided to allow Musselman to mold them the way he intended from the beginning. Players suddenly feel coachable and determined.

While it may be too late, this looks like a team that could hop on Makhi Mitchell's back and go on a run with an assorted cast of players having big games each night. Tuesday night it was Khalif Battle who joined Mitchell in making things happen in the first half as he posted 15 points. Then Mark provided the additional scoring option in the second half.

Yes, the last two games feel even more like a Musselman team than even when Arkansas upset Duke in Bud Walton back in the fall, but it's hard to trust. This has been a road paved with the broken hearts of Razorbacks fans.

Still, on one hand, it's possible to squint and see a team no one wants to face in the SEC Tournament, especially with a possible trip to the NCAA Tournament on the line. That's hard for the people of Arkansas to resist. Defense and hope are the key ingredients to a Hog wild steroid for fans when it comes to basketball.

The high of being able to brag on social media about sweeping the Aggies and most likely knocking them out of the NCAA Tournament has Razorbacks fans floating a couple of inches off the floor even today. It's an addiction they can't quit.

But then comes that nagging voice. "They've hurt you before. They win one or play a ranked team really close and then drop a game by 30 like you never even mattered. Don't fall for it again. You're a glutton for punishment."

Still, something does feel different. It might be a fool's errand to stick with this team emotionally, especially with a series of big Arkansas baseball games taking place this week, but this looks somewhat familiar to Razorback teams of the past few years all of the sudden.

Musselman's done it enough times to make it not out of the realm of possibility for Arkansas to go on a mini-run against Missouri and Vanderbilt. Fans can be convinced that will build enough momentum to knock off Kentucky and then a flagging LSU. All of the sudden Arkansas is sitting at 17 wins and rolling when the Hogs close the season at Alabama and steam forward into the SEC Tournament.

Should the Hogs upset the Tide, suddenly all bets are off. The entire SEC field is in fear of another Musselman freight train in full postseason form.

See how easy it is to start believing again? It's the hopeful heart of what has been an abusive relationship. It's more likely Arkansas gets beat by Missouri and Vanderbilt, then upsets Kentucky because that's just how things have gone.

No one knows what's around the corner. Fans want to trust, but how can they? Even the media is weary from being hopeful today will be the day a game won't feel like torture to cover to the final buzzer only to be let down.

There's no reason to truly believe this team has turned the corner. Still, there's just enough evidence it has for fans to not fully walk away. Let's just hope for their sakes the Razorbacks truly have changed. Otherwise, the Arkansas faithful may not recover from another huge letdown.