All Hogs

Look Back at Road Losses Reveals Whether Hustle, Effort Major Factor for Hogs

Arkansas Razorbacks have clear issues that could cause another early NCAA exit for Calipari
Kent Smith|
Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari reacts during the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Ga.
Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari reacts during the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Ga. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

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Arkansas Razorbacks

In a moment of irony, the one thing that caught fire across social media following the Hogs' 93-68 blowout win over No. 15 Vanderbilt that sent the Commodores reeling with a third straight loss was a video of Arkansas coach John Calipari complaining about the effort of one of his players.

That's because, much like a movie that drops people immediately in the middle of a tense high action scene, Tuesday night's game got immediately running with explosive moments on both ends of the floor.

However, unlike a well-written script, the game never allowed for things to settle down and let the audience process what is going on and gather its thoughts. Not even when the ball went to the other end of the court.

One moment the Razorbacks were crashing down the lane for a dunk, then, seconds later, they were ripping away a steal or blocking a shot, and back down the floor burying a running three. Then, before anyone could catch their breath, the Hogs were at it again.

That's why it was a surprise to hear Calipari say he sat freshman star Darius Acuff at one point for lack of effort.

Normally, that is something easily picked up on, but amid the chaos, it had gone unnoticed. That may also be because when he returned, Acuff was such a catalyst for the ensuing craziness that the brain was left to assume that had been going on all along 

"I took Darius out because he was just going through the motions," Calipari said. "Then he went back in, and he played well because he was mad at me. I loved it. Be mad at me all the time."

It seems Acuff recovered from his pouting snafu to lead Arkansas with 17 points on 50% shooting on top of five assists and a pair of rebounds. As for time missed, he still only sat for seven minutes and a solid chunk of that was at the end when things were well out of hand 

There is little question as to whether there was obvious effort at Bud Walton against Vanderbilt. Nor was there any in a similar blowout win over South Carolina last week.

Instead, what those two efforts pushed to the forefront is whether lack of effort is why Arkansas has struggled so mightily in true road games, leading to a 1-3 record under those circumstances.

Unwilling in Athens
L, 90-76

Against Georgia, Arkansas started flat-footed and unfocused. It wasn't necessarily a hustle situation so much as it didn't look like they felt like being there to play basketball.

Their heart just didn't look in it to start. They threw the ball away multiple times, gave half-hearted attempts at blocking shots and moved their feet slower than usual.

However, as time went on, it truly did become a lack of hustle. Arkansas didn't make effort to go after balls or to make aggressive defensive plays.

Yes, they didn't look like they wanted to be playing basketball, but the result was definitely lack of effort.

Out-Talented in Auburn
L, 95-73

As for the Auburn game, the effort was there. There were moments a Razorback would flash a lazy play, but he was quickly sent to the bench and the Hogs often responded with great defensive play to make up for the lack of previous effort.

That's why Arkansas led for a solid portion of the first 10 minutes or found itself within three points. Auburn would heat up and go on a mini-run and Acuff would respond by hitting a three or the Razorbacks would go inside for a quick bucket.

However, as the game drug on, Keyshawn Hall, the best player in the SEC, began feeling the energy of the crowd and got harder and harder to stop. His lift in spirits and hustle began to spill over into a couple of his teammates and before long, the small runs got bigger because Arkansas couldn't make the plays in between to kill them.

In the end, the lack of ability to answer to break Hall's rhythm led to him scoring 32 points on 11-of-14 shooting with five assists and a pair of blocks.

In other words, the Tigers had better talent fueled by a home crowd and eventually got swarmed under by being in an SEC road environment against a team that is better than it's currently being coached by Steven Pearl.

Lessons in East Lansing
L, 69-66

As for the Michigan State game, the Hogs were definitely focused. They jumped out to a quick lead before the Spartans put together one of those runs that just happen on the road, hitting eight consecutive to go up 10-6.

However, Karter Knox jumped a pass inside the paint, pushed it up the floor and threaded a perfect assist to Maleek Thomas through the tiniest window for the lay-up to kill the run.

Meanwhile, Acuff hit a little bit of a down spell late in the opening 10 minutes, so he came to the bench while DJ Wagner took over. What ensued was a graduate level class on where the star freshman needs to take his game.

A combination of gritty defense and smart veteran work on offense allowed Wagner to go on his own 7-0 run. This fueled up Billy Richmond, who suddenly became his typical self, and before anyone could blink, the two put together an 11-3 run that had Arkansas back in the lead after taking several haymakers from an abusive inside game by the Spartans.

One of the key things Wagner showed was how to provide value despite missing shots. He used his body control to draw fouls on the same interior defenders who were rocking the Hogs' world on the other end.

He wanted to chip away at the lead while slowly pushing Coen Carr and Cam Ward, two piles of muscle that had single-handedly knocked Arkansas to the mat multiple times, to long stints on the bench.

He also proved to be an absolute annoyance on defense, showing further how guards can positively impact games without scoring.

The Michigan State loss had nothing to do with hustle. It was purely a product of the benefits of a great home environment and the need for Arkansas to learn to do a few little things overall as a team to generate and prevent a small amount of points that will often determine games down the stretch.

Biggest observations

There were a few things that clearly stood out while walking back down this path of burned tapes and losses that can provide not only teachable moments, but genuine cause for concern.

There is a definite match-up issue Arkansas may find itself in during the NCAA Tournament. If the opponent has a physical big man banging around in the paint or attacking the glass, the Hogs are going to fold.

They're great shot blockers, but when a WWE wrestler explodes up from two feet, driving his head and shoulders into the chin of an Arkansas defender, there is little they can do. Even Malique Ewin isn't physical enough to slow down old fashioned interior bully ball.

That's what ultimately gave Michigan State the slight edge and was what set the tone and led to the downfall of Arkansas at Georgia.

The second, and more fixable of the issues, concerns Acuff. He doesn't process cold spells fast enough.

The freshman guard tends to hit stretches where the ball sticks with him a lot. When he's hot, that's not a bad thing, but when he cools off and keeps shooting rather than adjusting his game, it's a real problem.

Opponents go on mini-runs while Acuff misses threes and lay-ups. Wagner, in his veteran leadership, showed the first adjustment.

Acuff has to learn to utilize his body in attacking the rim more. However, he shies away from contact, which means he doesn't draw fouls on shots that had no chance to go in.

Instead of going to the line and getting opponents in foul trouble, Arkansas gives up rebounds and empty possessions. In addition to not changing his focus to drawing fouls when things go cold, it takes way longer than it should for Acuff to realize he needs to focus on getting his teammates involved for a while and set them up.

Because of this habit, Arkansas opens itself to runs that are bigger than they should be. That's why games like Auburn suddenly get out of hand.

Instead of a 6-0 run with an offensive response by the Hogs that makes it a four-point net gain, teams are putting up 10-0 runs with no response, making it a double-digit gain.

Yes, there are moments when, like any team that has to hit the East Coast from any other time zone, the Hogs aren't going to be feeling it, so their effort will suffer. However, any future blowouts are going to come from these two issues.

Arkansas will dominate smaller teams like Vanderbilt. Their athleticism makes it where they can block anything that comes inside and Acuff is so strong off the dribble that without facing a powerful inside presence, he can dance to the rim all he wants.

However, aggressive muscle inside like Somto Cyril or guards who are capable of going on extended heat streaks like Auburn's Keyshawn Hall are going to make life a nightmare for the Hogs.

Luck of the draw is literally going to be the difference between a possible run to the national championship and a first weekend exit. Until then, Arkansas knows where its deficiencies are.

The work just has to be done to minimize it until then.

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Kent Smith
KENT SMITH

Kent Smith has been in the world of media and film for nearly 30 years. From Nolan Richardson's final seasons, former Razorback quarterback Clint Stoerner trying to throw to anyone and anything in the blazing heat of Cowboys training camp in Wichita Falls, the first high school and college games after 9/11, to Troy Aikman's retirement and Alex Rodriguez's signing of his quarter billion dollar contract, Smith has been there to report on some of the region's biggest moments. 

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