As Arkansas football concludes, basketball just starting to heat up

FAYETTEVILLE - While the Arkansas Razorbacks football season and Bret Bielema’s Razorbacks football coaching career concluded in last Friday’s loss to Missouri, Coach Mike Anderson’s basketball Razorbacks play on at 2 p.m. CST today on ESPN against the Connecticut Huskies concluding both teams’ 3-game Phil Knight Invitational Tournament in Portland, Ore.

Arkansas, 4-1, followed three home victories at Walton Arena over Samford, Bucknell and Fresno State with a hectic 92-83 victory over Oklahoma Thursday in Portland and Friday played the ninth-ranked, reigning national champion North Carolina close until overwhelmed by the Tar Heels’ 13-0 for the final 3:32 closing an 87-68 victory.

UConn, 4-1, defeated the Oregon Ducks, 71-63 Thursday but Friday fell, 77-57 to the nationally No. 4 Michigan State Spartans.

Michigan State and North Carolina play at 7:30 (CST) tonight on ESPN for the Phil Knight Invitational championship.

All the tournament teams were off Saturday, particularly welcome for the Razorbacks.

It gave a full day’s healing for senior guard Daryl Macon after exiting the North Carolina game with an injured ankle and not returning.

Macon’s status presumably is questionable for today’s game. He is Arkansas’ second-leading scorer, 16.4 average, and best 3-point shooter, 15 of 29.

Off their faded finish against North Carolina following the frantic pace against Oklahoma that included Macon’s 27 points, all of the Razorbacks appreciated having Saturday off.

“We felt like we ran out of gas a little bit,” Arkansas senior guard Anton Beard of North Little Rock said of the Razorbacks’ final 3:32 against North Carolina.

BIJHON WINS WHILE LOSING Though the football Razorbacks lost Friday night, senior defensive nose tackle Bijhon Jackson of El Dorado won the hand of now fiancee Brie Biehl.

Becoming quite likely to propose while introduced with their family and closest friends on the field on Senior Day, Jackson knelt ring box in hand and got a public yes from his fiancee before kickoff.

Jackson didn’t let his proposal distract him once the game kicked off. He made three tackles, including one for a 3-yard loss, in his Razorbacks farewell.

INTERIM AD MEETS

COACHES

Julie Cromer Peoples, Arkansas’ interim athletic director since Jeff Long was fired Nov. 15 and in charge of the coaching search while UA Chancellor Joe Steinmetz and a search committee seek to interview permanent athletic director candidates, was scheduled to meet with Bielema’s staff Saturday morning.

Until a new coach is hired, Bielema’s staff, some of whom presumably would be at least interviewed by a new coach, remain on hand to stay in contact with recruits and handle in-house disciplinary and administrative tasks as the players begin gearing for December’s final exams and close of the fall semester.

Cromer Peoples acknowledged the new Dec. 20-22 early signing period for football accelerates the timetable of getting a coach in place.

“I think there's no doubt that is has impacted all the searches that are already ongoing and the searches that will be announced in the coming days,” Cromer Peoples said. “In fact, our own coaches were scheduled to go out and begin traveling tomorrow to begin the evaluation period that starts on Sunday. So the signing day is important but the weeks leading up to it and the activities during those weeks are equally as important.”

(Nate Allen covers the Razorbacks for the NewsTimes.)