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Three-point shooting, rebounding key for Razorbacks
Matt Jones
Issue date: 1/23/09 Section: Sports
Every game is important, but some are more important than others.
And while Arkansas' match-up with Auburn Saturday won't make or break the Razorbacks' season, it will have an impact - just like the team's back-to-back-to-back losses to open the Southeastern Conference schedule.
"Every time we lace them up we talk about it being the biggest game of the year," Arkansas coach John Pelphrey said. "We don't want to be 0-4, I can tell you that. We'd much rather be 1-3. I don't like the sound of that much, either.
"I hope we'll be very hungry and at an all-time high."
Arkansas (12-4, 0-3 SEC) hasn't played since an 80-65 loss at Florida last Saturday. That break has given the young team plenty of time to build an appetite for success.
"We're very hungry," freshman guard Rotnei Clarke said. "Fortunately we have two games in front of our fans... We're ready to get a win."
Pelphrey said the week off has helped the team.
"We needed the long week, more mentally than physically," Pelphrey said. "We're not making excuses, far from that, but this is the first time through [conference play] for a lot of our players."
Arkansas' biggest struggle in league play has been an inadequacy from beyond the 3-point arc.
The Razorbacks are just 8-of-51 from 3-point range in consecutive losses to Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Florida, but Arkansas' struggles aren't limited to just the offensive end of the floor.
Those three teams have combined to hit 29 treys against the Hogs, including Florida's 8-of-13 second-half performance to pull away last weekend.
"The bottom line is the 3-point line has hurt us," Pelphrey said. "The last team we played shot a lot of 3-pointers and got 16 of them back, so we've got to chase down balls. You can't give up a lot of 3-point shots and certainly can't give up a high number of offensive rebounds."
The Gators scored 28 second-chance points against Arkansas, most off of missed 3-point attempts. The Razorbacks will need to be on guard again Saturday as Auburn has an even quicker trigger from the outside, and with four quick perimeter players on the floor at most times, has more speed to chase down loose balls.
"They're very aggressive and in constant attack mode," Pelphrey said. "They're bigger and more athletic than Florida, which makes them more difficult to guard... It's a dangerous combination."
Auburn (11-7, 1-3) will have to overcome its road struggles as the Tigers are just 1-3 away from Beard-Eaves Coliseum this season. Pelphrey said to not be deceived by the records, but notes playing at home will be beneficiary.
"Auburn is a very good team," Pelphrey said. "Ten points separate Auburn from its opponents for the season [in the SEC]. With a few more stops or a few more baskets made, they could be as good as anybody in the league.
"[Playing at home] doesn't guarantee you anything, but it gives you a chance to make one or two mistakes and overcome them."
And while Arkansas' match-up with Auburn Saturday won't make or break the Razorbacks' season, it will have an impact - just like the team's back-to-back-to-back losses to open the Southeastern Conference schedule.
"Every time we lace them up we talk about it being the biggest game of the year," Arkansas coach John Pelphrey said. "We don't want to be 0-4, I can tell you that. We'd much rather be 1-3. I don't like the sound of that much, either.
"I hope we'll be very hungry and at an all-time high."
Arkansas (12-4, 0-3 SEC) hasn't played since an 80-65 loss at Florida last Saturday. That break has given the young team plenty of time to build an appetite for success.
"We're very hungry," freshman guard Rotnei Clarke said. "Fortunately we have two games in front of our fans... We're ready to get a win."
Pelphrey said the week off has helped the team.
"We needed the long week, more mentally than physically," Pelphrey said. "We're not making excuses, far from that, but this is the first time through [conference play] for a lot of our players."
Arkansas' biggest struggle in league play has been an inadequacy from beyond the 3-point arc.
The Razorbacks are just 8-of-51 from 3-point range in consecutive losses to Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Florida, but Arkansas' struggles aren't limited to just the offensive end of the floor.
Those three teams have combined to hit 29 treys against the Hogs, including Florida's 8-of-13 second-half performance to pull away last weekend.
"The bottom line is the 3-point line has hurt us," Pelphrey said. "The last team we played shot a lot of 3-pointers and got 16 of them back, so we've got to chase down balls. You can't give up a lot of 3-point shots and certainly can't give up a high number of offensive rebounds."
The Gators scored 28 second-chance points against Arkansas, most off of missed 3-point attempts. The Razorbacks will need to be on guard again Saturday as Auburn has an even quicker trigger from the outside, and with four quick perimeter players on the floor at most times, has more speed to chase down loose balls.
"They're very aggressive and in constant attack mode," Pelphrey said. "They're bigger and more athletic than Florida, which makes them more difficult to guard... It's a dangerous combination."
Auburn (11-7, 1-3) will have to overcome its road struggles as the Tigers are just 1-3 away from Beard-Eaves Coliseum this season. Pelphrey said to not be deceived by the records, but notes playing at home will be beneficiary.
"Auburn is a very good team," Pelphrey said. "Ten points separate Auburn from its opponents for the season [in the SEC]. With a few more stops or a few more baskets made, they could be as good as anybody in the league.
"[Playing at home] doesn't guarantee you anything, but it gives you a chance to make one or two mistakes and overcome them."
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