Can Blocker, Pinion help solve Hogs’ woes?
Some warm thoughts on a cold day:
What if Arkansas Razorback guards Layden Blocker and Joseph Pinion, a couple Arkansans, are part of the solutions to some of the basketball teams woes?
They came off the bench in Saturday’s 90-68 loss to Florida, Arkansas’ third consecutive SEC loss, to combine for 26 points.
Blocker, who started his high school career at Little Rock Christian before transferring to Sunrise Christian Academy, started out a hot name with the Hogs. He’s played in 15 games for the Razorbacks and even started twice.
Going into the Florida game, Blocker had been averaging just less than 14 minutes a game and 4.5 points and he’s tied for the team lead in steals with Tramon Mark, who averages 30 minutes a game, with 14.
Pinion was a well-known, much sought-after shooter from Morrilton and the word is his defense isn’t as keen as Coach Eric Musselman would like but he made the most of his 6 minute per game average and averaged 2.5 points, all of his points but eight came on threes and free throws.
Last Saturday Blocker logged more than 23 minutes, scored 14 points on 4 of 7 shooting from the floor and 6 of 10 free throws. He also had two steals.
Pinion played a little more than 21 minutes and was 3 of 7 from the floor including 2 of 4 on threes and 4 of 4 on free throws.
This is not a suggestion to Eric Musselman — he sees them in practice every day — but when they were playing against the Gators they played with the intensity Razorback fans have come to know and appreciate.
★★★
Arkansas basketball fell into some some treacherous NCAA waters with its third consecutive SEC loss.
The Razorbacks are currently ranked No. 113 in the NET rankings with a 1-5 Quad 1 record, a loss against their only Quad 2 opponent, and a Quad 3 loss to go with three wins.
A good way to help themselves would be to beat No. 41 Texas A&M on Tuesday night and No. 54 South Carolina Saturday. Both games are at Walton Arena.
Arkansas still gets to play No. 4 Alabama, No. 6 Tennessee and No. 18 Kentucky. Wins against those team would jump the Hogs back within NCAA Tournament numbers.
★★★
There was little joy in in the Hall home after the Dallas Cowboys became the first No. 2 seed in NFL playoff history to lose to a No. 7 seed, the Green Bay Packers, and it wasn’t ever close.
The Cowboys trailed 27-7 at the half and lost 48-32.
Fans can’t blame it all on quarterback Dak Prescott as he turned a sensational season into a distant memory hitting 41 of 60 passes but just 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions.
However, the Cowboys dominated almost every statistic but one and that was the one on the scoreboard, the one that counts the most.
★★★
For those who think replacing retiring Alabama Coach Nick Saban in two days with Washington’s Kalen DeBoer was quick, it probably was a process that began months ago.
It was reported last August Saban and his wife, “Miss Terry,” had bought a $17.5 million house on Jupiter Island, Fla.
Even with use of a private jet, that’s a long way from Tuscaloosa and one doesn’t buy a dream home and not live in it.
It was obvious early, like after the loss to Texas, some of the fire had gone out of Saban. While what fire was still there would be enough for most coaches, it wasn’t for Saban.
No doubt he wanted to go out with his eighth national championship, but the Tide wasn’t good enough to beat Michigan in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff.
Alabama and Saban put off retirings and hirings until after Washington lost the national championship to the Wolverines.