Arkansas Razorbacks Basketball

Ky Madden has made a name for himself as one of the most sought after basketball recruits in Arkansas and the nation.

His physical tools have helped him pop up on the radar of college coaches, however his on court antics are starting to raise questions.

This Saturday at The Real Deal In The Rock AAU basketball tournament I saw something first hand that has me doubting if he is worth the risk of giving a scholarship to.

Madden’s temper has become something of legend ever since his hissy fit in the state tournament where he turned over a water cooler and ruined the brand new court that was hosting this year. He gave the first glimpse of that temper this weekend in the opening game of the Real Deal tournament. He was given a technical foul late in the game when his jawing turned into shoving.

Other than that he had a fantastic game and proved his status as one of the best players in the country. From the Friday game I was left thinking that maybe he has a little bit of a temper, but it could be manageable. I would not know how wrong I was until the following morning.

I made the short drive to Dunbar Middle School  at 8:00 A.M. Saturday morning to see Madden and the Arkansas Wings play against the Austin Ice. As I was watching the team warm up I was appalled by Madden’s lack of effort. Sure, it was eight in the morning. Sure, they played a game less than 12 hours before, but I started to get the impression that Madden genuinely had no interest in warming up with his teammates. Sadly, his lack of effort in warm-ups was not the worst part of his performance.

Despite getting a technical in the previous game, Madden started –but he only played a couple of minutes and was benched for the remainder of the first half and almost half of the second. I leaned over to my friend that was with me and asked, “What’s the deal? Is he in the doghouse for his technical last night?”

Soon after, Madden checked back into the game. After a missed shot that was rebounded by Austin, Madden tried to create a steal and failed. This apparently frustrated him enough that he felt the need to throw a haymaker that knocked the Austin player flat on his back.

The gym erupted around me while all I could do was sit in silent shock. Madden was fortunate that the referee did not get a clean look at what happened and that he was not  ejected immediately.

The sucker punch raised two questions in my head:

1. Who is that angry at eight in the morning?
2. How can you get that frustrated after 15 seconds of game time?

After he was given a technical and placed back on the bench he had the nerve to argue with one of the assistant coaches like he didn’t just punch someone in the face. I was sitting two rows behind him and felt like I had to whisper with my friend about what had just transpired so that I wouldn’t be directly in the cross hairs of a ‘Ron Artest Malice In The Palace’ situation.

I was incredibly disappointed with his AAU coaching staff that put him back in the game later in the half. Since the referees did not eject him, his coach should have taken it upon himself to send him home. Madden is not learning a lesson about his behavior if he’s allowed to get away with it and still play, and even start the next game. I know it’s important to these coaches to win games, but what are you teaching this young man?

To say that Ky Madden has character issues is an understatement. He has plenty of physical talent, but his conduct is a risk for the Razorback basketball program and John Pelphrey. I don’t think that is a risk Pelphrey should take.

Arkansas is in such a dire situation that they cannot afford the bad press if this kid does something horribly out of line again, especially off the court. He obviously does not care enough about his team to not get a technical foul in a game in which his team is losing.

Sadly, he also does not care enough about himself to be on his best behavior in one of the biggest AAU tournaments in the country – a tournament that the biggest college coaches in the nation attend.

Ky Madden (6′5″) is the tall guard that the Hogs desperately need. But at this point the Hogs need character in addition to skill. Madden is a blue chip prospect and a world class risk.

March Madness is just behind us, and all the buzz surrounding Arkansas athletics is on the surging Arkansas Razorback baseball team, and the improved football team in the midst of wrapping up their spring practices.

However, today feels like a good time to talk Arkansas Razorback basketball for 2010.

In the past two weeks the Razorbacks basketball team has taken a few hits. First, highly regarded JUCO prospect Ricardo Ratliffe chose Missouri over the Hogs, and then just within the last 24 hours Razorbacks starting point guard Courtney Fortson has declared for the NBA Draft.

For many Arkansas fans this feeling of "here we go again.." has already sunk in, but not so fast my avid Hog calling compadres. There are positive things getting in motion on the Hill.

There is the incoming 2010 class, great momentum with the 2011 recruiting class, and (cross your fingers) more talent returning to play for the Razorbacks in 2010 than any year since the 07-08 season.

In the first part of a two part series of articles to come this week today we are going to spend a little time looking at the guards the Razorbacks will have on the court in 2010.

Point Guards

Courtney Fortson - 5'11", 180lb, Junior

I know...I know...Fortson just declared for the NBA Draft. So why am I listing him as a returning player for next season?

The answer is simple. Because if he makes the right decision he will be wearing a Arkansas Razorback uniform next season, and not some European professional teams jersey.

Fortson has spent as much time in John Pelphrey's doghouse as he has on the hardwood since arriving at Arkansas, and that is a good thing if you can look at it as Pelphrey doing the right thing to help mature a young man that needs guidance.

On the court Fortson has the ability at point guard that no other Razorback player has, and it is all pure talent. His court vision, ball handling, and intensity is like none other on the team.

The downside with Forston is that because of his multiple suspensions he has developed a bad wrap for having a poor attitude and being a negative influence on the team. Not something pro scouts want to hear.

So for Fortson returning to Arkansas and playing the 2010 season with a purpose to prove what kind of teammate, point guard, and person he is will be a great story line for the Razorbacks in 2010.

Jeff Peterson - 6'0", 192lb, Junior

Perhaps one of the most likely players to make a huge impact in 2010 is Jeff Peterson. For those of you with a good memory you know that Peterson transferred to Arkansas from Iowa. At Iowa Peterson averaged 10.6 ppg, 4.2 apg, and 33 mpg as a sophomore.

In 2009 Peterson had to redshirt after transferring, but he was able to practice with the team and reports from players, Pelphrey, and the media were that Peterson is going to be a really great player for the Hogs in 2010.

If Fortson does hire an agent or decide to go pro in the NBA or Europe, it is likely that Peterson will be the starting point guard for the Razorbacks. He has the size and experience to make an impact right away, and by all means he fits the mold of a true point guard in his play on both ends of the court and is better than Fortson in many ways.

Julysses Nobles - 6'1", 170lb, Sophomore

The 2009 season was a roller-coaster ride for Hog fans, players, and coaches-but none experienced it more than true freshman Julysses Nobles.

Nobles was seen as a good defender and a much overlooked recruit coming out of high school that Pelphrey signed late for the 2009 class. It was widely thought that Nobles would be able to redshirt or play sparingly to give Courtney Fortson breathers here and there.

Instead, Nobles was thrust into an immediate starting role with Fortson out for the first half of the season under suspension. In the beginning he amazed many people with his play. He took care of the ball and made good decisions, but that did not last long as Nobles hit a wall about six games into the season.

Then as the Razorbacks ended their non-conference play Forston returned and for many weeks Nobles remained on the bench. He had gone from recruit, to starting point guard, to bench warmer in a whirlwind.

However, by the end of the season Nobles had worked hard enough in practice to improve and regain John Pelphrey's trust that he once again was a regular in the rotation backing up Fortson. His late season surge has many expecting him to be much improved in 2010, and he showed that defensively he was the best defender of all the guards the Hogs had in 2009.

Shooting Guards

Rotnei Clarke - 6'0", 184lb, Junior

A little over a month ago the Razorbacks season ended, and their was no March Madness, and little at all to celebrate. Immediately a rumor spread that star shooting guard Rotnei Clarke was considering leaving Arkansas.

What followed was a bit comical as Clarke hushed the rumor and took a shot at local Arkansas medias that broke the story. Those media members then turned around and took their own shots back at Clarke saying he was putting positive spin on the matter and that their source was credible and telling the truth. Who do you believe?

Anyways, Clarke is widely considered one of, if not the best shooters in all of college basketball. He lights it up from outside as he has shown in each of his first two seasons wearing a Razorback uniform. Fortunately for Clarke, John Pelphrey made a conscious effort to recruit talented guards in the 2010 recruiting class to come in and help free up Clarke who has been covered like white on rice ever since he stepped foot on campus by opposing teams top defenders.

Marcus Britt - 6'3", 198lb, Senior

Marcus Britt is the lone four year senior on the team. He is joined by forwards Jemal Farmer and Delvon Johnson who both were first year Juco transfers for the Razorbacks last season.

Britt is a defensive presence on the court, but has shown very little consistency on the offensive end. But it is not because he cannot shoot, in fact he improved to one of the better field goal percentages on the teams roster last season. The reason is because Britt shows very little confidence to shoot the ball.

In 2010 Britt will likely be asked to become a leader and to show more aggressiveness on the court. With more bodies and talent in the backcourt for Pelphrey to run his uptempo defensive style of play, Britt is a perfect senior to have show that intensity to the younger players. Luckily Britt has two of the top 5 rated defensive shooting guards in the entire 2010 recruiting class to mentor.

Rickey Scott - 6'3", 185lb, Freshman

In 2009 Courtney Fortson was the leading scorer for the Arkansas Razorbacks even after missing the first 13 games of the season. As a point guard that is never a good sign. So what did John Pelphrey go do on the recruiting trail? Two words- Rickey Scott.

Rickey Scott led all of the Dallas Fort Worth area in scoring his senior season of high school and he is a tall long guard. But the best traits for Scott are on the defensive end if you can believe that.

Earlier this month Scott was named by Jerry Meyer , Rivals.com Basketball Recruiting Analyst, as the best guard defender of the 2010 recruiting class.

Between being a leading scorer and a top defender Hog fans should all expect to see Scott on the floor making a major impact for the Razorbacks right away.

Mardracus Wade - 6'3", 175lb, Freshman

To pick up right where we left off with Rickey Scott, Mardracus Wade will be an impact player for the Arkansas Razorbacks as a freshman in 2010.

He has virtually the same size as Scott, and like Scott he was named a top defender by Rivals.com's Jerry Meyer. In fact, Wade came in at fourth on the list just a few spots below Scott.

Wade is a Memphis native, that moved away to Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia to mature and develop as both a young man and a basketball player. Mission accomplished.

Wade's coaches at Hargrave have praised him for over a year now, and he led Hargrave to a nearly perfect record in 2009 with only one loss.

Wade has good scoring ability, good passing skills, but just like Scott it is his defensive abilities that will insure himself stable playing time as a freshman for the Razorbacks.

Wrap-Up

Yes folks that is seven guards on the roster, and seven valid options to play and contribute. Isn't depth a beautiful thing?

For those of you ready to jump ship and become a UALR fan or some other team after hearing Fortson declared for the NBA Draft hopefully this will calm you down, and show you that Pelphrey has in fact been working hard in his first three seasons to field a basketball team.

Bigger and more talented guard play has been an area holding the Razorbacks back for the past two seasons. The Hogs have allowed teams to shoot the three point basket at an alarming rate, and have been unable to match up with deeper and bigger guard play of the better teams the Hogs have faced. In 2010 with Fortson or no Fortson the Arkansas Razorbacks will be one of the more talented backcourts in the SEC, and you can put that in your pipe and smoke it.

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Culminating in a first-round loss to Georgia in the SEC tournament, Arkansas basketball in 2009-10 was so disappointing that I have trouble even writing this article and reliving the season. But let us try to find a little closure.

The reasons given by this coaching staff to have hope for the future continue to be unimpressive. Then again, it’s hard to sound logical when explaining six straight losses to end the season, most to the weakest teams of the SEC.

The coaching staff has tried to remain positive, pointing to the time midway through the season when Arkansas sat atop the Western Division (a division that could send zero teams to the NCAA tournament) as an indicator of progress.

Pelphrey spoke about that achievement on Thursday, saying “We put ourselves in a position to have a chance to compete.”

At the time I wrote an article explaining that Arkansas still had much to prove, considering its five-game winning streak came mostly against the weaker side of the SEC, with no wins during that period (or even the entire year) over a Top 50 RPI program.

I said that Arkansas’ performance against Vanderbilt and Tennessee towards the end of the season would be an indicator of how far the program has come since last year. Little did I know that an 11-point loss to a winless LSU team would be an even more telling indicator.

It seems strange now that there was talk at that point of getting back to the NCAA tournament, considering that Arkansas was still unproven.

In my mind, that speculation showed the willingness of Razorback fans to support Pelphrey and hope for the best in spite of the fact that Arkansas was still unproven when it sat atop the West.

Do you, like Coach Pelphrey, choose to look at that five-game conference win streak and see a better team?

Or do you look at the worst finish in the history of Arkansas basketball and a season with no wins against Top 50 RPI opponents and see a team that has regressed from last year, when Arkansas beat No. 7 Texas and No. 4 Oklahoma?

Aside from the most important indicator of wins-losses, statistics also paint an unflattering picture of where the program is currently at. Arkansas’ scoring margin (points scored – points given up) for this year was a paltry +0.8, the same margin as last year. Half of SEC teams this year had a scoring margin that was greater than 6 points.

Arkansas’ rebounding margin fell from +1.7 last year to -2.6 this year, the second worst in the league. The percentage of three-point shots allowed remained the worst in the SEC over the past two seasons, with Arkansas giving up 37% of three-pointers both years.

Are there any reasons for optimism? It appears that no coaching changes are on the foreseeable horizon, so at this point the only thing fans have to look to is recruiting.

One can only hope that the tremendously high turnover rate over the last three years will die down so that the incoming recruiting class can really be additions to the team’s depth rather than desperate attempts to fill the holes of departing players.

With big man Mike Washington departing, adding the highly touted JUCO transfer Ricardo Ratliffe could be an absolute necessity for this program to show real improvement in John Pelphrey’s third rebuilding year.

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This article was written by Darius Pourceau of Born Hog Wild . Follow Born Hog Wild on Twitter @BornHogWild .

This just in, according to Richard Davenport (The Recruiting Guy ), Ricardo Ratliffe, the No. 1 JUCO prospect in the country will be visiting Arkansas this weekend.

Two weeks ago, you may remember I did a short story on Ratliffe, accompanied with videos (CLICK HERE ).

Arkansas fans that follow recruiting know that Ratliffe is the missing piece to the Razorbacks 2010 recruiting class. Arkansas already has two big guards and a solid SF/PF signed.

John Pelphrey has worked tirelessly on building a relationship with Ratliffe, and he just so happens to be a former teammate of Marshawn Powells.

Ratliffe is the inside help to go along with Powell and he is as big-time of a scorer as they come. In about a year and a half, he broke his JUCO's career scoring record.

For Razorback fans that are having a hard time paying attention to the basketball team, Ratliffe is a program changer. If the Razorbacks can sign Ratliffe, they will be a much improved team next season.

A team I would go so far as to say will win the SEC West and make the NCAA Tournament; that's right.

Get out your Hog gear, and high-tail-it over to Bud Walton Arena this Saturday for the Hogs' regular season finale against Ole Miss.

Pack the house and show Ratliffe the love.

Tonight and over the coming days, keep a look out for more stories on Ratliffe and the Arkansas 2010 recruiting class.

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This article was written by Blake Stansbery of Born Hog Wild.

Follow Born Hog Wild on Twitter @BornHogWild.

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It has been 15 years since the Arkansas Razorbacks have won an SEC West title in basketball. That feels like a lifetime for a program with a tradition of winning championships.

This season, the Razorbacks were expected to be at the bottom of the SEC West. Most experts picked the Hogs fifth in the division.

Less than a week ago, the Hogs were in the drivers seat with the SEC Western Division lead and heading into road games against the two worst teams in the division (Auburn and LSU).

Today, the Razorbacks have fallen a game behind Mississippi State in the West after losing both of those games; games that Arkansas fans had circled as wins and that most in and around the program probably expected to win as well.

The SEC West has not had the strength of the SEC East in quite some time. It has been a true tale of two divisions.

But no matter what your opinion of the Western Division, if Arkansas were to win the division, it would be the first positive sign around the basketball program in a long time.

Arkansas fans that have stuck loyally by while the program has faltered, need a light at the end of the tunnel. These fans are tired of saying, "maybe next year."

The Arkansas players and coaching staff need this for themselves as well. Only two players will be graduating after this season; Michael Washington and Stef Welsh.

The remainder of this young Razorback team will be wearing a Hog uniform for another two or three years. They need positive momentum and winning the SEC West could be just that.

Looking at the remaining schedule for Arkansas and Mississippi State, it appears that the Bulldogs have taken control of the driver's seat.

Arkansas' remaining games are all tough, and an 0-3 record in these games is possible. It starts this Saturday when the Hogs host No. 20 Vanderbilt at Bud Walton Arena. Next, the Hogs have to travel to face No. 17 Tennessee on the road, and then wrap up the regular season with a home game on March 6th against Ole Miss.

Mississippi State does have to go on the road for two of their final three games, but their three remaining games are more favorable than the Hogs. First, the Bulldogs head to South Carolina to face the struggling Gamecocks. Next, they continue on the road to face an improved Auburn Tiger squad and they finish their regular season with a home game showdown against No. 17 Tennessee.

From the looks of these remaining three games, the Razorbacks cannot afford to lose again, and that is going to be a tough task. Vanderbilt does come to Bud Walton, but they have been playing very solid basketball in the tough SEC Eastern Division. Tennessee has been up and down at times this season, but having to play the Vols on their home court is a bad omen for the Hogs. And finally, Ole Miss at Bud Walton is not a guaranteed win. The Hogs won the first matchup of the year, but the Rebels have had the Hogs number over the recent years and will come to win.

Realistically, the Hogs have a slim chance to go 2-1 in these three remaining game. So, the Hogs have to hope that Mississippi State drops one on the road and then the Bulldogs get beaten by Tennessee in their final game of the season.

There are a lot of ifs, ands, or buts in this scenario that the Razorbacks have left themselves to win the SEC Western Division. Coach John Pelphrey needs the success as much, or more, than his players. He has been taking heat for the struggles of the team over the past two grueling years although, he has recruiting on an up-swing that could really use a boost in the programs perception.

In the end, it appears that the Razorbacks let a title slip away. In just a little over a week we will know for certain. Between now and March 6th, a lot can happen and if the Razorbacks do find a way to win the SEC West, some bizarre events will have to unfold. Until then, it appears that the Hogs went from the driver's seat to the side of the road in a flash.

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This article was written by Blake Stansbery of Born Hog Wild.

Follow Born Hog Wild on Twitter @BornHogWild.

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The Arkansas Razorbacks already have a solid class signed to LOI's from the early signing period, but a big piece to the class is still missing. His name is Ricardo Ratliffe.

Ratliffe is a JUCO All-American, and the No. 1 rated player in the JUCO ranks. He is a dominant scorer, and all around solid inside player.

Arkansas is looking to add more strength inside next season to go with current freshman sensation Marshawn Powell. The departure of senior Michael Washington could also hurt the Razorbacks inside.

Ratliffe fits exactly the mold of a John Pelphrey type of inside player, and could be the best power forward to come to Arkansas since Corliss Williamson if the Razorbacks are lucky enough to sign him.

Early on in the recruiting process Arkansas jumped to the top of Ratliffe's list, but currently he is open and suitors are coming in from everywhere. He has been linked to high interest in Florida, Alabama, Missouri, and recently his name has come up more in the circles of programs such as Kentucky, Louisville, and Indiana.

Fans should expect the number of big-time offers for Ratliffe to continue to increase.

CLICK HERE to view Ratliffe's Arkansas Razorback Recruit Map Profile

Enjoy the below interviews with Ratliffe, and also footage of him breaking his junior college's all time scoring record.

The Hogs will likely be sweating it out until the last minute in an effort to land him, and Arkansas coach John Pelphrey has Ratliffe focused on as a must get for the 2010 class.

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This article was written by Blake Stansbery of Born Hog Wild.

Follow Born Hog Wild on Twitter @BornHogWild.

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Nolan Richardson is the first name that many people think of when they hear Arkansas Razorback basketball. He has made the news recently with his new position as the head coach and GM of the WNBA's Tulsa Shock, and with the release of his new book Forty Minutes of Hell.

Doing my daily surfing of all things Arkansas Razorbacks sports I ran across a very interesting article on Nolan Richardson by CBS writer Mike Freeman, on whether Richardson was banned from college basketball.

Read the entire story: CLICK HERE

As always Richardson gave some very good quotes including the following:

"I'm sure that after what happened to me at the University of Arkansas, I became, in the eyes of the guys who do the hiring and firing in college basketball, an uppity guy," said Richardson.

In a day and age where coaches who are found guilty of sexual harassment, serious NCAA rules violations, DUIs, etc.., Nolan Richardson was never given a second chance following his fall-out with old Arkansas AD Frank Broyles and since replaced school officials.

Personally I have been delighted to see new AD Jeff Long mend fences with Richardson. He now regularly attends Tip-Off Club meetings, and last season he and the National Champion Arkansas Razorbacks were brought home for a Championship Celebration that was long overdue.

Richardson is the only coach in history to win a NCAA National Championship, NIT Championship, and Junior College National Championship. Nolan led the Razorbacks to three Final Fours and the 1994 National Title.

He was also named the 1994 NABC and Naismith Coach of the Year.

During Richardson's illustrious coaching career he has a .711 winning percentage (508-206).

Read Freeman's story, and see if you agree with his take.

Was Richardson blackballed or not?

While you contemplate your answers just take a quick look back at the good 'ol days of "40 Minutes of Hell."

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This article was written by Blake Stansbery of Born Hog Wild.

Follow Born Hog Wild on Twitter @BornHogWild.

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The Arkansas Razorbacks entered Saturday's road match up with Alabama as one of the hottest teams in the nation. Riding the great play and leadership of guard Courtney Fortson, the winners of five straight SEC games looked to keep the streak, and their NCAA Tournament hopes alive.

However, a dismal offensive performance in the second half allowed the Crimson Tide to overcome the Hogs' nine point halftime lead, and ultimately beat Arkansas by five points.

The post-season scenario for Arkansas is an interesting one. A team that started out 7-8 in non-conference play—with losses to South Alabama, Morgan St, and East Tennessee St—was all but counted out of any kind of post season play, as the schedule entering SEC play would obviously only get tougher.

However, after Kentucky handed Arkansas its worse conference loss in team history, John Pelfrey managed to gather his Razorbacks right when most thought the wheels were coming lose.

Prior to Saturday's loss, Arkansas managed to win five straight conference games to propel them in front of pre-season favorite Mississippi State for the SEC West lead, and the tournament talk has begun.

Would the Selection Committee take into consideration that Arkansas was without guard Courtney Fortson up until a game before conference play began, or would they dismiss the fact because it was a suspension rather than an injury? Both cases have been argued heatedly.

A road victory, and a sixth straight conference win, could have opened the eyes of many around the nation, and the Razorbacks could have triggered a discussion of whether or not they had made their way to the bubble of March Madness. But, with a loss, the team that once had their backs against the wall, well...has their backs against the wall.

Now, the only sure way Arkansas can get into the big dance is by winning the SEC Tournament, which they haven't done since 2000.

Many around the state believe that the only other way the Hogs get in is by winning their final six games heading into the SEC Tournament, and winning a couple of games there as well. No easy task considering Tennessee (road) and Vanderbilt (home) are still on the schedule.

Though this team has turned a complete 180 degrees since conference play began, it looks like the early struggles will come back to haunt Arkansas, and they may just miss out on Selection Sunday.

The NIT is still a major possibility, and with where the program has been recently, could be a major step forward in the quest to get back on the national level in college basketball.

The Arkansas men's basketball team is enjoying its best nine-game start in the SEC since 1998.

There is no doubt the Razorbacks are a much improved team from a year ago, as they've shown toughness on the road and at home in compiling a five-game win streak against SEC West opponents. As a result, they find themselves atop the SEC West division.

But the next major test to see just how much John Pelphrey’s squad has improved will be the SEC East teams that show up on the schedule at the end of the year.

If Arkansas can remain atop the West and compete in its games against Tennessee and Vanderbilt, the Razorbacks have a chance to do some damage in the SEC tournament and possibly even make the big dance.

If, on the other hand, Arkansas is unable to keep those games close, its prospects for postseason play will dim.

The talent gap between the SEC East and West has grown considerably, however, and the proof is staggering:

	SEC West	SEC East
Overall Record	80-62	100-39
Head to Head	4-17	17-4
Top 25 Teams	0	3
Joe Lunardi’s NCAA Projections	1	4

The most eye-popping statistic is that, in head-to-head matchups, the SEC East has won 17 games compared to the West’s four. The eastern division has undoubtedly benefited from Kentucky’s resurgence as a national powerhouse, and Kentucky’s only loss so far has come against a fellow SEC East team—South Carolina.

Arkansas has faced three eastern division teams so far this year: Kentucky, Florida, and Georgia. The Kentucky game was a blowout to forget. At home against the Gators, however, Arkansas played them close, losing by a score of 71-66. Although it is a solid team that may go dancing this March, Florida is only the fourth-best team in the East. Arkansas had a close shave against Georgia (winning 72-68), which currently finds itself as a bottom-feeder in its division.

If Arkansas can compete against Vanderbilt and Tennessee and perhaps win one of those games, it will be able to ease the pain of the historic Kentucky loss and perhaps shake off the “thinnest kid in fat camp” theory about the value of being on top of a weak division.

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This article was written by Darius Pourceau of Born Hog Wild. Follow Born Hog Wild on Twitter @BornHogWild.

A complete game from start to finish is what Hog fans have been waiting to see from the Arkansas Razorbacks. Wednesday night that is exactly what the Hogs delivered in a bench-clearing 35-point win over LSU.

Is LSU just bad? Maybe.

There is no denying the Tigers are struggling as their 35-point loss to the Hogs now makes them 0-10 in SEC play just a year after winning the SEC West.

Arkansas extends its lead in the SEC West and now sits at 6-3 in conference play. As far out there as it sounds, Arkansas fans are starting to wonder if the "Big Dance" is totally out of reach, or if the Razorbacks have a chance.

There is going to be plenty of time to discuss the NCAA tournament over the coming weeks, but if the Razorbacks can stay red hot, they will strengthen their chances and could approach the 20-win mark in the SEC Tournament.

Right now, the winning-streak, and the Hogs' most complete game of the year, should be the focus. The young Razorbacks know they need to remain focused on playing it game by game. This approach was on display as the Hogs hosted LSU, and proved they can avoid a letdown against what is perceived as an inferior team.

From the tip, the Hogs took control of this game in jumping out to a quick 12-2 lead. LSU made a few small runs during the first 10 minutes of the game, but after that point, the Razorbacks took compete control.

Bud Walton Arena was rocking for a weekday game, and the Razorbacks did not disappoint. Every player got in the game, and the Razorbacks came out serious from the opening tip.

The three keys to the Razorbacks impressive win were their defensive pressure, getting to the free-throw line, and rebounding.

The Hogs came out of the gate with defensive pressure that forced LSU into 17 turnovers. The turnovers translated into easy buckets. When LSU did take care of the ball, Arkansas' D stayed tight and held LSU to a low shooting percentage (37.5 percent).

Bench players Glenn Bryant, Jemal Farmer, Stef Welsh, Julysses Nobles, and Stephan Cox provided defensive intensity when their numbers where called, and their productivity allowed the Razorbacks to have a very fun night; everyone from the bench was involved in the big win.

Second, Arkansas stuck to its bread and butter over the past five games—getting to the free-throw line. The Razorbacks were 23-of-30 from the line compared to LSU's mere 4-of-8.

Courtney Fortson was able to get into the lane whenever he wanted, and the Razorbacks showed improvement in the inside-outside game that has been instrumental in their recent success. This kind of unselfish play must continue to improve for the Razorbacks to stay on their tear through the remainder of conference play.

Lastly, the Razorbacks out-rebounded LSU 40-28, and continued to show improvement in their bench depth and intensity.

Freshman Glenn Bryant provided a big spark off the bench for the Hogs, leading the team with nine rebounds in 16 minutes of action. Bryant and the other Arkansas bench players came up with big rebounds, blocks, steals, and overall high intensity to spark the Razorbacks to their best 40 minutes of the season.

John Pelphrey clearly has this young team peaking at the right time. The Razorbacks have seven conference games left followed by the SEC Tournament, and you can tell the team is playing with a purpose.

Does it have hopes of still making the Big Dance?

Whatever their motivation is, the Razorbacks need to keep their eyes on the prize. Winning the SEC West will be the best thing to happen to Arkansas basketball in quite some time, and will prove that the Arkansas Razorbacks are a team on the rise.

The Razorbacks need momentum on the recruiting trail where they are working to finish the 2010 class strong and are in hot pursuit of top Juco prospect Ricardo Ratliffe .

The Razorbacks hit the road Saturday to face off against Alabama. The Razorbacks win over Alabama to start SEC play is what kick started the Razorbacks' second-half of the season turn around.

On Wednesday night the LSU Tigers showed up with hopes of getting their first SEC win, but in the end, they were run out of the gym with their tails between their legs by a group of wild razorback hogs.

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This article was written by Blake Stansbery of Born Hog Wild.

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