7:18: In case you didn’t know, I am old school: I listen to the Razorbacks’ games on the radio. Why? (Wait, be right back—my fried rice is burning)…Anyway, I don’t have cable or satellite. If you read Dribbling Ink the first time around, you know that I am too poor for cable, even though I am doing better economically than a few months ago. My wife says getting cable would make finishing homework impossible, which is probably true. I have enough trouble doing my homework with nothing else to do.
7:25: The Arkansas-South Carolina game tips off in about forty minutes. I forgot to mention that tonight’s game is the point of this running diary. The Hogs can’t afford to drop tonight’s home game after losing to Alabama over the weekend. Not to say it’s a must-win, but the Hogs won’t win the SEC West if they lose this game.
7:28: My research paper topic is due tomorrow in my American West class. I’m guessing that when my professor says he is open to almost any topic about the West he wouldn’t be too happy if I submitted a paper about Arkansas’ former dominance of the SEC West in basketball. Oh well, I still have approximately fifteen hours or so before class.
7:37: Got the pregame show cranked up and ready to roll. The Gamecocks are 1-8 on the road this season. Encouraging. However, if you think the Hogs have a good point guard in Courtney Fortson, SC counters with 5-9 senior Devan Downey, who leads the SEC in scoring at 22.8 ppg on the year. Should be a good battle on the perimeter.
7:40: My wife, who is a poser Kansas fan, is home and ready to eat. Quick break before the tip.
8:01: Ate the fried rice I cooked while my wife got me caught up on season 2 of Merlin. The starting lineups are being announced. I’m thinking it’s time for Rotnei Clarke to have a big game; he hasn’t lit up the scoreboard in a few weeks. I’m calling at least three 3-pointers.
8:04: Marshawn Powell scores the first points of the game. We need to make sure and get the ball in the paint for the entire game, especially in the second half. He’s now scored the first four points of the game for the Hogs.
8:06: Great, Powell leaves after taking a shot to the head and SC scores five quick points and takes its first lead at 7-6.
8:11: Mike Washington picks up two quick fouls. Not good. He makes all the hustle plays and is the team’s best rebounder. SEC officials seem to have a beef with Washington; he’s always on the wrong end of calls.
8:13: Clarke hits a deep 3-point basket (the 702nd game in a row the Hogs have hit a 3-pointer, which dates back to 1989—yeah, the random facts on the radio are the best), bringing the Hogs back within one, 12-11.
8:15: Clarke hits his second 3-pointer in a row. He’s going to make me look like a genius. I promise that I’m not going to keep writing at this pace, but Clarke reminds me of a younger me. Yeah, I could shoot like that. I’m kind of a big deal.
8:17: Well, if the Gamecocks continue to shoot 50 percent (4-8) from the 3-point line, the Hogs will struggle to keep pace. We need to defend the perimeter better. Yes, I am Captain Obvious, too. But isn’t that what coaches do? Just point on the obvious and mix in some motivation?
8:25: With 8:53 to go the Gamecocks are forced to take a thirty-second timeout after the Hogs sprint back ahead, 27-25, thanks to a 6-0 run. I’m not sure how I feel about a barn-burner—the offense is usually shaky down the stretch. I love Fortson, but the other players have a tendency to just stand around and expect him to make all the plays. Fortson needs to try to get everyone involved in the offense.
8:32: Powell is dominating the game with 16 early points with 3:18 left in the first half. The graduation of Washington will be a big loss, but I think Powell can easily fill the void. The question is whether Glenn Bryant or Delvon Johnson can step up their games. Johnson has made a few solid hustle plays so far, but it seems like the kid can’t catch. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard Rick Schaeffer say, “Johnson can’t control the rebound as it goes off his hands out of bounds.” He also has a patch of gray hair on top of his head. I have one of those, but it’s more in the back around my neck. Good information, I know.
8:48: Marcus Britt makes a huge play at the end of the first half, stealing the ball from Downey for an easy 2-point bucket to give the Hogs a 40-33 lead.
Halftime: Made a batch of no-bake cookies with my wife before she left to study her cat.
9:05: Clarke hits his third 3-pointer of the game to open the second half. Sometimes I think I am clairvoyant. Hopefully he will double my prediction.
9:08: Powell continues to play like a seasoned veteran. Powell and Clarke have combined for 29 of the Hogs’ 47 points.
9:10: Looks like the refs don’t want Washington to play in this game. Already picked up his third foul. He doesn’t seem to get any respect from the officials for trying to take charges. It has to be deflating as a defender to do everything right and be hit with a foul.
9:11: Powell’s one-hand dunk via Fortson’s lob pass prompts SC to burn a full timeout. Hogs lead 51-39. Now matter how crappy the beginning of the year was, Razorback fans have to be excited about the future with Fortson, Clarke, and Powell as the nucleus for the next two and a half years. Powell has scored in double figures in 20 of 26 games this season.
9:15: Fortson has absolutely taken the game over. Two quick assists to Powell and Johnson for dunks and a scoop shot to give Arkansas a 57-39 lead. The crowd erupts into a boisterous Hog call as the Gamecocks burn their second timeout in last minute. Woo Pig Sooie! Add a deep 3-pointer for Fortson, who is flirting with a triple-double (9 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds so far).
9:23: Downey hits two quick 3-pointers. Here comes a run. The Gamecocks are being very aggressive on defense and trapping. My interest is waning, though—I’ve started reading for my literary criticism class during the commercial breaks. I’m getting dangerously close to mailing this game in already as a fan. I should know better as a Razorback fan.
9:28: Washington becomes only the fourth Razorback to score 1000 points, grab 600 rebounds, and block 100 shots in a career. I feel confident in saying that Powell will be the fifth Arkansas player to accomplish this, if he stays healthy for four years.
9:55: The game is moving too slowly. SC continues to rain in 3-pointers and foul the Hogs quickly. I love how players like Sam Muldrow, who shoots 23 percent from the 3-point line for the year, is 4-6 against Arkansas. Happens every game. Like the player from Alabama who was like 11-12 from the free-throw line but had only made like 5-25 coming into the game. I don’t know if it’s our defense or if we are just unlucky.
10:05: The Hogs finish off an impressive 92-79 win over South Carolina and regain sole possession of the SEC West. Powell carried the team offensively, and Johnson recorded his first career double-digit rebounding game, picking up the slack in the absence of Washington.
It’s almost impossible to imagine that Arkansas is in the driver’s seat of the SEC West with only five games remaining after a horrendous start to the year. I’m cautiously optimistic about their chances of winning their division, which would almost assure them a berth in the NCAA tournament, in my opinion, as long as they win a couple of games in the SEC tournament. However, things get tough with Vanderbilt and Tennessee looming. Winning three of the remaining games is a must, which is doable, but even that doesn’t guarantee them anything but the NIT. Don’t get me wrong: I’d take the NIT—it would be an improvement over last year and something to build on for the future.
11:47: Bad news: Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett suffered a foot injury in practice on Wednesday and will reportedly miss three to four months.
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Photo by Wesley Hitt
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