Like It Is

There's no defense for Razorbacks' letdown

Arkansas' Michael Qualls, right, looks to pass as Missouri's Keith Shamburger, left, defends in front of the Missouri bench during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015, in Columbia, Mo. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)
Arkansas' Michael Qualls, right, looks to pass as Missouri's Keith Shamburger, left, defends in front of the Missouri bench during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015, in Columbia, Mo. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)

Arkansas is a better basketball team than what it has shown the past four games.

On Saturday it survived 61-60 at Missouri when Tigers sophomore Wes Clark missed two free throws with 3.3 seconds left, and it has been a long time since it seemed like the Razorbacks were luckier than good.

The past couple of weeks (two victories and two losses), it's almost been like someone mentioned March Madness to the Hogs and, since they have no experience with that, no one seems to want any part of any madness in their life.

Then again, at times their play can be maddening.

Like Saturday, for example. The Razorbacks took a 24-16 lead and appeared ready to run away with a road victory, but on their next five trips downcourt the Razorbacks rocked and fired before Coach Mike Anderson could even shout any instructions.

It was never more than one pass, and that only happened twice.

Anderson should have sent someone looking for his team's basketball IQ because it wasn't seen on the court most of the first half, and momentum swung so hard that the Hogs almost let themselves be knocked out.

Missouri finished the first half on an 18-6 run and went into intermission leading 34-30, and it was more about what the Razorbacks weren't doing than what the Tigers were doing.

The team known for defense, one that has a national reputation for choking the life out of opponents with its pressure, was nowhere to be found.

Perimeter defense was minimal -- the Tigers shot 39 percent from behind the three-point line -- and the eight turnovers the Tigers had were virtually unforced. It takes all five guys to make the defense work, five guys giving it their all. Not four guys and one thinking about his next offensive move or shot.

It wasn't as if the crowd was a factor, either. The environment seemed more hostel than hostile.

All those empty seats meant interest in Tigers basketball is down as it goes through a youth movement, and it also meant few, if any, still have hard feelings toward Mike Anderson for leaving.

All that resentment should be focused on Frank Haith, who bailed out on the Tigers to take a lesser job at Tulsa, where he is winning with someone else's recruits, just as he did at Missouri when he took over for Anderson.

The Tigers now have a former Missouri player as the head coach, Kim Anderson, and he's going about it the right way, which is through recruiting.

Take nothing away from the way his guys played Saturday. In fact, it was the new kids on the block who controlled the tempo against the veteran Razorbacks.

Of course, it was also a game in which Michael Qualls struggled, going just 3 of 15 from the floor, including 0 of 5 from behind the three-point line and making just 2 of 5 free throws. Of course, he has a scorer's mentality, which means a short memory, and he was still firing with the game on the line and 20 seconds to play.

Bobby Portis also had a rare bad game, but the halfcourt offense -- which needs more than one pass -- just runs better when the big guy touches the ball. He doesn't force many shots. If nothing is there, he'll pass it back out.

This team has to get focused. If the Razorbacks are going to dance, they are going to have to do it with what they do best, which is playing defense. Not just full-court pressure, but halfcourt defense, too.

The Tigers had too many open looks and nailed back-to-back shots for a 60-59 lead with 1:51 to play. Ky Madden put the Hogs back on top 61-60 with 1:23 to play, and no one could make anything -- even free throws -- the rest of the way.

Arkansas was lucky and survived.

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Sports on 01/25/2015

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