Calling the Hogs

The Arkansas Razorbacks moved to 2-0 on the season Wednesday with an eye-opening 91-68 victory over the Oakland Golden Grizzlies at Bud Walton Arena.

While the Grizzlies aren’t a household name in college hopps, they aren’t your average preseason cupcake, either. Coach Greg Kampe’s squad had won back-to-back Summit League titles and made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. Senior Reggie Hamilton is considered one of the top guards on the mid-major level.

Going into the game, this was a contest a knowledgeable basketball fan would have considered a hurdle for the Hogs, even at home, considering the transition between John Pelphrey and Mike Anderson as head coach has left the Razorbacks with a short and relatively inexperienced 10-man scholarship roster.

During the last nine years, Pelphrey and Stan Heath’s Razorbacks struggled and even lost at home to squads of the Golden Grizzlies caliber early in the season. But that era of Razorback basketball is officially over.

The Razorbacks attacked Oakland defensively with wave after wave of pressure defense, and on the other end, attacked the basket with a vengeance.

As a result, the Golden Grizzlies rarely got a chance to find their breath or bearings until the game ended.

The Hogs forced the Grizzlies into 18 turnovers and held them to 34.7 percent shooting on the night, while the Hogs shot 53.6 percent from the field and cashed in on 9-of-12 free throws in the fast-paced game. The Hogs also had 21 assists on 37 baskets.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

Junior Marshawn Powell showed up big for the Hogs’ in the paint again, scoring 20 points and grabbing 7 rebounds in 24 minutes of playing time. Powell was 8-of-8 from the field in the first half. Powell also had 2 assists, 2 blocked shots and a steal.

Five other Hogs scored in double figures with B.J. Young leading the way with 16, Mardracus Wade with 14 and Rickey Scott, Julysses Nobles and Ky Madden with 10 apiece.

PLAY OF THE GAME
The way the Hogs attacked the basket there were many choices for play of the game. Rickey Scott slammed home a crowd-pleasing, one-handed dunk early in the game off a Ky Madden steal and assist for a 15-6 lead with 14:18 to play.

B.J. Young powered in a two-handed dunk with 4:07 in the first half off a Julysses Nobles assist for a 46-21 lead.

But the play of the game came with 16:10 to play on a beautifully crafted fast break. The best fast breaks are when there are as few dribbles as possible and I didn’t count but one on this play which started with a strong rebound and a quick outlet pass from Michael Sanchez to Ky Madden. Madden quickly spotted Rickey Scott at the top of the key, who then offered up an under-handed scoop pass to Powell, who finished with a dunk for a 64-41 lead.

Crisp, efficient passing and a thunderous finish all adds up to the play of the game.


CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
Marshawn Powell led the Hogs with 7 rebounds, but Chairman of the Board honors go to Marvell Waithe, who grabbed 6 boards in just 14 minutes of playing time.

The Golden Grizzlies did outrebound the Hogs 41-40, with 19 of those coming on the offensive end. Giving up that many offensive boards, even in a blowout, is area of concern for the Hogs.

STAT OF THE GAME
This Razorback basketball team has already conquered what held back several recent Arkansas squads — selfishness. Anderson said early on that this would be a team that shared the basketball and that has proven to be true. Twenty-one of the Hogs’ 37 baskets came off assists. Nobles led the way with 7, while Scott passed out 5. Four other Razorbacks — Powell, Madden, Devonta Abron, and Young — had two assists appiece.

THICK AS THIEVES
The Hogs had 10 steals on the night with Wade, Scott and Nobles each making two.

UP NEXT
The Razorbacks take their show to North Little Rock for their annual trip to Verizon Arena, this time to face old Southwest Conference foe, the Houston Cougars. Houston is 2-0 with an 88-42 victory over Grambling and an 84-71 victory over Utah Valley. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. Tickets are available. The game will be televised by FSN.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS PRSS RELEASE

Fans looking to watch the University of Arkansas men’s basketball team this season, but don’t already have a ticket, have another option with a pair of mini plans which go on sale Tuesday, Nov. 15 at the Razorback Ticket Office. The mini plans sell for $100 and include admission to four games.

The SEC mini plan gives fans the opportunity to attend the LSU (Jan. 14), Vanderbilt (Jan. 31), South Carolina (Feb. 11) and Alabama (Feb. 23) games. The Weekend mini plan includes tickets to four Saturday matchups, Southeastern Louisiana (Dec. 17), Mississippi State (Jan. 7), Michigan (Jan. 21) and Florida (Feb. 18) games.

The mini plan packages are the first opportunity for fans to purchase tickets to Arkansas’ Southeastern Conference or Michigan games without buying a season ticket package.

To take advantage of this offer, fans may visit or call the Razorback Ticket Office during regular business hours, or go to ArkansasRazorbacks.com at midnight on Tuesday.

Arkansas won its regular season opener against USC Upsate on Nov. 11, and take on a tough Oakland squad on Wednesday night at Bud Walton Arena. Tip off for the Arkansas-Oakland contest is scheduled for 7 p.m. For more information regarding Razorback men’s basketball or University of Arkansas athletics, please visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com.

The Arkansas Razorbacks got the Mike Anderson era of basketball off to a solid start Friday night with an 83-63 victory over South Carolina Upstate.

Anderson estimated that he had 60 to 80 family members and friends at the contest that drew 10,500, including his mentor, former Razorback coach Nolan Richardson, a College Basketball Hall of Fame member.

“This job is a special job at a special place,” Anderson said. “Being here and seeing what took place to get it where it was has me motivated.”

The Razorbacks took control of the game early with their defense and never lost control, although the play did get sloppy at times.

“I was happy with our guys with their effort,” said Anderson. “We got a tremendous start. That’s they way you would like to start every game. We went to our bench and there was a drop-off. But a lot of it was emotion. You can only play so long on emotion, but I think our fans got some glimpses of things to come.”

Anderson liked the aggressiveness shown by the players on their home court.

“We want to take care of home, and when teams come here, we want to make sure they are uncomfortable,” Anderson said. “I believe we did that tonight.”

Anderson was happy that he go so many on his roster quality minutes, with every scholarship player getting double-digit minutes in the contest.

“We got of quality minutes for a lot of guys when it mattered,” Anderson said.

Anderson liked the crowd, but is anticipating drawing better in the future.

“This is a style of basketball that hasn’t been played here in a while, Anderson said. “There is potential here, but we have to keep working. We are by no means where we want to be.”

The Razorbacks forced 19 turnovers in the game, but had 23 themselves, to Anderson’s chagrin.

“I want to see our guys shoot at least 70 times in a game,” Anderson said. “If we took care of the basketball that would have happened.”

PLAYER OF THE GAME— Marshawn Powell scored 19 points and snared 5 rebounds in 19 minutes of playing time. The junior forward looks to be in the best shape of his career, allowing him to be active at both ends of the floor. He looks good as the front man at the Hogs’ press and he is scoring inside and with a nice mid-range jumper. He was one of eight players to score at least 7 points.

PLAY OF THE GAME — Many plays stood out in the contest, but the Razorbacks may have been at their running best when freshman guard B.J. Young cleared a rebound, took a couple of dribbles and then fired a perfect pass down court to a streaking Marvell Waithe. The 6-9 senior forward caught the ball cleanly in transition and slammed it home with a tomahawk dunk.

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD – Rickey Scott may be a 6-3 guard, but you wouldn’t know it from his stat line. The broad-shoulder sophomore carved out room to gather a team high 7 rebounds in the contest, while also scoring 11 points, making 2 steals and 2 assists. Waithe led the Hogs in offensive rebounds with three.

STAT OF THE GAME — The stat of the game wasn’t a good one for the Razorbacks. The Hogs played sloppy, suffering 23 turnovers.
“When you play a lot of players you are going to have turnovers,” Anderson said. “I can live with 15, but when you get up to 23, that’s too much. Some of them were just careless where they just took the ball out of our hands. We’re not a team that can survive a lot of turnovers. But that is very correctable. We’ll clean that up.”

UP NEXT — The Hogs are back at home Wednesday at 7 p.m. for a contest against a very solid ballclub in the Oakland Golden Grizzlies, who are coming off back-to-back Summit League titles and NCAA Tournament appearances. They return three starters, including guard Reggie Hamilton, who averaged 17.6 ppg. and 5.3 apg. last season. Darren Sorrenson, who was an assistant at Arkansas under Stan Heath, is on the coaching staff. Oakland plays at Alabama on Monday before visiting the Hogs on Wednesday.

The Razorbacks make their annual appearance in Central Arkansas at 7 p.m. Friday when they play host to old Southwest Conference rival Houston at Verizon Arena.

UP NEXT
USC Up State at Arkansas
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: Bud Walton Arena, Fayetteville
Radio: Arkansas Razorback Radio Network
TV: Razorvision


Marshawn Powell could have been considered missing in action in the Arkansas Razorbacks first exhibition game last Friday night, picking up four fouls and scoring just 7 points and grabbing two rebounds.

But as Hogs’ head coach Mike Anderson suggested after that game, Powell made his presence known Tuesday in the Razorbacks’ 76-54 exhibition victory over Christian Brothers.

“I was just playing basketball and not worrying about the officials,” Powell said. “That’s what Coach [Mike Anderson] told me to do.”

Powell made 11-of-17 shots to score 26 points in 25 minutes on the floor. He also blocked 4 shots and made a steal.

The 6-7 Powell did have a size advantage, but unlike in the first exhibition game, he put it to good use. He was active running the floor and made no turnovers.

“He’s got a chance to be a very good player in what we do,” Anderson said. “I like Marshawn’s versatility.”

Anderson credited the blue-collar play of Michael Sanchez for bringing contagious energy to the team.

Christian Brothers attempted to control the pace of the game, running the Princeton weave and operating very deliberately most of the contest. The Bucs only turned the ball over seven times in the contest, but the Razorbacks pressure defense did wear the squad down in the second half.

“That was two that play opposites,” Arkansas coach Mike Anderson said following the game. “We’re at different extremes. They are patient and we’re not, but they tested our patience tonight and I thought our kids did pretty good. We played a lot of guys.”

The Bucs’ legs went in final 8 minutes, and the Hogs forced them into quicker and less prudent shots. Christian Brothers shot on 35.2 percent from the field and missed 20 of 28 three-point attempts.

“They hung around and hung around and cut it to one in the second half, but I think fatigue played a big factor,” Anderson said.

Powell was the only Hog in double figures, but Julysses Nobles scored 9 points and had 4 assists. Rickey Scott had 8 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds. Walk-on sophomore Kikko Haydar scored 8 points and B.J. Young had 7 points and 3 assists.

Anderson liked that Arkansas had 18 assists on 30 made baskets.

Rashad “Ky” Madden did not play because he broke a team rule, Anderson said.

It was an exhibition game and with five minutes to play the Arkansas Razorbacks held just a slight four-point lead over the Division II Texas A&M-Commerce Loins, but it was still evident that Hawg Ball had returned to Bud Walton Arena.

After three weeks of practice, Mike Anderson’s influence as the Razorbacks’ new head basketball coach was already evident on a team composed mostly of freshmen, little-used role players and two starters left over from the John Pelphrey era.

There was hustle, tempo and purpose on the hardwood that made itself evident in the Hogs’ 97-80 victory. Like Arkansas fans witnessed so many times during the Nolan Richardson era, the cumulative effect of Arkansas’ pressure defense and offensive tempo left the Lions weary down the stretch as Arkansas stretched the margin of victory to a comfortable 17 points.

“I liked the way we finished up,” said Anderson, who assisted Richardson for 17 seasons at Arkansas before establishing winning programs at Alabama-Birmingham and Missouri. “I thought we had a lot of energy at the end of the game, a lot more than Texas A&M-Commerce. That’s why we have to develop that depth. If you notice, at the end, it wasn’t the guys that started out on the floor. I think the strongest component of this team is going to be depth. The bench gives us effort and energy.”

Returning starting forward Marshawn Powell struggled with fouls and played only 13 minutes, scoring 7 points and getting just two rebounds. However, point guard Julysses Nobles, the other returning starter, had a strong effort with 9 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists.

“It was one of those nights for Marshawn,” Anderson said. “He was trying not to foul and sometimes when your trying too hard not to do something, you do it. He’s going to be fine. He’s been doing a very good job in practice.”

Sophomore guard Mardracus Wade led the Hogs with 20 points, going 6-of-6 from the floor. Freshman guard Rashad “Ky” Madden played a fine game, with 18 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds and 3 steals. Sophomore guard Rickey Scott scored 13 points and 6-10 freshman forward Hunter Mickelson scored 13 points.

Arkansas shot 52. 5 percent from the field, while the Lions shot 43.1 percent.

“We executed down the stretch and played some good defense,” Anderson said. “We did a good job of only giving them one shot down the stretch.”

The area that Anderson was displeased with was the Hogs’ rebounding effort. Texas A&M-Commerce outrebounded Arkansas 50-31.

“Texas A&M-Commerce was more physical than us,” Anderson said. “They pounded us on the boards. That’s something that shouldn’t happen. It’s something we are going address and address quickly. To give up 21 offensive rebounds is not good. There’s a reason we try to get people to take quick shots.”

While the Hogs gained possessions by forcing the Lions into 25 turnovers and having just 13 themselves, Anderson wants much more effort on the glass.

“We’re going to be a team that bangs,” Anderson said. “We are going to get some boards. We’ve got to carve out some space inside and not just use their athletic ability to get rebounds. That’s where Marshawn can help. He can be a double-digit rebounder. We need that.”

Anderson liked aspects of the Hogs’ defense, but said 80 points is too many for them to give up. He added that the players have to continue to play smart when they press and understand the defense isn’t all about making steals.

“Young guys when they make one or two steals, they are going to try to go for three and four and before you know it, they are out of position and are giving up easy baskets,” Anderson said. “We’re going to correct that.”

Anderson is using the exhibition games to mix and match combinations as the team develops its identity. He liked how the Hogs shared the basketball for 22 assists and said that or better should be the norm.

The foul trouble of Powell and cramps suffered by Nobles forced freshmen to play key roles down the stretch.

“It was good to see us in some situations and see how we respond,” Anderson said. “Ju [Julysses Nobles] goes out of the game and we have our freshmen out there with Mardracus Wade. We got to see how they would respond under the gun.”

The Razorbacks play host Christian Brothers at 7 p.m. Tuesday in another exhibition before opening the season Nov. 11 against South Carolina Upstate at 7 p.m. in Walton Arena.

Mike Anderson admits he knows very little about Arkansas’ exhibition opponent, the Texas A&M-Commerce Lions, but the Razorbacks’ first-year head coach knows what he’s looking for out of tonight’s contest.

The Razorbacks host the Lions tonight at 7 in Bud Walton Arena. Tickets are available at the door. The game will also be on Razorvision, according Arkansas’ sports information department.

“Our mindset is to get these guys out on the floor to play different combinations,” Anderson said. “We want to see how the freshmen play with [junior forward] Marshawn [Powell]. See how [freshman forward] Hunter [Mickelson] plays with him and how [freshman forward] Devonta Abron plays with him, as well as a guy like [senior forward Marvell] Waithe. We’ll see a four-guard lineup, a three-guard lineup to see how these guys perform and how they play with each other.”

If some those names are new to you, don’t feel left out. Anderson’s Razorback program is in transition. Mickelson of Jonesboro and Abron of Seagoville, Texas, are part of a heralded four-man freshman class that includes 6-3 guard B.J. Young of St. Louis, Mo. and 6-5 guard Rashad “Ky” Madden of Lepanto. Waithe is an athletic 6-9 senior, whom former Arkansas coach John Pelphrey seldom used last season.

As with many coaching changes, players opted to leave the Razorbacks program in the summer, most notably sharpshooter Rotnei Clarke. Guard Jeff Peterson and forward Glenn Bryant also exited the program.

What Anderson is most eager to see, though, is how well his Hogs execute the pressure defense his philosophy is built upon.

“We’ve been trying to get our defensive intensity and pressure defense going,” Anderson said. “It will be a work in progress. There will be things we will not be doing well now that hopefully we’ll be doing well later.”

Anderson said the installation of the Hogs’ offense is ahead of the defense at this point, but that defense is where the Hogs’ bread will be buttered.

“If we are going to be really good on defense we’ve got to hone in on the defensive assignments, the intensity, the pressure, making people uncomfortable,” Anderson said. “That’s what we want to do. We got to get it where it becomes automatic for our guys. They are used to doing it at certain periods and then backing up around the three-point line. We want to extend that deeper. We want to be able to take some risks, but to do that you’ve got to know that your teammate has your back.”

Anderson said the pace and pressure is meant to disrupt opposing offenses.

“Our guys have to understand, the pressure is not all about getting steals,” Anderson said. “It’s to disrupt the offense, put the ball in the hand of a guy who is uncomfortable. That breaks a team down.”

Like the squads of his mentor Nolan Richardson, Anderson’s teams play at an uncommonly fast tempo. He’s not backing away from that pace, even though the Hogs only has 10 scholarship players.

“I’ve demanded a lot out of them, and I think they wonder why,” Anderson said of Arkansas’ conditioning work. “They’re are going to get a chance to see why in these exhibition games and in the preconference schedule.

“It’s hard to play 35, 36 minutes at the pace we want to play at. They will be playing 26, 28, 30 minutes. There’s quality minutes and quantity minutes. I like quality minutes where a guy just goes all out.

“With the nervous energy going and playing a game against someone other than ourselves, some of these guys are going to get tired really quick.”

In the Hogs’ Red-White game last Sunday, Powell (35 points) and Waithe (31 points) combined to score 66 points in leading the Whites to victory.

“Marshawn and Waithe, I think they complement each other,” Anderson said, but he also noted that he is not expecting that kind of production in season. “Offense comes and goes. It’s true. I’ve seen it. Marvell scored 31. I know that’s not going to happen every night. But can he get us some rebounds, can he block some shots, can he be a difference-maker on the floor? I think he can.”

Anderson has seen progress in Powell during early practices, who had a stand-out freshman season with the Hogs but slumped as a sophomore.

“I think [Powell’s] ball-skill level is getting better,” Anderson said. “He can put the ball on the floor and make passes, and he can shoot the basketball.”

Anderson currently is looking at junior Julysses Nobles and sophomore Rickey Scott at the point guard spot.

“I think you will see Rickey in a different light than last year,” Anderson said of Irving, Texas, native, who had an injury-plagued first year. “He’s really fast with the basketball. A lot of times you want it pushed, and he pushes it up and is effective with it. He puts a lot of pressure on the defense.

“Ju, he’s a guy experienced playing in the SEC. He’s an experienced guy with the basketball. He can create for us. He’s worked on his offense and shot. He can knock shots down because he is so explosive. It’s a good problem to have a couple of guys who can handle the basketball and they are not the only ones in this group.”

On offense, Anderson wants to see how the different combinations play together.

“I’m looking for some rhythm,” Anderson said. “As we get a chance to play someone else, I want to see if we can do some things in the halfcourt. Do we have the tempo going toward our liking and that means we are pushing the ball.

“I want to see us attack the glass, get second shots and get to the free-throw line. That’s important.”

While Anderson wants his team to push the tempo, he said the Hogs need to value the basketball.

“We want to disrupt and have takeaways and steels, but I would like to see them take care of the basketball,” Anderson said. “It’s going to be very important for us because we are not an overly sized team. We’ve got to rebound by committee. Our guards have to be active. Rickey Scott, Mardracus Wade are going to have to go and get us some rebounds, too.”

Anderson said senior forward Michael Sanchez is practicing and could play some tonight but that his conditioning isn’t up to par because of the time that he has missed recovering from back surgery.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS PRESS RELEASE

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – In the University of Arkansas men’s basketball team’s annual Red-White scrimmage, forwards Marshawn Powell and Marvell Waithe combined for 66 points and 19 rebounds to lead the White team to a 112-79 victory Sunday afternoon at Bud Walton Arena.

Powell poured in 35 points with nine rebounds, and Waithe notched 31 points on 12-of-18 shooting with 10 rebounds to form a duo that the Red team could not contain.

“Marvell was extremely active today and he was making shots,” Arkansas head coach Mike Anderson said.

The pair combined for 38 points in the first half to help White build a double-digit lead that it would hold most of the game. Powell keyed his team to a quick 26-13 edge just ten minutes in, scoring 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including old-fashioned three-point plays from each side of the basket.

Waithe’s 22 first-half points came largely on the inside, where the 6-9 senior converted a number of put-backs and short finishes. The highlight of the first half was when Powell launched a long pass from the wing and Waithe soared in for the alley-oop dunk.

Red cut White’s lead to nine points on a one-handed dunk by freshman guard B.J. Young with 12:36 remaining in the game, but White outscored Red 39-17 over the next eight minutes to put it out of reach.

Sunday’s scrimmage previewed the fast pace and swarming defense that Anderson plans to unleash in his first year as head coach of the Razorbacks. Each team showed occasional full court pressure and sprinted the ball up the court on nearly every change of possession.

“We got to see what we were working on and where we need to take it from here,” Anderson said. “It is hard to play 35-36 minutes at that pace.”

The White team showed it was a step ahead defensively, forcing 24 Red turnovers in the game. The squads combined to take seven charges in the first half alone.

“We were best when we created a turnover off of defense and were able to score off of it,” Anderson said.

Freshman forward Devonta Abron had a strong showing for the Red team, scoring 26 points on 9-of-15 shooting, including 7-for-9 from the free throw line. Sophomore guard Rickey Scott filled up the stat sheet for Red with 10 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Young added 17 points and six rebounds for the Red squad.

The White team was coached by the scribes, area writers Bob Holt of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Nate Allen and Chris Bahn of ArkansasSports360. The Red team was coached by the vibes, TV personalities Aaron Peters of KNWA, Mike Jacques of KHOG and Mike Irwin of KFSM.

The Razorbacks are back in action Friday, Nov. 4 when they host Texas A&M Commerce for their first exhibition game of the season.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS PRESS RELEASE

The University of Arkansas men’s basketball team returns to the court on Sunday afternoon for a Red-White Scrimmage at 3 p.m. in Bud Walton Arena. While admission to the event is free, all fans are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items for donation to area food banks.

The Razorbacks have been working out for two weeks under new head coach Mike Anderson and have adapted well to the fast-paced style that Anderson first learned as a player and assistant coach. Sunday’s scrimmage gives fans a chance to see where the Razorbacks are in their learning curve as they prepare for the first exhibition game of the 2011-12 season against Texas A&M-Commerce on Friday, Nov. 4.

Earlier in the week, Arkansas invited several members of the media to serve as celebrity coaches for the scrimmage. The scribes, area writers Bob Holt of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Nate Allen and Chris Bahn of ArkansasSports360, will coach the White team. The vibes, TV personalities Aaron Peters of KNWA, Mike Jacques of KHOG and Mike Irwin of KFSM have a young Red team. The coaches chose their teams on Tuesday with the assistance of the Arkansas coaching staff.

The Red team on Sunday will consist of guards Rickey Scott, BJ Young, Davion Spivey and Kikko Haydar; and forwards Devonta Abron and Hunter Mickelson. The White team has guards Rashad Madden, Mardracus Wade, Julysses Nobles, and forwards Charlie Henderson, Marvell Waithe and Marshawn Powell. Guard Matt Thompson is scheduled to play for both squads and forward Michael Sanchez will not participate as he recovers from a procedure.

The Razorbacks are coming off a season in which they went 18-13 overall and 7-9 in Southeastern Conference play. Seven players return from that squad and a highly touted recruiting class joins the bunch as the Razorbacks look to improve on last year’s record and make a post-season run.

Season tickets for Razorback basketball games are on sale at the Razorback Ticket Center by calling 1-800-982-HOGS or by going on-line at ArkansasRazorbacks.com. Ticket packages are $500 and include admission to all 20 regular season games at Bud Walton Arena as well as both exhibition contests.