FAYETTEVILLE — The last season and a half has too many low points for John Pelphrey to pick just one.
Unfortunately that comes with the territory following a 12-1 nonconference start with a 2-14 SEC season as Pelphrey’s Arkansas Razorbacks posted for 2008-2009.
This season’s 2-5 nonconference start also provides too many valleys to call any the deepest.
Pelphrey views things from a higher plane now. His Razorbacks are 7-5 going into Verizon Arena in North Little Rock for today’s 8 p.m. ESPN2 televised game with the 9-1 Baylor Bears.
Not only have his Hogs won five consecutive, but their last triumph, Dec. 22 at Walton Arena, was 66-62 in overtime over a Missouri State team that was 10-0.
Still, that can’t prevent Pelphrey from taking a bitter look two years back to North Little Rock.
The veteran team Pelphrey inherited in 2007-2008 went 23-12 and won Arkansas’ first NCAA Tournament first-round game since 1999.
But those same Hogs went home for Christmas 74-67 upset losers to Appalachian State in Pelphrey’s first coaching visit to Alltel Arena, which has since been renamed Verizon Arena.
Pelphrey ruefully remembers the buildup and the letdown.
“My two years down there it has been a special environment,” Pelphrey said. “It was a great disappointment to me in year one when we weren’t able to pull off a win.”
The Hogs have only three active players - seniors Michael Washington, Stefan Welsh and Stephen Cox - from that 2007-2008 team.
“I would think it was a low point,” Cox said. “A letdown. That was a game we were probably supposed to win. But don’t mistake it, Appalachian State was a good program. We saw that this year. [It took overtime for Arkansas to beat Appalachian State 81-72 on Nov. 20 at Walton.] They have some very good players. It was a letdown, but we are moving on to the task at hand, and that’s Baylor.”
They move on but don’t forget the one-shot urgency of the annual North Little Rock visit, a visit they won last season, 86-75 over North Texas.
“No doubt,” Cox said. “You only get one shot, so you have got to lay it all on the line.”
Rotnei Clarke, the Hogs’ shooting star sophomore from Verdigris, Okla., said he sensed the urgency last season before scoring 11 points against North Texas.
“I had a great time there last year,” Clarke said. “Some of the Razorback fans from there who don’t get up here to watch a lot of games get to see us play down there. It’s an unbelievable atmosphere.”
An atmosphere Pelphrey says is annually imperative to sustain.
“The unique thing about the University of Arkansas,” Pelphrey said, “is it’s not a geographic spot unless you look at the whole state, because the whole state loves the Razorbacks. I think everybody is excited about us coming to central Arkansas and the efforts made by the people down there no matter what sport it is.”
Sports, Pages 24 on 12/30/2009