NCAA TOURNAMENT

Fifth seed Arkansas won’t drop its guard

Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson, who has led the Razorbacks to the NCAA Tournament for the fi rst time since 2008, doesn’t put much stock in numbers and pairings. “Everyone is good in this tournament, everyone has players,” he said.
Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson, who has led the Razorbacks to the NCAA Tournament for the fi rst time since 2008, doesn’t put much stock in numbers and pairings. “Everyone is good in this tournament, everyone has players,” he said.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- History strongly suggests at least one of the NCAA Tournament's four No. 5 seeds will suffer an upset at the hands of a No. 12 seed.

Maybe more.

photo

NWA Democrat-Gazette

Arkansas’ Bobby Portis (front), Trey Thompson and Manny Watkins work on drills at the Razorbacks’ practice at Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla.

TONIGHT’S GAME

ARKANSAS VS. WOFFORD

WHEN 8:50 p.m. Central

WHERE Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Jacksonville, Fla.

SEEDS Arkansas: No. 5. Wofford: No. 12

RECORDS Arkansas 26-8, Wofford 28-6

RADIO Razorback Sports Network

TELEVISION TNT

It's something Arkansas, the No. 5 seed in the West Regional, hopes to avoid when the Razorbacks (26-8) play No. 12 seed and Southern Conference champion Wofford (28-6) at approximately 8:50 Central tonight at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena.

Since the NCAA Tournament field expanded in 1985 to create No. 5 vs. No. 12 matchups, the No. 12 seeds are 44-76 for a .367 winning percentage.

Over the past five NCAA Tournaments, No. 12 seeds are 10-10 in openers, including 6-2 the previous two years.

In 30 years, only three times has no No. 12 seed pulled an upset -- in 1998, 2000 and 2007.

"The past has nothing to do with us," said Arkansas sophomore forward Bobby Portis, the SEC's player of the year. "That really doesn't matter to us."

Senior guard Ky Madden said it's up to the Razorbacks to dictate the tempo and use their pressure defense to speed up the Terriers.

"We know if we come out and play hard and do what we have to do on the defensive end, then we don't have to worry about a 12 beating a 5 seed," Madden said.

Wofford Coach Mike Young said it's not that complicated to explain why No. 12 seeds have won so many openers.

"The bottom line is if you're a 12 seed, you've got a pretty good basketball team," Young said. "That's why the 12 has had success against the fives. There's been a lot of 12s that have been really good."

Young said the Terriers earned their seed, which was bolstered by a 55-54 victory at North Carolina State.

"We come over here with a darned good basketball team ready to play a good ballgame," he said.

Arkansas is 2-0 in No. 5-12 games, winning from both spots. The fifth-seeded Razorbacks beat Loyola-Marymount 120-101 in the 1989 Midwest Regional and the 12th-seeded Razorbacks beat Penn State 86-80 in the 1996 East Regional.

"Everyone is good in this tournament, everyone has players," said Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson, an assistant for the Razorbacks in their previous two No. 5-12 games. "I don't get caught up in the numbers like everybody else does because if you look at the format, you win, you advance. You lose, you go home."

Anderson, who spoke to the media before Young, offered a similar theory on why so many No. 12 seeds have won.

"Those 12 seeds must have been pretty darned good," Anderson said. "That's how I see it."

Pat Bradley was a freshman guard for the Razorbacks when they advanced to the 1996 Sweet 16 as a No. 12 seed.

"We were a young team and had been up and down and people just didn't know what to make of us, so they made us a No. 12 seed," Bradley said. "We felt like we were a lot better team than everybody else thought we were.

"Going into that first game, we felt like we were much better than Penn State and we went out and proved it. We felt like we were being disrespected and we wanted to do something about it."

Wofford senior guard Kark Cochran said the Terriers are aware of the No. 12 seeds' success but added they don't pay a lot of attention to it.

"If we get caught up too much in the past -- it's been popular for the 12 seed to beat the 5 seed -- we'll lose," Cochran said. "We know nothing is really given to us."

Vanderbilt lost as a No. 5 seed to Richmond 69-66 in 2011.

"Those games are more equal than maybe the seeding suggests," Commodores Coach Kevin Stallings said. "Then the pressure falls squarely on the shoulders of the higher-seeded team if you get into a close game in the NCAA Tournament."

Two years ago Ole Miss won the SEC Tournament for an automatic NCAA Tournament bid but was seeded 12th and beat Wisconsin 57-46.

"Usually 12s are from a power conference or from a league that has had excellent success, almost domination, in their league," Ole Miss Coach Andy Kennedy said. "Wofford dominated their league. They're experienced. That's what Arkansas will face."

The Razorbacks said even though they hadn't heard of Wofford prior to the announcement of the NCAA Tournament bracket, they won't take the Terriers lightly.

"It's a new season for us, and it's the NCAA Tournament, so it's not hard to get up for something you want," Arkansas freshman point guard Anton Beard said. "We've all got our minds on one thing, and that's to win a championship."

Madden said the Razorbacks understand what's at stake.

"We know our next game could be our last," he said. "We've got to respect everybody."

Anderson said he watched Wofford's 67-64 victory over Furman in the Southern Conference Tournament final last week and was impressed by the Terriers before knowing they would be the Razorbacks' opponent.

"You don't just happen to win 28 games," Anderson said. "That tells you they've got some leadership, they've got some veteran players, and they've got some guys that aren't afraid."

Sports on 03/19/2015

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