Arkansas vs. Alabama

The log jam of SEC basketball continues. After last night, there are 6 teams with a 8-7 SEC record. This makes Saturday’s game crucial for a lot of teams, especially Arkansas and Alabama.

On paper, both teams are very similar. Both have their top 3 players being 2 guards and 1 big. Both like to run. Both will go deep into their bench. Both are known for committing a lot of fouls. Both are unpredictable in games because you don’t know which team will show up. The big difference is Alabama is one of the better defensive SEC teams where Arkansas is one of the better offensive teams in the league. So Saturday is a question of what gives.

This season, Alabama has had a lot of trouble against teams that play as fast as we do, BUT they are also killer at home, so that doesn’t bode well for a team that struggles on the road like Arkansas.

Offensively, we need to get the ball inside. Hall and Giddens are good defenders, but neither is as athletic as Gafford. If Gafford can draw fouls like he did Tuesday night, then bama really doesn’t have any major backups that can help them out. And bama will foul, so being aggressive will be key this game. We can’t live and die by the 3 at bama. Their rims are the flimsiest rims in the league, so unless you get a perfect shot, it’s not going in. We must be aggressive.

Defensively, TAKE CHARGES!!! Sexton and the other kid are very good guards, but they are out of control a lot. Same goes for Hall when he tries to clear out the lane. Practice taking charges and force them to slow down the pace and then chase us. Defend the perimeter. Their not great at 3’s but they can get hot in quick hurry if we don’t get up in their face.

Really, I see this as a toss up. I definitely think Arkansas is the better team, but it being on the road, I don’t know.

Add on, our bench must show up Saturday as well. Hall and Jones will be crucial in this game.

General the log jam is there for a reason. Every team tied for 3rd don’t understand how to execute. Offensively or defensively.
After watching the games last night seeing South Carolina win and shot 31% percent and knock down 3’s, watching Florida struggle to score or play defense, Tenn won by just being physical, Auburn is winning by just being faster to the ball in every way!
The hogs were lucky this week every team that needed to win to help them win they failed to take care of buainesss. It’s right in front of them if they can simply win!
its 3rd place to 9 the for them !
The way Bama looked last night it leads me to believe if the hogs play defense Saturday they should win!
Maybe Bardford has a big game.

I think all of those teams know how to execute.

They are just inconsistent doing it.

The league is also better.

your totally right General, Hall and Jones, in my mind are always the reason we win or lose. if they combine for 15-20 points in a game we win going away. if they dont Kentucky happens. Jones needs to make a living on pump faking a three, one dribble and pull up jump shot. Hall has to be aggressive like he was in the A&M game. Bama is prone to having long scoring droughts like us, maybe we will play better defense. i hope we play more of that match up zone, forcing them to hoist bombs from outside. granted, that only has 2 possible outcomes, they bury us or we bury them.

I think you guys are forgetting something, Its on the road and the Refs love the home team, I should say Cheat for the home team!

I think you guys are forgetting something, Its on the road and the Refs love the home team, I should say Cheat for the home team!

No I’m not forgetting anything. I’ve been watching hog ball for years. You have to play well enough to overcome the bad calls and your best player fouling out!
It takes guts to win on the road. Bama has struggled to score most of the season. Defense is what it takes to win on the road.
On the other end take good shots. Simple
Don’t extend too many minutes early on Macon or Bardford. We won’t win with them wore out late in the game.

Arkansas starting off well, but we are not getting any justice already from the refs. Bama is getting away with putting their hands all over us and they called 3 terrible calls against us. Especially when Thomas took the charge, he was perfectly set.

Thompson has GOT TO PEEL off the guards when he doubles because he’s not athletic enough to stay with them. Their getting open layups because he can’t stay with them.

We are stagnate. Too many guys standing around.

Honestly, we are lucky to be winning at the half. Refs are horrible and too many sloppy turnovers and offensive lulls. Our last two possessions, our shooters got fouled on the shot and no call. Complete garbage.

Well, our players should be fresh for the second half. We had a good rotation and thanks to Jones, we got good help from our bench.

We are playing a good 1-3-1 defense for the most part. We need to guard the 3 better.

I agree about guarding the three better. They’ve taken quite a few. If Petty starts dropping them this can turn in a hurry.

Not feeling to good about extending our 36 game winning streak when leading at halftime

We gotta weather the storm and close the gap. This has happened since conference play started. We’ve got to stop doubling on their guards because they are going around our big men with ease and finding open shooters.

Bama’s just packing the paint and daring us to score from 3. We gotta force them to spread out.

Thompson is killing our offense and defense. He’s just hanging around. We might as well be playing 4 on 6 with him in right now.

I’d rather have a two 4’s in the game right now than Thompson.

Bailey getting it done.

Good to see Bailey and Jones hitting shots. Now need Barford and Macon to get going