Oklahoma will be the first real test of the yr for Hawgball.

#11. Trae Young a freshman has tremendous ability, this isn’t the same Oklahoma team from last year. They have a tremendous PG now to go along with a strong inside game… Kruger always does his best work as a coach coming off a season where he didn’t make the tournament. That being said, Arkansas has two outstanding Senior Guards, and a tremendous Freshman PF, if our Senior guards can’t play up to the level of a freshman, then they can forget about playing in the NBA, because it aint happening… In the NBA you have to play talented Guards every night, a lot like this Trae Young kid… Arkansas needs to go there with the attitude of more than just participating, they need to make an impact in this tournament…

This game will go a long way to showing where we are against a Power 5 team. A win would be big for both schools, but it would be much bigger for Oklahoma. Oklahoma’s RPI is 211(they’ve played extremely weak opponents) where Arkansas’ RPI is 39. A loss for Arkansas would put a big dent in our RPI and skyrocket Oklahoma’s.

Make no mistake, our young men are hungry in this tournament. Not just to beat Oklahoma, but what beating Oklahoma would also secure, a rematch with North Carolina. The coach and players can downplay wanting to have the rematch, but believe me, they want it and they want it bad.

I live in Tulsa and my wife is a sooner fan. Biggest game of the year at our house and after this football season hog fans in Oklahoma could use this win! WPS

this hog team has the look of some on Nolan’s better squads, not saying they are yet. just that they send waves of 6’3’’ to 6’11’’ athletes at the opponent. so far we’ve played teams that, our length and athleticism affected greatly. i dont know enough about OK to know how it will affect them. if Young is as good as advertised this will be a stern test. does anyone know about the availability of Thomas and Cook? that will come back to haunt us soon if their not back, if only for depth reasons. i hope we beat Oklahoma so we get shot at UNC, i know the players are foaming at mouth for another shot. here’s hoping for good showing in Portland and an even better season.

Supposedly, Thomas will be back for the Oklahoma game. Cook might be back for SEC play, or if his legal issues get worse, he may never play again at Arkansas. We’ll know more at Mike Anderson’s 2:30 press conference.

That’s the reason I wanted people to pump the brakes a little bit before you think this years team is so great and will have a cake walk to the post season and perhaps and visit to the second weekend in the NCAA Tourney.

We have some solid non conference challenges awaiting us not only in this PK event, Houston, Minnesota, Oklahoma State to name a few.
Also, the SEC has many teams that got a lot better since last season from a talent standpoint and it will be difficult playing Missouri and Texas A&M twice this season when they both appear to be loaded this year.

Road games against much improved teams like Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Florida, LSU, Ole Miss and Miss St. could prove to be difficult.

Home games with Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Missouri, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Miss St and Auburn at BWA ate all but must win games since I can see us possibly loosing 5 or 6 road games, we can’t afford to lose more than a couple of these home games which we probably will.

I can see us going anywhere from 12-6 to 10-8 in the SEC this season, which means we can’t really afford to lose more than two non conference games in order to be certain of a punched ticket to the Dance.

This is the deepest team talent wise MA has put on the floor as HC. This team will suprise a lot of people this year. Dustin Thomas is back able to play. I feel confident in Macon and Bardford taking care of business this weekend.
Like many other folks I believe they are hungry to win in order to have a shot at the Tar Heels.
My guess for conference record is 13-5.

I’m guessing its way to early to add up the RPI points. Looking at RPI numbers this morning, there are teams - take Missouri for instance, from the early season movement of teams. Until you get to 10-12 games, the RPI numbers don’t tell you much. Agree though that a win over OK can’t hurt (or course) for the long term. Arkansas has three wins over teams that are going to climb up the RPI ladder as the season goes on. Those wins now will add up to good RPI numbers later in the year.

Defense and rebounding will define our season and we look better in both areas so far in this young season. WPS

Correct. My point in bringing up RPI is based on we don’t want to start out in a hole and try to dig our way out.

This team has talent and very good senior guard play. That has been lacking since the late 90’s. If we stay healthy, this team should be very good in March. How far they get in the tournament will depend on their seeding, their draw, and how lucky they are. Remember that the Mayday. Team went to Final Four their sophomore year and did not go back. Are they as good as that team? Doubtful, but that does not mean that we can’t have a deep NCAA run.

This week in Portland will show where we are today. Outside the senior guards, the real talent is the young players that have very little big time experience. If we lose some games now, that should not cause anyone to lose hope and get negative. Gafford is likely to be a lottery pick at some point. If it’s this year we can be.a top team. Very good guard play with a dominate big man is a strong combination in college basketball. WPS.

I agree regarding Daniel Gafford. Both team’s talent clearly should be ranked in the top 25 if not top 15. This game reminds me way back of my younger days of Arkansas and Georgetown in an early season tournament w Hogs senior guards Beck and McDaniel versus the freshman Iverson. Trea Young like Iverson look like a one and (or two years) done player. Both teams with very high level of play overall. At halftime the Hogs lead 50-45 in a great game worthy of the NCAA tournament. Happy Thanksgiving to all! WPS!!

Passed that test. Hogs have some serious potential this year. Gafford will be special eventually.

UNC is making us look like rookies. Another long year. Sure, we’ll get some wins, but talented, well coached teams will kill us.

UNC has exposed us for what we are. Yeah, we’ll win some games, but when we play talented, well coached teams, we won’t have much of a chance.