First Round......Bye-Bye

WHAT HAPPENED?
I'll admit, it was nice to have a reason to buy into the hype that is the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Ever since the team started their winning streak mid-season I would catch myself checking out where the 'experts' would predict the Razorbacks to be seeded in the upcoming tourney. I had Bracketology fever. Then to see their name pop up as a number 8 seed in the Oakland bracket was special. It had been so long since we had a reason to watch the tournament. I waited to see who was going to get the pleasure of becoming victim number 1 for the Hogs. They called out a name I had barely heard of. BUCKNELL. That's right 'The Mighty Buffalo Bison' of Bucknell. WHO???? Other than surprisingly knocking off Kansas in the first round of the tournament last year, I had never heard of them!

When I studied the Oakland bracket, I thought Arkansas had a legitimate shot to come away with wins against Memphis and even Kansas! Maybe I was picking with my heart instead of my head on the Kansas game but I believed we would at least get past the Bison. Well, by now you know, WE DIDN'T! Thanks in part to a horrible day behind the arc hitting only 2 of 12 and missing 9 of our last 20 free throws. Bucknell held us to a season low 55 points. After allowing the opponent to hit 11 of 21 (52%) from behind the 3-point line we still had a chance to win late in the game and we just didn't get it done.

I didn't have a good feeling on Friday morning as I waited for the game to begin. The story was just too good not to be told. Arkansas had not lost in Dallas in 19 games and Bucknell had never won in Dallas. Us, coming from a power conference, playing a "home" game in "Barnhill South", playing a team nobody you asked could tell you anything about. The table was set for the upset story.

It was fun to at least have a reason to fill out a bracket even though by now mine are in the tank.

For the second straight time the Hogs were 1-and-done in the Big Dance.

Give it up for BUCKNELL. They proved to be a legitimate contender. They went 14-0 on their way to a Patriot League Championship. Any team that can run through the regular conference season undefeated deserves some respect no matter how "mid-major" their conference is.

NEXT SEASON:
What does next season hold for the Hogs?

SENIORS:
We know for a fact 3 seniors will be gone.
To Jonathon Modica, Eric Ferguson, and Dontell Jefferson, good luck fellas in whatever you pursue. It has been a fun ride. Thanks for helping the Hogs get this thing turned around and headed in the right direction again.

RETURNING PLAYERS:

THE GUARDS:
Ronnie Brewer:
With this season behind us the main question everyone is asking: "Is Ronnie Brewer coming back or jumping to the NBA"
I shutter the thought of not having him back next season. This team would take a major hit not having him in the line-up. Ronnie has a lot to gain by staying at Arkansas one more season. Getting his college degree, gaining one more year of experience on the court, and helping the Hogs get back to the Big Dance to name a few. I don't believe he is ready for the NBA. He definitely has the talent, but he could use one more year to polish up his game. On the flip side, you never know when a career ending injury could happen resulting in him never getting the chance to fulfill his dream of playing at the highest level. It is a risk he will have to assess. He has the support of his coach and his family in whatever he chooses to do.

Sean McCurdy:
Sean came in off the bench and gave the Hogs 7.7 minutes a game. He appears to be a natural leader on the court. He is a true point guard and if Ronnie leaves he will be the most experienced guard on the court. I look for Sean to accept the challenge and, coming from the Northeast, I don't think he will be intimidated by anyone!

Preston Cranford:
This kid has a great attitude and is willing to do whatever it takes to make the team better. Only averaging 3.6 minutes a game, Preston rolls up his sleeves and comes to work hard every day.

Sammy Munsey:
Sammy is another one of those guys you don't see on the court a lot but he works hard in practice to make the other guys better.

Luke Allen:
Luke transferred from NAIA Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA. As a walk-on He had to sit out this season and has 2 years of eligibility remaining as of the 06-07 season. At Westmont, Luke averaged 6.5 points per game and shot 43.8 percent from the floor as a sophomore on a team going 20-7. We look forward to seeing him on the floor next season.

Gary Ervin:
Gary transferred from SEC West rival Mississippi State. Like Allen, Gary will have two years to play for the Razorbacks beginning with the 2006-07 season. As a Sophomore at Mississippi State, Gary averaged 7.4 points, 2.4 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.1 steals. He was third in the Southeastern Conference in assists and seventh in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.58:1). He, along with McCurdy will run the point at Arkansas.

THE FORWARDS:
Charles "Manimal" Thomas:
Charles has become a force to be reckoned with in the paint. He averaged 10 pts, 5 boards a game and his .723 Free Throw percentage was 3rd on the team.

Darian Townes:
Darian has given us another option down low. He was 2nd on the team in blocked shots with 52. He also averaged 5.1 boards and 9.5 ppg.

Vincent Hunter:
Vincent finally had an relatively injury free season and showed he could come in off the bench and make an immediate impact on the game.

Cyrus McGowan:
This young freshman has a huge upside. While he only averaged 5 minutes a game, he was definitely not a liability on the floor. He was able to come in hold his own allowing the other big men to get a breather. I look for Cyrus to really mature this off-season and make an impact on the floor next year.

CENTER OF ATTENTION:
Steven Hill
Steven has definitely improved his game in the paint and has gotten much more aggressive. He could play a huge roll on the team next season. Oh ya, Can you say "91 Blocked Shots?!?!"

INCOMING PLAYERS:
With three 4-Star recruits on the way, next season is looking pretty promising!
The following 3 incoming players signed a letter of intent in the early signing period. More info on them will be coming in the next couple posts.

Sonny Weems:
Sonny, a 6'6" 200lbs guard from West Memphis by way of UAFS averaged 17 points per game.
Stefan Welsh:
6'3" 172lbs 20ppg from Hargrave Military Academy
Michael Washington:
6'9" 210lbs 21.7ppg from Heritage Christian Academy Cleveland,TX (pending academic qualification)

Stan Heath and his staff are out on the road evaluating other prospects and could pick up another 1 or 2 players.

ALL IN ALL:
We have to give the coaches of Bucknell credit. They did and excellent job of scouting Arkansas. They knew they could not hang with the Hogs in an up-tempo, transition type game so they forced us to play their style match-up. A slow, half-court, more methodical game and they turned what many considered was going to be a first round bye into a 59-55 'upset'! Props to the Buffalo Bison of Bucknell.

Many will let the results of March Madness dictate their lives and that is just plain crazy. Aren't you glad we don't have to depend on a group of 18-22 year old young men for our salvation.

Jesus said in John 14:6 "I am THE way, THE truth, and THE light; no man comes to the Father but by me."

There are far more important things in life than the outcome of a game.

Go Hogs Go!