Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Rebounds big focus for Hogs
FAYETTEVILLE — The University of Arkansas (9-3) will enter conference play Saturday at Texas A&M as the worst rebounding team in the SEC. The Razorbacks have the only negative rebounding margin in the SEC at minus-1.5 per game, which is more than a three-rebound differential from the nextlowest team, South Carolina, at plus-1.8 rebounds per game. Rebounding has been one of the key focal points for Coach Mike Anderson’s club during the semester break, which offered a bounty of practice time, including some two-a-day work. “The main thing … is basically being physical and boxing people out,” said sophomore Daniel Gafford. “I just think it’s effort, second and third effort,” Anderson said. “The guys are doing exactly what we ask them to do. But it comes to a point where there’s that second and third and fourth effort. “You’ve got to lay your body on the line. I think we’ve got those kind of guys, but they’ve got to understand you’ve got to want it. And you’ve got to go get it. Nobody’s going to give it to you.” The other SEC teams range from Kentucky’s massive plus-11.7 rebound margin down to plus-2.3 for Florida. Texas A&M, which is having to replace its top three frontcourt players from last year in Tyler Davis, Robert Williams and Tonny TrochaMorelos, is ninth in the SEC with a plus-5.3 rebound margin. The Razorbacks were outrebounded 42-34 in each of their last two games, a 73-70 victory over Texas State and a 76-65 victory over Austin Peay. They were outrebounded 43-31 in a 69-65 loss to Georgia Tech before that. “We always ball watch when the ball goes in the air,” Gafford said. “If we put a body on somebody, those balls go straight to us. All we’ve got to do is box people out, be physical and don’t let people push us around under the basket.” Arkansas has been outrebounded in 8 of 12 games, and last won the statistic in a 79-67 victory over Texas-San Antonio in North Little Rock with a 3936 margin.