FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas Coach John Pelphrey said he won’t be distracted or worried about an advertisement in Thursday’s Arkansas Democrat-Gazette urging fans to voice their concerns about the Razorbacks’ basketball program to university administrators, the board of trustees, and Gov. Mike Beebe.
A quarter-page ad which ran in all editions of the Democrat-Gazette and was listed as being paid for by Y. Roberts of Gulf Shores, Ala., included the addresses for UA System President Alan Sugg; Arkansas Chancellor David Gearhart; Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long; each of the 10 board of trustees members and Beebe.
“There is quite a bit of evidence that Razorback fans are disturbed by what they see in the present outlook of Arkansas Basketball,” the ad reads. “This voicing of concerns is not intended to become a name-calling contest or an attack upon anyone personally. It is only intended to be a ground-swell expression of bewildered and frustrated basketball supporters, many of whom know a great deal about the way the game should be played. We would like to bring this to the attention of the University’s decision-makers on the future of Arkansas basketball before too much time passes. This expression of your views is very important. Please be part of it.”
Pelphrey, whose four-year Arkansas record fell to 69-57 overall and 25-38 in SEC play after an 88-78 loss to Mississippi State on Wednesday night in Walton Arena, said he had “heard” about the ad, but is keeping his focus on the Razorbacks’ regular-season finale at Ole Miss on Saturday.
“I am the basketball coach at the University of Arkansas. I wake up every day focused on leading those young men,” Pelphrey said. “I know they were disappointed last night. A lot of those guys had family that saw them play for the first time in college [on Senior Night], and they wanted to win so bad.
“My focus is to help us learn from that experience last night to try to get us best prepared to go into Oxford.”
Pelphrey said that most fans have been supportive of the program during his time at Arkansas.
“People have always been very, very positive with me,” Pelphrey said. “I get encouragement all the time from everybody.
“My focus is this team. I am the coach, and that’s what I’m going to do, is coach.”
John Diamond, Arkansas’ associate vice chancellor for university relations, said UA officials have seen the ad and that “clearly” the person who paid for it “has a very strong passion for Arkansas basketball, and we appreciate that. But beyond that, the university doesn’t have any more to stay about it.”
Arkansas’ athletic department had no comment on the ad, said Kevin Trainor, associate athletic director for public relations.
Long, who became athletic director after Pelphrey was hired from South Alabama in April 2007, has offered strong support for him in the past, saying he expects Pelphrey to be at Arkansas for a long time. More recently, Long has continued to support Pelphrey, but said he will be evaluated after the season.
Pelphrey’s contract was not rolled over after last season and now runs through April 8, 2014.
The Razorbacks are 18-11 overall and 7-8 in the SEC this season and need to win next week’s SEC Tournament to avoid missing the NCAA Tournament for a third consecutive year. They went 23-12 and 9-7 in Pelphrey’s first season led by seven seniors and beat Indiana in the NCAA Tournament, then were 14-16 and 14-18 overall in Pelphrey’s second and third seasons, including 2-14 and 7-9 in SEC play.
Pelphrey has noted improvement this season, with four more victories than either of the previous two seasons, highlighted by victories over nationally-ranked Vanderbilt on the road and Kentucky at home - the first victory over Kentucky in 10 years.
“I’m well aware of the progress that some of our players have made. I’m well aware of some of the big games we’ve won,” Pelphrey said. “Are those the benchmarks? Do we think we can get bigger and better?Absolutely.”
Pelphrey said Arkansas’ recruiting efforts also show progress. In November Pelphrey signed a five-man recruiting class currently ranked No. 5 nationally by Scout.com and No. 6 by ESPN, including Arkansas high school players Rashad “Ky” Madden, Hunter Mickelson and Aaron Ross.
Arkansas senior center Delvon Johnson said he “didn’t know anything” about the ad.
“I never once listen to what other people think about this team,” Johnson said. “People can say what they want to say. It’s just us in that locker room.We’re playing. They’re just on the outside looking in.
“So I don’t worry about those things.”
Johnson said he continues to believe in Pelphrey as Arkansas’ coach. Junior guard Rotnei Clarke said earlier this season he also believes in Pelphrey, and that he feels like his teammates do as well.
Opposing coaches, perhaps sensing the heat on Pelphrey, have made it a point to compliment him in postgame news conferences.
“John’s done a great job getting this team where it’s at right now, being in position to play for the second seed,” Mississippi State Coach Rick Stansbury said in his opening remarks after the Bulldogs beat the Razorbacks to clinch the West’s No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the SEC Tournament. “They’ve been playing extremely well. ... They can beat anybody ona given night anywhere.”
After Arkansas beat Kentucky 77-76 in overtime, Wildcats Coach John Calipari praised the Razorbacks and said they’re “fighting” for Pelphrey.
Auburn Coach Tony Barbee, whose Tigers lost to Arkansas 57-55 on a late dunk by Johnson, said the Razorbacks have continued to improve throughout the season.
“That has to do with Coach Pelphrey and how he coaches and how he keeps his guys together,” Barbee said.
“That’s very nice of them,” Pelphrey said the praise from other SEC coaches. “It’s certainly better than the alternative.”
Besides Arkansas’ wonloss record under Pelphrey, falling attendance at Walton Arena (capacity 19,200) also has drawn a lot of media attention. In 18 games in Fayetteville this season, the Razorbacks averaged 12,022 in paid attendance and 8,591 in actual announced attendance.
Sports, Pages 19 on 03/04/2011