Frequently Do Razorbacks Descend Over Radar
1. Gymnastics preview: Florida against.
2. Paradise Jam softball second day.
3. Baseball preview: The viewpoint of the hitting coach
4. Perhaps a comment on the additional funds that Hogs received from the SEC
5. Check for any updates on Razorback football recruiting.
After finishing the list, I began mentally ranking the items according to how soon they should appear on the home page so that readers could access them at the appropriate moment. At that point, I began to feel bothered by a persistent voice in the back of my mind. There was an omission.
I was experiencing this for a few minutes, but I couldn’t put my finger on why. When I eventually put it out of my mind, it suddenly occurred to me. Is there more basketball left in the season?
It is, of course. February is here. But psychologically, it was full spring mode because of the warm weather, the attention being focused on softball, baseball, and football, the absence of a midweek game, and the fact that nobody was talking about the team at all.
After Eric Musselman casually hinted that Davonte Davis might rejoin the team, the team gained some attention. However, since the season seemed to have ended without that Tuesday or Wednesday game, it might as well have been an announcement that Davis would return next season.
That has never taken place. My first memories of sports are from listening to Razorback basketball games on the radio and hearing about Joe Kleine’s accomplishments through my dad’s pickup truck’s open window as we emptied the boat into a tiny lake in preparation for catching more crappie.
I never missed another Razorback basketball game after that without being acutely aware of it. That’s Arkansas life for you. I have a ton of wonderful childhood memories that revolve around it.
When I was younger, I used to search for the ideal location next to my grandparents’ propane heater so that I could stay warm without worrying that the back of my shirt would catch fire. I also waited for my grandfather to turn the clicky dial on top of the TV, which I assumed was used to adjust the antenna outside so I could watch another Jefferson Pilot broadcast of the Razorbacks.
Because Arkansas and Baylor were getting close, I was sitting in a Pine Bluff parking lot and refusing to attend my fourth grade lesson at the Shriner’s Circus. Years later, hoping to give Nolan Richardson an advantage over Rick Pitnino and his evil Kentucky Wildcats, I ate my grandmother’s fortunate chicken.
Before a high school baseball game in Monticello against Crossett, I was sitting on a bus with our coach staying inside to warm up because the Razorbacks were in danger of pulling off a huge upset over 15-seed Texas Southern in the NCAA Tournament’s first round.
The list is endless, but there has never been a situation where the team forgot they were playing in the middle of the season. Part of it might have to do with the fact that Georgia, the team Arkansas is playing, has historically been the least exciting one on the basketball schedule. Simply put, the Bulldogs have never made an impact in the hoop department.
It’s also losing a little bit. It appears that not even our intern is thrilled about the prospect of covering Razorback basketball this year. It feels a little bit like work for the first time ever.
The majority of it, though, refers back to something that Craig O’Neill stated not too long ago.It’s still necessary to have a depth chart handy when Arkansas takes the field in order to identify some of the players.
The majority are currently familiar with Tramon Mark, but that’s the only new individual on the lengthy list. While most fans appear to be able to recognize names, very few could correctly identify 90% of the corresponding names if given a blank roster with only the players’ jersey numbers or faces.
A few weeks earlier, Denijay Harris entered the game while seated in the room with Razorbacks supporters. Someone questioned, “Who is Harris?” right away. Nobody was aware. It took me a glance at the roster to recall that he was a Southern Miss late transfer.
Throughout each game, Musselman switches up at least a dozen players as he attempts to decide who he wants to see on the floor. After sending them to the scorer’s table, they jump in, and before anyone knows they’re on the ground, one of them makes a mistake, is yanked right away, and the next Razorback up begins the cycle.
Even if someone gets hot and plays well, it’s practically a given that he won’t play much, if at all, for the Hogs in the next few games due to inconsistencies or problems behind the scenes. It’s not enough time to get to know someone as a person, much less as a player.
![](https://i0.wp.com/i.ytimg.com/vi/-3zzveKNvKk/maxresdefault.jpg?resize=768%2C432&ssl=1)
“Devo is definitely a floor general now, and Ricky Council is beginning to take on some leadership roles as well.” This team has a chance to succeed if both can assist Nick Smith with his defense during practice and figure out how to make him feel like a member of the group without negatively impacting the dynamic.โ
The new players on this team are not as well-known to Arkansas supporters as they were in Musselman’s earlier seasons. When you hear names like Au’Diese Toney, Stanley Umude, and JD Notae, you can easily picture a particular set of strengths. Can anyone really comprehend the game of a new player on this team other than Mark, with the possible exception of Layden Blocker, and only because of his recent increase in consistent playing time?
For this reason, once the games concluded, even for a week, it was difficult to recall that Razorback basketball games continued. Musselman surely hopes he doesn’t have to endure X more games, but they are scheduled despite how difficult things have been both on and off the court.
For this team and its coaching staff, going under the radar at the conclusion of the season would even be a welcome respite. There will be significantly more coverage starting next weekend when baseball is played at home.