Like it is

Winning at Vanderbilt worth extra credits

Arkansas guard Michael Qualls (24) and forward Bobby Portis (10) celebrate after Arkansas defeated Vanderbilt 77-75 in an NCAA college basketball game on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2014, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski)
Arkansas guard Michael Qualls (24) and forward Bobby Portis (10) celebrate after Arkansas defeated Vanderbilt 77-75 in an NCAA college basketball game on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2014, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski)

There's only one team in the country that is comfortable playing in Vanderbilt's Memorial Gym, and that's the Commodores.

When Arkansas had things rolling in basketball, the Razorbacks had a distinct advantage at Bud Walton Arena, and definitely Barnhill Arena: That was the fans. Last Saturday, Hog fans were loud and proud.

Memorial Gym in Nashville, Tenn., is intimidating in a different way. It opened in 1952 to honor the students and alums who lost their lives in World War II.

It feels a little creepy.

Like maybe Jimmy Hoffa's body was buried there during the 1975 renovation.

Anything could be under that elevated floor, which requires the team benches to be placed behind the baskets. Only one team is accustomed to that and it usually takes a few games before visiting head coaches realize that if they call timeout when their team is on the other end of the court, the players waste time and energy marching back down the court.

It is just a difficult place for opposing teams to play, which is why the Vanderbilt men's and women's teams have won 78 percent of their home games since the place opened.

Tonight, the Razorbacks go there to try and stretch their victory streak to four games in front of what will probably be a pretty good crowd. The Commodores ended a four-game losing streak last Saturday by beating then-No. 19 Florida in Gainesville.

Which is why tonight's game becomes extra important for the Hogs as far as getting closer to the middle of the NCAA Tournament bubble.

The victories over Missouri, Texas A&M and LSU didn't help the Razorbacks much, while losses could have been devastating, considering those teams occupy the three bottom spots in the 14-team SEC standings.

Normally, a victory over an 11th-place SEC team like Vandy (9-10, 3-4) might not be too instrumental, but the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee carefully studies the record of a team's opponents on the road and against ranked teams.

Vanderbilt's 68-66 victory over Florida could make an Arkansas victory tonight a viable one for a team that needs quality victories to move up in all the rankings the committee uses to help determine the field of 68.

The A&M victory wasn't exactly a feather in the Hogs' hat, but this brief streak has shown the Razorbacks are improving and could be peaking at the right time.

Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson has enough weapons that if one guy is having an off night, there is someone to pick up the slack. That's important for a team that ends January with a nonconference game at Oklahoma State and enters the SEC stretch run of five road games -- Missouri, LSU, South Carolina, Auburn and Florida -- and five home games -- Alabama, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Georgia.

For sure they need the crowd that showed up last Saturday (announced at 16,099) to be there for all the home games. Or even more fans, starting Saturday when an improved Alabama team comes to Bud Walton.

The Razorbacks have shown some SEC road toughness, going 2-1, the loss coming to a Kentucky team that is beating everyone.

Arkansas' challenge starts tonight in one of the oddest and toughest gyms to win at in the SEC.

The fans aren't raucous -- they are Vanderbilt fans after all -- but they can raise the roof a little. But mostly, when the lights go down and the teams take the floor, it has been described as watching a CinemaScope of basketball.

It is an odd place, intimidating in different ways, but the Razorbacks are 1-1 there under Anderson and won on their last trip there, 77-75 in 2014.

Sports on 01/24/2017

Upcoming Events