Hog Calls

Hogs: Lesson learned vs. lesser teams

Arkansas coach Mike Anderson directs his team against Vanderbilt Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017, during the second half of play in Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville.
Arkansas coach Mike Anderson directs his team against Vanderbilt Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017, during the second half of play in Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- In athletics, a pat on the back can equate to a shove off a cliff.

That's the message Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson imparts to his Razorbacks before they play Ole Miss at 5 p.m. today at Walton Arena.

The Razorbacks played their best game Wednesday, upsetting South Carolina 83-76 in Columbia, S.C. At the time, the Gamecocks shared first place in the SEC with Kentucky and Florida and ranked 21st in The Associated Press poll.

But, as Anderson reminds them, the Hogs had just played their most complete game a couple weeks earlier by rolling the Alabama Crimson Tide 87-68 on Feb. 1 at Walton Arena, then laid eggs in losing 83-78 at last-place Missouri and 72-59 at home to Vanderbilt.

"It's that adage of a pat on the back sets you back," Anderson said. "That old pat on the back, we're not into that. We're into trying to get better."

As the players designated for media interviews before Thursday's practice prefaced preparations for Ole Miss, senior guards Dusty Hannahs and the ever cheerful Manny Watkins appeared grim. The Mizzou and Vandy stumbles reminded them that the Razorbacks have a long way to go before punching a ticket to the Big Dance. At 19-7 and 8-5 in the SEC, Arkansas has five SEC games and the SEC Tournament remaining.

"It's not hard at all when you've had the losses we've had," Hannahs said of switching gears from South Carolina to Ole Miss. "That woke us up, and there's nothing that can really throw us off kilter anymore. We've learned that lesson, and it's time to go do it."

Watkins, the Fayetteville High grad who is intensely competitive during games as he seems happy when not on the court, echoed Hannahs of Little Rock.

"Yeah, what Dusty said, no matter what happens we're not going to be looking forward or past a game or past an opponent," Watkins said. "We've lost games doing that or not being completely focused. Nothing's going to keep us from not focusing, and we've got a lot to play for. Every game is a championship game for us. So that's how we go into it."

Anderson said the Razorbacks, even when trailing South Carolina by 14 early in the first half, were more businesslike than wildly emotional while mounting their comeback.

"When you talk about emotion, I think our guys were just dialed in," Anderson said. "They were focused in, and they went out and took the game plan and made some things happen. So coming home, we've already learned our lessons from that standpoint."

From past experiences, surely they know veteran Coach Andy Kennedy's Rebels always mean business.

"It's a typical Ole Miss team," said Anderson, noting the Rebels have won four of their past five. "They have got a lot of parts, and when those parts come together, they are a pretty good basketball team. Andy has them playing some of their better basketball right now."

Sports on 02/18/2017

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