---------- very athletic 7-1 rebounding and shot blocking machine at center, a front line with at least three guys all bigger and just as athletic as our one and only big guy playing, $50 million dollar lifetime contract coach, etc. We did not shoot well from outside. We got out rebounded by a wide margin. How did we win that game? Here are my thoughts. What are yours?
We got a better real coach, not just a great at dealing under the table recruiter.
We got a top 7/8 full of old (even Jaylin is mentally old) tough, physical, hardnosed guys, who get better in crunch time. All are talented and anyone can “go off” scoring lots during any game. Late in the game, everything on the line, this seasoned bunch has won this year almost every time.
We attacked well, got to the line more than they did, and we hit most of our free throws.
We were the better defensive team. They are good defensively. We are great.
That was an amazing home court advantage. We just sent shudders throughout the SEC, especially in Lexington. The Bud is back even better than before. Come on down Calipari, give it your best shot.
JMVVVVVVVHO Feel free to tell me what I overlooked, misunderstood, or got totally wrong. I don’t mind a bit.
You know what I say - We are a team! When Muss made the move to an older, bigger line up, it seems like those guys really put the egos aside and decided to play for each other.
Pearl got out coaches simple as that!
Cal will come to the Bud and the same result may happen again!
Simple fact the hogs have more wins in the last 3 years than any other team in the SEC. 64. That tells a lot of the story right there.
Auburn lost in overtime away from home to a really good team. I did not see Bruce Pearl being outcoached. Auburn was missing one of their starting guards. Winning at Bud Walton is a very difficult task for any team in the SEC. Pearl is a really good coach. Those two coaches last night were both really good.
We won this game because of a multiple of reasons.
#1 It really hurt Auburn last game and this game losing their point guard. He is very good at protecting the ball and keeping the team calm in tough moments. They didn’t have that aspect and committed 19 turnovers last night. 19 is a big number when your trying to win a close game on the road.
#2 The FT line was HUGE last night. Auburn was 47.1% (8-17) while Arkansas went an amazing 81.3% (26-32). That is a +18 difference in score just from the charity stripe. Without that the rebounding margin that the hogs lost (-18) badly would have killed us (Aub 60 Ark 42).
#3 Defense. I’ll say that again because it was huge - DEFENSE. The Hogs held Auburn to just 37.5% FG shooting and just 25% from deep. Plus the Hogs were +6 in the steals department (11-5) to help offset some of that rebounding margin.
#4 I think the crowd was definitely the 6th Man last night. I think it gave the Hogs energy at the end of the game when both teams were tired. I think it completely effected Auburn on the FT line to help with what I pointed out in #2.
I think both coaches did a great job of punch and counter punch throughout the game. I love Muss and how he coaches, his enthusiasm, and his interactions with fans. He is perfect fit at Arkansas. I also have tremendous respect for Bruce Pearl as a coach, but I hate him as a recruiter for his cheating past and probably present though NIL makes that so much easier now.
We got a team full of ballers that’s what makes this team special. They are a spitting image of their coach who will not back down or take nothing from anybody. We would have won this game by double digits had we made a lot of the open shots that we missed. We will be in every game as long as our defense continues to play at this level because that is how our offense is going to get going.
I don’t know if their point guard would have done a whole lot better tonight.He has not faced this kind of pressure in this kind of atmosphere all year long and until you’ve experience that we have no idea how he would have done.
Still a long way to go but that was an incredible atmosphere and an incredible game last night… I think it will help us tremendously going forward.
Correct. We did the home and home with Aubie last year. Since they’re not one of our permanent rivals (LSU, Misery, TAM), we don’t get them home and home every year. There is no discernible rotation among the other 10 teams, though; we have played a lot of home and homes with Tennessee and Moo U (including this year) and not many with Kentucky or the Poultry or Florida. Which is a good thing.
Personally, I hope we don’t see Auburn again this year in post season (unless it’s in the National Championship game). For the first time in a long, long time, KY doesn’t have the SEC’s most individually talented team. That prize goes to Auburn.