Freshman Henry heating up for Hogs
Swinging for the Fences
Matt Watson
Issue date: 2/23/09 Section: Sports
Jason Henry, ladies and gentlemen.
Henry recorded a career-high 27 points and 12 rebounds to lead Arkansas in another tough conference loss Saturday.
The Razorbacks have two double-digit losses on the current seven-game losing streak and have come within four points three times. Saturday was the first time since January that Arkansas hasn't been behind at the end of regulation, and on the road, no less. We'll call it marked improvement.
Henry was the bright spot in the loss, posting his second double-double in eight days. He played 39 minutes, shot 2-of-4 from downtown, grabbed eight offensive boards, and added a pair of steals and an assist.
The freshman exploded at South Carolina, only topping a dozen points twice this season before Saturday.
But a closer look at the stat sheet indicates Henry has been performing at a high level for a while.
The West Memphis product has only played in 19 of Arkansas's 25 games, missing time for two different suspensions and a knee injury. He earned his first start against Tennessee but has only started once since.
With true freshmen Courtney Fortson and Rotnei Clarke combining for 48 starts, Henry hasn't garnered near as much attention, or minutes.
On the season, he's averaging 8.6 points per game and 4.8 rebounds a night. He's fourth on the team with 22 steals this year.
None of those numbers will blow you away, but given his playing time, Henry is excelling.
He's second on the team in points per minute played (0.45) and rebounds per minute (0.27). And he leads the team in steals per minute (0.06).
Outside of junior Michael Washington (averaging 15.9 points and 9.6 rebounds per contest), Henry has been the most productive player on the team compared to his time on the floor.
There's something to be said for efficiency.
Saturday Henry showed what he can do with 39 minutes of playing time. I'm not saying coach John Pelphrey can expect 27 and 12 with Henry in the starting lineup every week, but it's hard not to get excited about that kind of performance.
Henry is a 20-year-old freshman with some prep school seasoning, but any time an athletic 6-foot-6 freshman starts putting it all together on the court, he should get some recognition.
Henry has the physical tools to be a special player. He has long arms and can jump through the roof, drawing eerie comparisons to fellow West Memphis-native Sonny Weems.
His 1:3 assist-to-turnover ratio is troubling, but he has improved the mark to 1:2 in league play. He's only shooting 58 percent from the free throw line, which could become a late-game liability, but his shooting should improve (his 31 percent 3-point rate, as well) with more coaching and experience at Arkansas.
While one game isn't enough to project a career, I think it's safe to say Henry's performance wasn't an aberration by any means.
Henry is exactly the kind of X-factor the Hogs will need to come through in order to run the table at the Southeastern Conference tournament, Arkansas' only shot at going dancing in March.
Matt Watson is the assistant sports editor of The Arkansas Traveler. His column appears every Monday.
Henry recorded a career-high 27 points and 12 rebounds to lead Arkansas in another tough conference loss Saturday.
The Razorbacks have two double-digit losses on the current seven-game losing streak and have come within four points three times. Saturday was the first time since January that Arkansas hasn't been behind at the end of regulation, and on the road, no less. We'll call it marked improvement.
Henry was the bright spot in the loss, posting his second double-double in eight days. He played 39 minutes, shot 2-of-4 from downtown, grabbed eight offensive boards, and added a pair of steals and an assist.
The freshman exploded at South Carolina, only topping a dozen points twice this season before Saturday.
But a closer look at the stat sheet indicates Henry has been performing at a high level for a while.
The West Memphis product has only played in 19 of Arkansas's 25 games, missing time for two different suspensions and a knee injury. He earned his first start against Tennessee but has only started once since.
With true freshmen Courtney Fortson and Rotnei Clarke combining for 48 starts, Henry hasn't garnered near as much attention, or minutes.
On the season, he's averaging 8.6 points per game and 4.8 rebounds a night. He's fourth on the team with 22 steals this year.
None of those numbers will blow you away, but given his playing time, Henry is excelling.
He's second on the team in points per minute played (0.45) and rebounds per minute (0.27). And he leads the team in steals per minute (0.06).
Outside of junior Michael Washington (averaging 15.9 points and 9.6 rebounds per contest), Henry has been the most productive player on the team compared to his time on the floor.
There's something to be said for efficiency.
Saturday Henry showed what he can do with 39 minutes of playing time. I'm not saying coach John Pelphrey can expect 27 and 12 with Henry in the starting lineup every week, but it's hard not to get excited about that kind of performance.
Henry is a 20-year-old freshman with some prep school seasoning, but any time an athletic 6-foot-6 freshman starts putting it all together on the court, he should get some recognition.
Henry has the physical tools to be a special player. He has long arms and can jump through the roof, drawing eerie comparisons to fellow West Memphis-native Sonny Weems.
His 1:3 assist-to-turnover ratio is troubling, but he has improved the mark to 1:2 in league play. He's only shooting 58 percent from the free throw line, which could become a late-game liability, but his shooting should improve (his 31 percent 3-point rate, as well) with more coaching and experience at Arkansas.
While one game isn't enough to project a career, I think it's safe to say Henry's performance wasn't an aberration by any means.
Henry is exactly the kind of X-factor the Hogs will need to come through in order to run the table at the Southeastern Conference tournament, Arkansas' only shot at going dancing in March.
Matt Watson is the assistant sports editor of The Arkansas Traveler. His column appears every Monday.
Be the first to comment on this story