By Robbie Neiswanger
Arkansas News Bureau • rneiswanger@arkansasnews.com
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas coach John Pelphrey ran through his philosophy on scheduling minutes after the Razorbacks lost to Morgan State on Tuesday night.
In his mind, the perfect nonconference slate strikes a nice balance. There are opponents that are better than you. Others that are equal to you. And then there are those that, barring disaster, just won’t beat you.
The problem? Pelphrey is having a hard time finding any of the latter on Arkansas’ schedule right now.
“I can honestly sit here and tell you I don’t know if there’s a situation where we’re just that much better than everyone else,” Pelphrey said.
It’s a harsh reality, but one the Razorbacks face after the 97-94 loss to the Bears. Arkansas’ 45-game nonconference win streak went down the drain in stunning fashion. Starting a new one is no guarantee.
Arkansas (2-2) will face another nonconference test when it plays East Tennessee State in Bud Walton Arena tonight at 7. Like Morgan State, the Buccaneers (2-3) played in the 2009 NCAA Tournament and are more than capable of stinging Pelphrey’s struggling team.
“They’ve got some guys back that know what they’re doing,” Pelphrey said. “I’m sure (Morgan State’s win) gives them confidence right now.
“We’ll need to respond and play better.”
Arkansas can start on the defensive end after allowing Morgan State to come close to the 100-point mark Tuesday. The Bears scored in transition in the second half, knocked down open jumpers and made layups down the stretch against the sloppy Razorbacks.
“Obviously it could’ve been a lot better,” guard Rotnei Clarke said of Arkansas’ defense. “Transition defense, all of it could’ve been better. All of it.”
Arkansas was equally erratic on the offensive end in the second half. Its best weapon in the first half — forward Marshawn Powell — scored one point and attempted three shots after the break. Poor decisions and costly turnovers also led to the loss.
Arkansas led by as many as 13 points in the first half before collapsing. The same thing happened against Appalachian State last Friday, when Arkansas needed overtime after squandering a 20-point lead.
But Pelphrey bristled when asked if the recurring trend is a carryover from last season, when the Hogs struggled to hold leads during its 2-15 finish.
“I’m past that,” Pelphrey said. “This team is different than a year ago. These guys show up and they work. They work man. They’ve got an unbelievable attitude. They are giving their best and right now, we need to play better. We just got outplayed (Tuesday).”
Pelphrey is hoping his Razorbacks will dig deep and bounce back from Tuesday’s disappointment. But he knows East Tennessee State won’t make it easy tonight.
“I am eager to see these guys get back to work and how they come out for their next basketball game,” Pelphrey said after the Morgan State loss. “I imagine they would come out very focused and hopefully wiser and smarter and aspire to play better.”
Tonight’s Ticket
East Tennessee State (2-3) vs. Arkansas (3-1)
When: 7 p.m.
Where: Bud Walton Arena
TV: Razorback Sports Network
Radio: Razorback Sports Network
Coaches: East Tennessee State — Murry Bartow (120-75 at ETSU); Arkansas — John Pelphrey (39-30 at Arkansas)
Projected Lineups:
Arkansas — C Michael Washington (6-9, Sr., 14.3 ppg), PF Marshawn Powell (6-7, Fr., 19.5), SF Jemal Farmer (6-5, Jr., 13.3), SG Rotnei Clarke (6-0, So., 27.3), PG Julysses Nobles (6-1, Fr., 10.8)
East Tennessee State — F Isiah Brown (6-8, So., 6.5 ppg), F Lukas Poderis (6-8, Fr., 2.0), G Tommy Hubbard (6-4, Jr., 14.5), Justin Tubbs (6-3, Jr., 13.0), Jocolby Davis (6-1, Sr., 4.5)
