All Hogs

Newsworthy Notes from Various Arkansas Razorbacks Sports

So many Hogs programs able to focus on national picture right now
Kent Smith|
Arkansas Razorbacks coach Dave Van Horn in fall scrimmage at Baum-Walker Stadium.
Arkansas Razorbacks coach Dave Van Horn in fall scrimmage at Baum-Walker Stadium. | Nilsen Roman-allHOGS Images

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Arkansas Razorbacks

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — With the weather staying continuously warm outside and the last of the medical outbreaks fading, there's just not a lot of room for excuses as it pertains to the Arkansas athletics programs.

That's why teams have gotten locked in and remain inwardly focused, leaving behind distractions that might normally slow progress in the middle of what would normally be the South's coldest month. So, it's worth it to take a quick glimpse around and see the details that often slip by in each program.

Hogs Lack Coaching Advantage

There are a lot of instances where Arkansas is thought to have a decisive coaching advantage over opponents in the SEC thanks to a reinvigorated John Calipari. However, that won't be the case Wednesday night.

When Nate Oats and Eric Musselman each arrived on the scene in the SEC back in fall of 2019, they instantly fell into the category of thorn in the side for Calipari. While Musselman has since departed for the Big Ten, clearing a path for Calipari to have a fresh start at Arkansas, Oats is still around doing his best to make the Hall of Famer's life as miserable as possible.

Oats went 3-4 against Calipari while the latter coached at Kentucky. Calipari bookended his rivalry with the young upstart with wins on both ends while Oats got hot in between. However, Alabama evened the score for its head coach by taking down the Hogs 85-81 in Bud Walton to even the series 4-4.

As for the sliver of hope that the Razorbacks' coach might have a feel for dominance in Tuscaloosa against Oats, that's just not the case. Calipari is 1-2 in Coleman Coliseum during Oats' tenure.

Value of Mid-December Win Keeps Growing

When the basketball team packed up and headed to Dallas to face Texas Tech, it was to play what would potentially be the most meh opponent on what was considered a loaded non-conference schedule. The Red Raiders were No. 16, but the 93-86 win by Arkansas that ensued didn't feel like anything that would matter much once late February, early March rolled around in terms of affecting the Hogs' value in the upcoming NCAA Tournament bracket.

After all, Grant McCasland's team didn't look like one that was going to post a lot of meaningful wins against a difficult Big 12 slate. They were expected to hang around just outside of the Top 25 by beating up on middle of the road conference opponents and not a whole lot else until the NCAA Tournament.

Well, so much for thoughts and projections. It turns out the Red Raiders might be the most valuable win on the Razorbacks' schedule.

That's because Texas Tech has been slaying any team that wants to present itself an elite Top 5 type team. Last week it was No. 1 Arizona that got dropped cold during overtime in Tuscon.

Earlier in the year, current No. 3 Duke received half its losses on the season at the hands of the Red Raiders in Madison Square Garden, 82-81. The same can be said for the current No. 2 team, Houston.

Half their losses also came at the Red Raiders' expense, this time 90-86 in Lubbock after the Cougars barely held on for a win in Houston just a few days earlier. For those keeping up at home, that's last week's No. 1 and the current No. 2 and No. 3 teams all losing to a team Arkansas took down on a neutral floor a couple of months ago.

They also took down current No. 23 BYU back when the Cougars were ranked No. 11, but that doesn't look nearly as impressive as a Top 3 sweep of the rankings. That has to go a long way in helping the Razorbacks when people start crunching numbers in a few weeks.

Van Horn May Not be as Flexible with Players This Season

Dave Van Horn has always had an edge to him as a coach, but he's also carried a strong reputation as a players' coach. However, with only so many seasons left to win a national championship, he has begun this season by tapping into himself with a small dash of John Calipari sprinkled in.

Following a difficult game against Tarleton State down at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Van Horn was particularly frustrated that his defense had to come up with key stop after key stop with a runner at third because the offense wouldn't do what he wanted at the plate.

So, he chose to make it clear that players can get with the program or the program can move on without them by utilizing people who will follow protocol.

“We’re going to have some guys buy in [to the Hogs' approach with two strikes], or they can just kinda hang out with me [on the bench] for a while,” Van Horn said.

How High Can They Fly?

The Arkansas Razorbacks have proven they have the chops to compete for a national championship when it comes to Jordyn Wieber's gymnastics team. A bit of good fortune in recent weeks has left the Razorbacks at relative full strength.

That has allowed Arkansas to steadily climb back up the national rankings as time dwindles down toward the SEC Championships and NCAA Regionals. The Razorbacks will have plenty of time to test themselves against the type of elite pressure they will face in the postseason.

No. 7 Arkansas just faced No. 3 Alabama on the road and has No. 8 Missouri still on the schedule at No. 2 LSU and No. 1 Oklahoma as three of their final four meets. It will be a strong opportunity to see if the slow, incremental improvements that means growth by the tiniest of fractions on their score make the difference in whether the Razorbacks are ready to truly compete for a national championship.

Between the final two regular season meets, Oklahoma at Bud Walton and a trip to Baton Rouge to close the year, and what awaits at the SEC Championships, Arkansas will be as tested as possible heading into regionals.

There should be nothing going forward that intimidates the Razorbacks. The teams they have to defeat will often be fellow SEC members.

Even in the finals, it will be packed with SEC schools in an arena the Razorbacks perform in at least once, sometimes twice during the regular season, so they will be as familiar as possible with the venue when time comes.

Arkansas' next meet is at Bud Walton Arena this Friday against No. 24 Kentucky.

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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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