By Robbie Neiswanger
Arkansas News Bureau • rneiswanger@arkansasnews.com
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas compiled a litany of problems during the course of a forgettable week.
For starters, the Razorbacks scored a season-low 18 points in the first half of its loss at LSU. They allowed Vanderbilt to shoot 64.5 percent from the field after 20 minutes of last Saturday’s game, too. If that’s not enough, Arkansas suffered double-digit losses in consecutive games and watched its postseason hopes suffer a crippling blow.
But among the woes, another nugget stood out: Arkansas did not lead at any point of its past two games. Not one second.
“It has not been two of our better games,” Arkansas coach John Pelphrey said Monday. “It does make it challenging when you’re always fighting uphill. Hopefully we can do better.”
It has been a long time since the Razorbacks have experienced what it was like to hold the lead in a game, dating back to the closing minutes in the second half of its loss at Auburn on Feb. 20. In all, 83:15 seconds of game time have passed since the Razorbacks have been ahead on the scoreboard, a streak Arkansas wants to end when it plays 16th-ranked Tennessee in Thompson-Boling Arena tonight at 6.
Arkansas (14-15, 7-7 in Southeastern Conference) would like to see its three-game losing skid, which has replaced its once-promising run through the SEC with more doom-and-gloom for the program, come to an end with the regular season winding down, too. Accomplishing it against Tennessee (21-7, 9-5), which is coming off an emotional home win against Kentucky last Saturday, could be a challenging feat.
But forward Glenn Bryant said the Razorbacks remain confident they can get back on track against the Volunteers.
“I feel like we can get it turned around,” Bryant said. “I mean, I think we’re a pretty good basketball team. We have a lot of good pieces. We go practice hard every day and get that into the game, I think we’ll be fine.”
Playing from behind isn’t unusual for the Hogs. Arkansas trailed at the half in its first eight SEC games, but came from behind to win five of them. It included a 72-68 win at Georgia, when the Razorbacks trailed by 15 at the half.
But the blueprint hasn’t worked lately.
The Razorbacks were out of sync from the start against LSU and Vanderbilt and never got on track in the second half of either game. Turnovers, missed shots, and an inability to slow opponents on defense have caused problems.
“I tried not to get down,” Bryant said of the stretch. “Our team tries not to get down as well. We just go out there and play no matter what the score is. We’re going to compete.”
The Razorbacks will have to bring a better effort to Tennessee tonight, though, if they have any chance of beating a team that has excelled at home.
The Volunteers — who are 14-1 in Thompson-Boling Arena this season — will also celebrate senior night. So Pelphrey said Arkansas’ must get off to a better start at Tennessee.
“I think one thing we don’t want to do is what we did here the other day (against Vanderbilt), start with three or four turnovers to start the game from the offensive side of it,” Pelphrey said. “And hopefully be able to get in there and compete the first four or five minutes. Defend and rebound and take care of that basketball.”
Incentive should still be there for the Razorbacks.
For starters, Arkansas enters the night with a small, yet unlikely, chance to claim a share of the SEC Western Division title. Mississippi State, which clinched a piece of the title last Saturday, must lose its final two regular season games while Arkansas beats the Vols and Ole Miss.
The Razorbacks are in desperate need of wins, too, if they have any hope of earning a spot in the National Invitation Tournament. More losses won’t make an impression on the selection committee as it puts together a 32-team field.
But Pelphrey said his team can’t be concerned about the big picture. The only thing he wants his team thinking about is competing against Tennessee — and that includes holding a lead for the first time in three games.
“From a big-picture standpoint, there’s some things you probably want to look at,” Pelphrey said. “But as a coach and a player, we’ll stay focused on the moment.
“What’s right in front of us. What we can control.”
TONIGHT’S TICKET
Arkansas (14-15, 7-7) at No. 16 Tennessee (21-7, 9-5)
When: 6 p.m.
Where: Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn.
TV: SEC Network
Radio: Razorback Sports Network
Coaches: Arkansas — John Pelphrey (51-43 in third season); Tennessee — Bruce Pearl (119-44 in fifth season)
Arkansas — F Michael Washington (6-9, Sr., 12.3 ppg), PF Marshawn Powell (6-7, Fr., 15.6), G Marcus Britt (6-3, Jr., 3.9), SG Rotnei Clarke (6-0, So., 15.8), PG Courtney Fortson (5-11, So., 18.5)
Tennessee — C Brian Williams (6-10, Jr., 4.8 ppg), F Wayne Chism (6-9, Sr., 12.7), F J.P. Prince (6-7, Sr., 8.7), G Scotty Hopson (6-7, So., 13.0), G Bobby Maze (6-3, Sr., 9.4)
