Mindset evolves for UA women
FAYETTEVILLE — University of Arkansas women’s basketball Coach Mike Neighbors talked about playing with urgency a year ago, and his Razorbacks responded with a run to the SEC Tournament finals.
Neighbors admitted to different feelings Tuesday after Arkansas achieved its highest finish ever in the SEC and heads to the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C., as a No. 5 seed in this year’s tournament.
“We know we’re in the NCAA Tournament,” said Neighbors, whose team climbed back into The Associated Press poll at No. 25 on Monday. “We didn’t know that last year. We were going down there with something to prove.
“I’m a little apprehensive. Do we go down there with that chip on our shoulder?”
The Razorbacks (22-7) won 10 SEC games for just the second time in school history and finished in a tie for third. ESPN’s Charlie Creme has the Razorbacks as a No. 8 seed in the Portland Regional, facing Florida Gulf Coast with the winner taking on Oregon, in his latest Bracketology.
But Neighbors said his team still has motivation.
“There’s something to play for,” he said. “I think we could play ourselves up a line or two in the NCAA Tournament. I don’t think this group is ever satisfied, and I don’t think they judge themselves based on their results.”
Arkansas will try to improve its stock beginning with a matchup against the Auburn-Vanderbilt winner at 1 p.m. Central on Thursday. A victory would set up a battle with former Arkansas coach Gary Blair and Texas A&M on Friday.
The Razorbacks placed two players on All-SEC teams, which were released Tuesday. Senior guard Alexis Tolefree was named to the first team, while junior Chelsea Dungee made the second team for the second consecutive season.
The 5-8 Tolefree made a huge impact for Arkansas, especially in SEC play where she averaged a team-high 18.6 points per game and established herself as one of the top three-point shooters in the league. She’s averaging 16.3 ppg for the season and is shooting almost 42% from three-point range (83 of 199).
The Conway native said helping the Razorbacks return to prominence is important.
“It’s been a big deal to me to even play here,” said Tolefree, who is in her second season at Arkansas after transferring from Jones College in Ellisville, Miss. “It just means a lot to go out like this my senior year, making an NCAA appearance.
“Being from Conway, being an Arkansas kid, that’s a big deal to me. I haven’t seen an Arkansas team really win or really compete in the SEC or in the NCAA Tournament in a long time. And for me to be on the team that does it, that’s a big deal.”
Dungee, who earned preseason All-American honors, leads the team in scoring at 17.0 ppg. The 5-11 guard fueled last year’s run to the SEC finals, scoring an SEC-record 104 points in the tournament.
Neighbors likes the matchup with either Vanderbilt or Auburn. Arkansas dominated the Commodores 100-66 in Nashville, Tenn., and handled the Tigers 86-70 on the road during the regular season. But Vanderbilt upset No. 16 Kentucky on Sunday while Auburn lost at the buzzer to Tennessee.
“Both play a style that we kinda like to play, and they’ll both run with us a little,” Neighbors said.
Another shot at Texas A&M would provide a good litmus test for Arkansas since they squared off in the SEC opener for both teams Jan. 2, Neighbors said. The Aggies won 84-77 in Walton Arena.
“I do like the A&M potential rematch,” Neighbors said. “We played them really early in the SEC Conference. I think we’re better now than we were then. I’m sure coach Blair would say the same thing, but that’s the team we played longest ago. So I’d really like to see where we are at.”
Neighbors didn’t predict another big tournament run for the Razorbacks, but he didn’t discount it, either.
“And we all know what happens when you get down there and you get hot,” Neighbors said. “It becomes contagious and infectious, and it’s on auto-pilot. I don’t know if we can capture that two years in a row, but I can guarantee you we’re gonna try.”