John Pelphrey's Hustlin' Hogs Need to Slow Down

John Pelphrey, hired last spring to boost Arkansas' basketball Razorbacks from mediocrity, inherited a very talented Razorback basketball team that had huge expectations.

Entering SEC play, all they have had is huge turnovers.

Pelphrey has put his foot on the gas and the Hogs are runnin' wild, pushing the ball up the court only to hand it to the defense.

So far, the improved defense has covered for the breakneck forcing as many turnovers on defense as they are commiting on offense.

I guess it's an even trade. But its sloppy basketball and I think the Hogs need to go back to the basics and slow it down a little bit.

I like what Pelphrey has done with the team, and the way he is coaching. The last coach showed little heart and, cowering on the bench while the players went out and played ball. Pelphrey is out on the court, shouting on every possesion.

With a starting lineup that can match with most in the nation, the Hogs should be beating up most of the teams on their schedule.

Patrick Beverly was last year's SEC Freshman of the Year; Steven Hill is a seven-foot monster waiting to send your shot into the seventh row if you try a lay-up within arm's length of him; high flyer Sonny Weems can score in bunches; Gary Ervin, the transfer point guard, can make good decisions when given time; and Charles Thomas, the forward that has been called "The Manimal" for a reason, is anchoring the post.

All of these players have shown tremendous upside and skill this year.

But they also have the fans wondering why.

Why are we giving the ball up around 15 times per game, and losing to teams like Providence? (I'm sure the 30 turnovers didn't help.) Why isn't Thomas scoring more? Why isn't Beverly putting up a season like he did last year?

Well, we have just entered SEC play. Hopefully, all those questions will be answered as the Hogs look to advance past the first round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the Nolan Richardson era.

(To be honest, I miss Nolan; we made it to the NCAA Tournament every year and won a National Championship under him. Why did he have to go in such a controversial way, and couldn't we have just avoided that and kept him?)

Oh, well. Heath is gone, finally, and we have a good coach again.

Maybe Pelphrey can bring us back to the glory days.