LITTLE ROCK — Apathy has not settled in for the Arkansas Razorbacks men’s basketball program, but there is no disputing there is less enthusiasm than there once was.
Of course, winning is the instant cure for most athletic ailments, and in John Pelphrey’s fourth season as the head coach, that should be expected.
There was a time you couldn’t write NCAA Tournament without an “A” standing for Arkansas.
Yet, the Razorbacks have been to the Big Dance only three times in the past eight seasons, and that doesn’t excite a fan base that under Nolan Richardson and Eddie Sutton became accustomed to debates about where the Hogs wouldbe seeded, not whether they would make the tournament.
What caused the thinking to turn to basketball during a good football season was the arrival of a couple of preseason college basketball publications.
One is probably the most extensive look into the sport in America. Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook is 400 pages of well-researched stories, predictions and statistics on all 32 conferences.
It has a pretty good price tag ($22.95), but if you love college basketball it is a bargain. It can be purchased online at www.blueribbonyearbookonline.com.
The section on the SEC was written by Chris Dortch, editor of the book.
So how did the Hogs fare in Blue Ribbon? Only so-so.
Dortch has them finishing third in the Western Division, which wouldn’t be good enough for an NCAA Tournament bid.
Of course, the big question right now is why did do-right player Rotnei Clarke get suspended? If he was a few minutes late for a practice, didn’t Clarke, who works extra time daily, have a few minutes inthe bank?
Anyway, the SEC is still down, so don’t be surprised if only four teams make it to March Madness and three of those - maybe four - come out of the Eastern Division.
Dortch has Florida winning that division, followed by Tennessee and then Kentucky, but that was probably already in print before Bruce Pearl ran afoul of NCAA rules.
Personally, even though the Wildcats lost four starters and Daniel Orton to the first round of the NBA Draft, it appears Kentucky has reloaded and that Brandon Knight will be another point guard who is one and done, maybe even another No. 1 pick.
Florida, though, will be salty. The Gators have all fivestarters back and a very good recruiting class. They just need to be more physical and less of a finesse team.
Dortch has Mississippi State winning the West, followed by Ole Miss, Arkansas, Alabama, LSU and Auburn.
Dortch does not have MSU in his top 25, but most agree everything could change once Renardo Sidney becomes eligible Dec. 18.
His No. 1 team is Duke, the defending national champ which returns three starters but gains transfer Seth Curry, a sharpshooter.
Blue Ribbon appears to be in agreement with most that the Big East is going to be a beast again. Watch out for Pitt, Villanova and Syracuse to have a shot at making theFinal Four.
Basketball, believe it or not, is just around the corner.
Chad Gibbs will be speaking Thursday night, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the Clinton School of Public Service.
Gibbs is the author of God and Football, Faith and Fanaticism in the SEC.
He traveled to all 12 SEC schools for games to discover how others are able to balance their passion for their team with their devotion to God.
There will be a book signing after his talk.
Sports, Pages 19 on 10/27/2010