Top recruit Madden gets on same page with coach

Arkansas guard Rashad Madden pulls up for a jump shot over Kentucky defender Aaron Harrison during the first half of Arkansas' 78-63 loss to No. 1 Kentucky in the 2015 SEC Championship game at Bridgestone Arena on March 15, 2015, in Nashville.
Arkansas guard Rashad Madden pulls up for a jump shot over Kentucky defender Aaron Harrison during the first half of Arkansas' 78-63 loss to No. 1 Kentucky in the 2015 SEC Championship game at Bridgestone Arena on March 15, 2015, in Nashville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- When Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson inherited a highly-touted recruiting class four years ago after being hired from Missouri, he never expected Ky Madden would be the last one playing for the Razorbacks.

"I didn't think he was going to make it with me to tell you the truth," Anderson said. "Every year I suspended him for something.

"But evidently, I saw something in him and I think he started understanding the message that we were trying to get across to him, because he's become one of our leaders."

Madden, a 6-5 senior guard from Lepanto who played at East Poinsett County High School, has helped lead Arkansas back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2008.

The Razorbacks (26-8) are the No. 5 seed in the West Regional and play Wofford (28-6) at approximately 9 p.m. Thursday at Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla.

Madden has started 30 of 34 games this season and is averaging 9.7 points, 4.5 assists and 3.7 rebounds. He's second in the SEC in free throw shooting at 87.6 percent and eighth in assist-to-turnover ratio at +2.0 with 154 assists and 78 turnovers.

"I'm from Arkansas and I always wanted to be a Razorback and play in the NCAA Tournament, and now I'm living out my dreams," Madden said. "I wanted to help the Razorbacks get back to our glory days."

Arkansas' glory days were supposed to return sooner when Madden was part of a signing class in November of 2010 rated No. 3 nationally by ESPN.

Madden, guard BJ Young and forward Hunter Mickelson were top 50 players nationally and forward Aaron Ross was a top 100 player. The class also included forward Devonta Abron.

The class was supposed to save John Pelphrey's job, but he was fired as Arkansas' coach after the 2010-2011 season when the Razorbacks finished 7-9 in the SEC for their third consecutive losing record in conference play.

Ross, from Little Rock Parkview, went to a prep school to gain his academic eligibility, but the other four players came to Arkansas to play for Anderson.

Abron, from Dallas, transferred after his freshman season from Arkansas to TCU, where this season he averaged 2.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and 7.5 minutes in 23 games off the bench. Mickelson, from Jonesboro, played two seasons for Arkansas and transferred to Kansas, where this season he's averaging 2.4 points, 1.9 rebounds and 7.3 minutes in 18 games off the bench.

Young, from St. Louis, was Arkansas' leading scorer for two seasons before leaving to pursue a pro career. He's averaging 31.7 points for Club Batumi, a team in the Republic of Georgia.

Ross never made it to Arkansas. He went to Texas Tech, where this season he averaged 3.1 points, 1.8 rebounds and 9.9 minutes in 23 games off the bench.

"That's part of this basketball business," Madden said. "People come and go all the time, but this is where I wanted to be."

Madden's problems with Anderson began his freshman season when he was suspended for an exhibition game. As a sophomore, he was suspended for a game at South Carolina. His junior season, Madden was suspended for two exhibition games and the opener against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville.

All of the suspensions were for undisclosed disciplinary reasons.

Madden hasn't been suspended this season. Instead Anderson made him a team captain along with SEC Player of the Year Bobby Portis.

"The maturity and the growth on the floor and off the floor for Ky has been really unbelievable," Anderson said. "I commend him for just growing up.

"Coming here, I thought Ky was very immature, probably misunderstood."

Madden said there were times he wondered if it would be best for him to leave Arkansas.

"But at the end of the day, I was the only guy from my class who stuck around," he said. "I always believed and had faith that things would work out for me here."

Madden's 360 assists rank fifth on Arkansas' all-time list and he's 30th in scoring with 1,089 points. He's the eighth Razorback and first from the state of Arkansas to have 1,000 points, 300 assists and 300 rebounds.

"I think it's been a good career," Madden said. "It means a lot to be in the history books as the first player from Arkansas to do something here."

Arkansas junior guard Michael Qualls said Madden helps the team win in a lot of ways.

"Whenever Ky needs to get a bucket or a rebound or an assist, he'll do it for us," Qualls said. "He's just a very solid all-around guy."

Anderson said Madden has become a player who is accountable to his coaches and teammates.

"I think it dawned on Ky, 'Maybe I can be a positive leader for this basketball team,' " Anderson said. "It took a lot of patience for me with him, but at the end of the day, I can say Ky has done it himself.

"That's where the trust part came into it. What took place in the past had nothing to do with what was going to take place this year. That's one thing I let him know -- 'This is a new year, and hopefully it's a new you,' and look where we are right now."

Sports on 03/17/2015

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