Arkansas Men’s Basketball Rolls The Tide In a Big Way

Feb 1, 2017; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Mike Anderson during the first half against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bud Walton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 1, 2017; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Mike Anderson during the first half against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bud Walton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports /
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Alabama came into But Walton only giving up 63 points per game but the Arkansas men’s basketball team had no problem beating the Tide 87-68.

The fans of this Arkansas Razorback basketball team needed a win to wash the O.K. State debacle taste out of their mouths. What they got tonight were the Listerine Hogs who left them with the minty 19-point fresh breath of a win.

Arkansas came out business as usual and took the lead and then as always gave it right back up. The Crimson Tide led until the Razorbacks tied the game at 11 points with 10:37 left in the first. From that point on it was all Hog ball with no lead changes.

So what was different about tonight? “They played exceptional, but we didn’t play Razorback basketball.” Says Dusty Hannahs on ESPN when asked about the difference in the loss in Stillwater and tonight. “We were ready to get in here and I mean everybody was chomping at the bit for the next game (Alabama) because we were embarrassed by that performance and gladly came out here and played really well.”

The Hogs came out with a purpose and they showed it. It was a fun game to watch with alley-oops, big dunks, and long teardrop three-pointers. The Razorbacks looked like the team I thought they were. Dusty matched his career high tonight with 5 three-pointers.

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Kingsley looked great with 15 points but the biggest story arguably is that Moses Kingsley shot 11-12 from the free throw line. That’s insane. Macon who was scoreless in Stillwater came out and had 12 points. Barford, who was scoreless in the first, ended the game with 13 points and a monster slam dunk. If he could keep evolving, he would be a beast for the Razorbacks.

From Me To You, Support Mike Or Find Another Team

No Mike Anderson hasn’t taken Arkansas to the NCAA tournament every year and he has made some questionable coaching decisions. He also had a problem with the whole recruiting thing for a while too. But nobody is perfect, right?

Well, Anderson may be still working on recruiting and building a solid tournament team but Mike Anderson is not stepping back in terms of progress. Not only did tonight’s win maintain that Mike Anderson has NEVER HAD A LOSING RECORD but that this year’s Razorback team is 17-5 which is tied for the best 22-game start in the PAST 19 SEASONS!

I’m not saying Anderson is the greatest coach to ever live but he certainly isn’t a coach you can find anywhere. If you head over to 247sports.com and look at the rankings, Arkansas is a top 25 ranked team for recruiting in 2017 and then take a gander over at next season’s ranking. Why yes, that is, in fact, the Arkansas Razorbacks at number one.

Look I know that times are rough for Arkansas athletics as a whole. Trust me I feel your pain and I know Arkansas won’t finish at number one in recruiting next year. That said, Mike Anderson is doing a damn good job. If you aren’t pleased with where he has this program going now, you’ll never be satisfied so go try rooting for Duke or Kentucky. This coming from someone who was critical of Mike by the way. Woo Pig!