FAYETTEVILLE — The Arkansas Razorbacks’ major over achievement this season at Walton Arena included underachieving as it was achieved.
Arkansas Coach John Pelphrey explained Thursday how that happened Jan. 15 in the Razorbacks’ 70-65 victory over SEC West leader Alabama. The teams meet again tonight at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Pelphrey was asked how important it would be if four Razorbacks scored 10 or more points again tonight like Marshawn Powell (17), Delvon Johnson (14), Rotnei Clarke (13) and Julysses Nobles (10) did in their previous game against Alabama at Walton Arena.
Yeah, it’s important if four could do it in Tuscaloosa, but not the way they did it in Fayetteville, he explained.
“I didn’t think we played great here,” Pelphrey said. “I thought we played great in stretches and that the whole game we were tough and kind of hung around, but we missed a lot of easy shots in the first half. A lot in terms of layups point-blank.”
Johnson, the 6-9 center, struggled scoring inside during the first half before finishing 5 for 9 from the field.
The other three missed more than they made.
“Marshawn was 5 for 15, Rot 5 for 11, Julysses 2 for 7,” Pelphrey said. “We did some good things, make no mistake about that, well enough to win the game, which is not easy to do against Alabama. But I think if we get those opportunities again we need to convert those.”
Other than struggling with shooting - and everyone struggles shooting against Alabama’s SEC-leading defense - Pelphrey would gladly take the rest of that Alabama game in Fayetteville with him to Tuscaloosa. Even the rebounding.
The Hogs were outboarded 39-32, but they were outrebounded by only one on the offensive end. Arkansas more than made up for that by forcing 14 Alabama turnovers, including two critical ones down the stretch, while committing only nine.
Unfortunately, Pelphrey can’t take the crowd with him. Instead of the mostly Razorbacks rabid 13,000 fans in Fayetteville, it will be about 15,000 strong behind the Tide tonight in Tuscaloosa.
So like they did while winning at then-No. 19 Vanderbilt, the Razorbacks must overachieve tonight, though Pelphrey sure won’t say so.
“I’m not going to use that word,” he said, smiling after Arkansas iced nonconference cupcake Florida A&M 94-55 Wednesday at Walton Arena.
Fans’ criticism that Pelphrey overuses the word “overachieving” prompted Pelphrey’s news conference Monday to veer all over more maps than Rand Mc-Nally could chart.
He seemed just as determined but more relaxed Thursday while explaining the significance of Wednesday’s victory over outmanned Florida A&M when it comes to Arkansas’ postseason hopes.
At 16-9 overall, just one off Alabama’s 17-8, Arkansas is striving to play its way onto the NCAA Tournament bubble over these last five games heading into the SEC Tournament, or at least secure NIT consideration.
“Our thing,” Pelphrey said the day after flogging Florida A&M, “was last night probably won’t get us into any postseason play, but it could probably keep us out. So let’s make sure we take care of business.”
On that score, especially Wednesday’s 45-11 first half, they did overachieve.
Sports, Pages 20 on 02/19/2011