A look at the tape, and the stats, showed why Arkansas won — and should have won — at No. 18 Ole Miss on Sunday night.
Mike Washington and Marshawn Powell man-handled a depleted Rebels frontcourt. Without Reginald Buckner underneath, Ole Miss had to play it close to the vest. Fouls were not a welcomed sight, so when center DeAundre Cranston fouled out and forward Terrance Henry was in foul trouble, it became very apparent that guard Courtney Fortson‘s benching because of foul trouble was not as hurtful as Ole Miss’ men on the bench.
Arkansas' Marshawn Powell battles for position against Alabama Birmingham's Elijah Millsap on Jan. 2 at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/WILLIAM MOORE)
The result? Powell and Washington had a field day underneath the basket. The only problem, it seemed, was the swarm of guards surrounding them like mad piranha hoping a fisherman falls in the water.
Powell and Washington, however, never fell in the water and Powell earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors as a result of his 19-point, six-rebound performance.
“They did a really good job against Ole Miss,” Arkansas Coach John Pelphrey said. “The funny thing about life is, they’re going to be asked to do it again. That was great. We’re proud of them for last night. Today is a new day.”
Ball movement looked crisp. Backup freshman guard Julysses Nobles played admirably in place of Fortson, and Rotnei Clarke made good passes from the perimeter to the big men. The result was an 80-73 win, but what led to the better production?
Was it improved ball movement? The big men being more physical underneath? Or, as Pelphrey even put it, Ole Miss’ “inability to play” the post?
Who knows.
“The reality of the matter is, we were able to get it inside,” Pelphrey said.
And Arkansas is 3-3 in the SEC.
KNOW YOUR ROLE
Pelphrey isn’t shy with coaching philsophy this season. Feed the ball inside-out on offense and, if you’re player coming off the bench, don’t you dare think about shooting the basketball before playing some hard-nosed defense.
“I don’t need any of them to be scorers. They don’t need to score,” Pelphrey said. “That’s the third or fourth thing on their agenda.”
That includes Stef Welsh, who has adjusted to a role as a reserve player after starting 24 games last season. Welsh struggled for five games before hitting some crucial shots in select opportunities against Mississippi State and Ole Miss — the Hogs’ last two games. The senior had connected on just 2-of-20 shots during the five-game stretch prior to the two wins.
Welsh has hit 6-of-14 shots in the last two wins.
Other plays who have played key roles off the bench include Jemal Farmer and Nobles, who filled in for Fortson on Sunday and played 19 minutes. Nobles dished two assists, came up with two steals and had two points. The freshman hadn’t played that many minutes (19) since a win over Alabama State (30 minutes) on Dec. 16.
“They need to be aggressive in the right ways, whether it’s on a transition break one-on-one or a wing pick-and-roll,” Pelphrey said of the bench players. “They need to be aggressive and try to get in the lane. That doesn’t mean they shoot it.”
VIDEO: WholeHogCast — Two in a row
Bob Holt and Brandon Marcello discuss Arkansas’ win over Ole Miss and preview the Hogs’ trip to Georgia.
Make sure to check out WholeHogSports.com and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for more coverage. You can also follow us on Twitter for breaking news updates with @bmarcello and @wholehogsports.
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