COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Pelphrey joins UA on court

— Arkansas senior forward Charles Thomas noticed something odd about Coach John Pelphrey's ankles before Friday's Red-White intrasquad game.

"I was looking at his ankles in the locker room, and I was like, 'Is that tape?' " Thomas said. "When I asked him about it, he wouldn't say anything.

"I figured something might be up, but I didn't know for sure until he came in the game."

Pelphrey, 39, became a player-coach for his Razorbacks and delighted the crowd of 5,832 at Walton Arena when he took off a sweatshirt, put on a practice jersey and came off the bench for the White teamwith 8:45 left in the first half.

"You've got to love that," said Thomas, who along with sophomore guard Stefan Welsh led the Red team with 19 points. "When the coach comes into the game with his players, you know he's really into it.

"It's awesome that he takes so much pride in the program and wants to do everything he can for us."

Arkansas Athletic Director Frank Broyles said he was told before the game Pelphrey might play, but didn't believe it.

"I think it's great that he's playing," Broyles said. "I think it fired up the fans. I know it fired me up."

The Red team was able to overcome Pelphrey's surprise sixth-man appearance and beat the White team 84-78.

Pelphrey played eight minutes, all in the first half, and finished 1 of 3 from the field, hitting a threepointer from 21 feet. His first shot attempt sailed well past the goal.

"That was a pass," Pelphrey said.

Pelphrey also had an attempt under the basket, but was blocked by Thomas.

"Nobody is getting anything easy down there, coach or not," Thomas said.

Pelphrey joked after the game that Thomas would be suspended for blocking his shot.

But three players - sophomore guard Patrick Beverley, senior guard Gary Ervin and sophomore forward Michael Washington - missed the game for disciplinary reasons and freshman guard Nate Rakestraw was sidelined after undergoing surgery for a broken finger.

That left the Razorbacks with just 10 players and the coaches discussing substitution options for the intrasquad game.

"I said, 'If I have to, I'll go in.We're getting through this. We're not going to call the Red-White game off,' " Pelphrey said. "Nobody seemed alarmed or objected to it. I couldn't get anybody to say, 'No, don't do that.'

"I thought I'd go in there and help these guys and get both feet in the circle myself."

Pelphrey was a three-year starting forward at Kentucky, where he helped resurrect a program hit hard by NCAA sanctions.

"I miss playing, make no mistake about that," Pelphrey said. "If I could play today, I'd still be playing.

"The only reason I'm coaching is because that's the next closest thing to playing.

"Unfortunately for me, my day has come and gone. My mind is still pretty good, but my body isn't."

Senior forward Darian Townes led the White team with 25 points. Senior forward Sonny Weems added 23 points.

In addition to Thomas and Welsh, the Red team included senior center Steven Hill, senior forward Vincent Hunter and freshman guard Levan Patsatsia.

Hunter and Patsatsia each scored 18 points.

Playing for the White team along with Townes and Weems were freshman forward Michael Sanchez, freshman guard Marcus Britt and sophomore guard Stephen Cox, a walk-on.

Britt had 15 points.

Pelphrey replaced Cox in the first half. The only other player to leave the court was Welsh, who went to the bench for a minute in the second half - replaced by assistant coach Isaac Brown - after injuring his ankle, but was able to return.

"I was concerned with whether we'd actually be able to get through it," Pelphrey said. "But I was glad we showed some toughness."

The players said being on the court for the full game wasn't much different than practice.

"We showed a lot of character and played hard without anysubs," Townes said. "It showed the conditioning we've done has paid off."

Pelphrey said the last time he practiced with his team was four years ago at South Alabama. That stopped after he sprained an ankle.

Friday night apparently marked Pelphrey's lone appearance as a player for the Razorbacks.

"I'm done. I'm retired," Pelphrey said. "Stick a fork in me."

Sports, Pages 23, 25 on 10/27/2007

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