OPINION — Like It is

OPINION | WALLY HALL: No matter what, Hogs will play Wednesday


Going into the last game of the regular season, Arkansas has a chance to get a Quad 1 win when it travels to Alabama and takes on the Crimson Tide, which is No. 7 in the NCAA Net rankings.

A win combined with a Georgia loss would make the Razorbacks a No. 11 seed in the SEC Tournament and would face Misery for the third time.

If they could follow that up with four wins in four days -- definitely a tall wall to climb but not impossible -- they would be in the NCAA Tournament.

A year ago, they were a No. 10 seed in the SEC Tournament, made March Madness and knocked off No. 1 Kansas to get to the Sweet 16 where they lost to eventual NCAA champion UConn.

If they don't beat Bama, they will be a No. 12 seed and get a shot at payback against Vanderbilt.

They are currently tied for 11th with Georgia, who they split with this season, but the Bulldogs hold the tiebreaker by beating South Carolina, which is in second place. The SEC's tiebreaker is first head-to-head competition and then how the two teams did against the team in first place and so on down the line in order.

Neither team beat Tennessee.

If Ole Miss loses at home to Texas A&M, it could be a three-way tie if Arkansas and Georgia both win. But the Rebels beat Arkansas and thus own that tiebreaker.

An Arkansas-Vanderbilt game at the tournament would be at 6 p.m. If the Hogs face Missouri, it would be 30 minutes after the opening game.

. . .

Arkansas would probably need to win three or four games to qualify for the NIT with a NCAA Net ranking of 116.

NIT qualifying rules changed this season and the top two NCAA NET-ranked teams from six conferences -- the Atlantic Coast, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC -- that are not picked by the NCAA, will earn spots.

After those 12 are chosen, the committee will then pick who they believe is the best remaining 20 teams.

In other words, the rich get richer.

It used to be if a conference champion didn't win its conference tournament, they were automatically in the NIT. That is no longer a rule.

Arkansas has the 12th-best NET ranking in the SEC, ahead of Missouri (No. 157) and Vanderbilt (No. 218).

One rule changed that could help the Hogs in the NIT is teams no longer have to have at least a .500 record and first-round games basically go to the team which guarantees the most tickets sold.

. . .

The SEC appears to have seven teams locked for the NCAA Tournament with Texas A&M needing a run to become the eighth.

The Aggies are riding a two-game win streak going into Saturday's game at Ole Miss.

The wins over Georgia and Mississippi State boosted A&M's NET ranking to No. 49. A win over the Rebels, who are ranked No. 78, would help a little, and a loss would just about end any hopes the Aggies could have being invited to the Big Dance.

However, A&M is capable of winning three or even four more.

As for the SEC in the NCAA Tournament, and of course this could change, it appears Tennessee will join Houston, UConn and Purdue as a No. 1 seed.

Alabama should be a No. 4 with Auburn, South Carolina and Kentucky all getting No. 5 seeds.

Florida gets in as a No. 7 and Mississippi State at No. 10.

If A&M doesn't play its way into the NCAA, it will join LSU and Ole Miss in the NIT, giving the SEC 10 of 14 teams in the postseason.

. . .

Thursday was a birthday and I have one wish and it is for a spiritual awakening in our country and the world.

All those who were raised in a church will return and bring family and friends.

It is the opinion here that is how we mend a country and world that is too divided.


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