Finally Playing Like Razorbacks Helps Arkansas Win Crowd Late
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas has won a few big games this season, but for the first time all year, the Razorbacks won fans over.
They actually playing like Razorbacks in a desperately needed upset of No. 15 Missouri.
It might as well have been a scene ripped directly out of Rocky IV. Honored Arkansas basketball coaches Nolan Richardson and Mike Anderson sat in the stands looking on along with former football coach Houston Nutt as stand-ins for the Russian leadership.
In lieu of a packed house of Soviet citizens who stared stoically anytime Rocky mounted any kind of offense or turned back an assault by Ivan Drago, Arkansas fans filled the arena in the same manner, completely content to ignore the flashing “Get on your feet!” sign going off over and over again in the arena.
Instead, they sat quiet. Disturbingly quiet at times.
They refused to move their mouths, let alone stand up and start cheering. Instead, at times, they didn’t even look at the action taking place on the court.
Meanwhile, after nearly a year of spending time in a building that was literally built upon the idea that true Razorback basketball comes from offense created by great defense and unselfish play, Arkansas began to finally get it.
Suffocating defense became the key. It’s presence was the only way to honor the 1990 Final Four team in attendance that provided the Hogs their national identity while being the last straw needed to force then athletics director Frank Broyles to seek out Bud Walton’s help in bringing a new arena more than double the size of Barnhill into existence.
Arkansas forced 18 turnovers, leading to 30 points. Five Razorbacks combined for 11 steals, led by Nelly Davis’ four, and by halftime, the team had 16 deflections.
It’s been his spark on defense that began the path toward Calipari’s team finding the Razorback way on defense. His exhausting efforts eventually bled over to freshmen Karter Knox and Billy RIchmond along the way, and by Saturday night, the rest of the team was no longer just focused on getting personal highlight reel blocks.
Instead, the Hogs played suffocating defense, leaving little room on switches. Even when Missouri made the occasional three, it was from long range at the end of the shot clock.
Arkansas also had a lot of deflections and dove for loose balls. Turnovers led to multiple passes, avoiding the usual selfish play of simply tossing up a three with no one down the floor or driving the lane just to throw something up under heavy guard.
What followed were dunks and lay-ups that slowly began to turn the crowd. As they fought and scrapped, a few of the non-students began to stand up and yell.
By the time Richmond checked in again in the latter portion of the second half, bringing yet another spark on both ends of the floor, the whole crowd that had once been so quiet it felt like an English presentation was gong on finally got loud.
“I came here tonight and I didn’t know what to expect. I’ve seen a lot of people not cheerin’ for the Hogs and I didn’t know what to feel about that, so I guess I didn’t like you much then either.
“During this game I seen a lot of changing. The way yous felt about us, and the way we felt about you.
“Out here there were two teams killin each other, but I guess that’s better than 20,000. What I’m trying to say is If we can change, and you fans can change, everybody can change!”
In the end, Richmond only had four points, but he also had five rebounds, three assists and a block. That’s a lot of production for only 12 minutes of work.
After an entire season of Bud Walton being mostly empty and, quite frankly, embarrassing when it wasn’t empty as far as atmosphere goes, Calipari’s players have truly turned things around. Arkansas fans finally saw what they have been looking for all along.
They finally saw the fighting spirit of a Razorback. It was enough to convince them these are no longer a bunch of Kentucky Wildcats borrowing Arkansas jerseys.
There are only two home games left, but if this 92-85 upset of Missouri is the foundation of what Razorbacks fans can expect as to how the team is going to play, those two games will be memorable. It’s possible that for a briefest of time, Bud Walton Arena will be the intimidating Basketball Palace of Mid-America for which it is known.
The Hogs appear to have truly changed. Wednesday night against Texas will prove whether the fans have truly come around as well.
