Razorbacks look in mirror after loss to Western Kentucky
FAYETTEVILLE - What was said too often during the lowest points of the Stan Heath and John Pelphrey post Nolan Richardson basketball eras, Mike Anderson said last Saturday.
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers had just edged Anderson’s Razorbacks, 78-77 breaking Arkansas’ 28-game nonconference winning streak of games the Hogs hosted at Walton Arena.
“In the end they wanted it more than we did,” Anderson said.
Into his Arkansas eighth-season with a 157-86 record, and with a 17-years Arkansas assisting Richardson after playing for the Hall of Fame coach at Tulsa, Anderson win or lose seldom has found cause to declare the opposition wanting it more than his Razorbacks.
Arkansas lost to better teams or on off nights or against somebody’s hot hand but not usually because the opponent played significantly harder or significantly wanted it more.
And it wasn’t like the Hogs didn’t play hard Saturday. But Western Kentucky, a school of great basketball tradition and coached by excellent former Mississippi State Coach Rick Stansbury, played harder.
The 5-4 Hilltoppers have played kind of up and down this season and were coming off an 84-78 loss at Missouri State in Springfield but their ups include beating West Virginia when Bob Huggins’ Mountaineers were nationally ranked, traditionally tough Valparaiso and now upsetting Arkansas.
In Anderson’s view, the Hilltoppers won Saturday on their own prowess and with Arkansas’ assistance.
“First off give Western Kentucky a lot of credit,” Anderson said. “I thought they came in with the right mindset and are a very talented basketball team. I thought we looked sluggish on defense in terms of getting to spots and it came down to making plays. Making plays and making free throws. You go back over the course of the game and free throws (Arkansas made but 9 of 17) kind of add up.”
Also the Hogs shot just 30 of 69 from the field while the Hilltoppers shot 29 of 58.
The Hogs had just made it look easy last Wednesday night winning 98-74 in Fort Collins, Colo. over Colorado State while blistering 38 for 73 from the field including 14 of 28 treys. They started smoothly again Saturday up 13-4 at 16:37. Obviously the smooth start turned rough in the second half with the 8-point intermission lost quickly, briefly regained but unable to withstand a defensive breakdown leading to what proved to be 77-76 overcoming, 78-77 game-winning layup by WKU’s Marek Nelson with 19 seconds left.
Charles Bassey, WKU’s 6-11 freshman center whose combined presence with 6-11 sophomore center Daniel Gafford of El Dorado caused 13 NBA scouts flocking to Fayetteville, loomed large defending Arkansas’ last two shots by guard Jaylen Harris and Gafford in the final two seconds.
Again credit WKU.
“The guy made a play,” Anderson said.
But again his Hogs must look in the mirror, their coach implied and ponder their post Colorado State mindsets.
“I don’t know if was a Colorado State hangover coming there where we shot the ball well and played well,” Anderson said. “How do you handle success? I think a big part is going to be the effort part from a defensive standpoint. What happens when you don’t make shots? Can you get to the basket? Can you manufacture shots? Can you get to the free throw line? I thought, again, part of it was our doing but part of it was also Western Kentucky.”
Normally for sports playing so many games like basketball and baseball, coaches encourage their teams to have shortterm memory loss after losses and move on.
But with UA final exams this week the Hogs don’t play again Saturday night for their annual Central Arkansas appearance hosting the University of TexasSan Antonio Roadrunners at Verizon Arena in North Little Rock.
So when otherwise not concentrating on studies which come first, Anderson said, the coach wants his Hogs reflecting on correcting last Saturday’s wrongs.
“Well, they have to stew over it,” Anderson said. “I think they are. Just like when they win, they’re on Cloud Nine, they have to stew over it. They have to figure out what are the things that we’re not doing that put us in that position. This is another learning curve for our young basketball team.”