Powell sets tone for Razorbacks' pivotal week

Freshman forward Marshawn Powell set the tone, and perhaps some words to live by, Monday just before taking the court at Bud Walton Arena for practice.

Powell didn’t like the taste in his mouth after the Alabama loss, and the freshman who has played and led on the court much more like a junior than a first-year player, had some words to share with the media and his teammates.

Marshawn Powell lets out a yell after scoring a basket against Stephen F. Austin on Dec. 19 at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/WILLIAM MOORE)

“Hopefully, everybody else is ready to work,” he said. “I’m ready to work and get better, fix what we messed up in the Alabama game.”

A lot can be pointed to when attempting to explain Arkansas blowing a 13-point lead and losing on the road to the Crimson Tide, a team that Hogs beat by 12 points last month. Mostly, it was about rebounding. Alabama was last in the SEC in free-throw differential entering the game, and had only out-rebounded one team in the SEC all season.

Then the Tide put up its biggest advantage at the line all season — a plus-17 margin in free throw attempts against the Razorbacks.

“Heart,” Powell said, when asked why the Hogs did so horribly on the boards. “I want to say, just heart, toughness. We’ve got to get tougher as a team, to where we can lock down somebody for a whole (shot clock) and shoot up a crazy or long jump shot — to be able to get that extra effort and rebound. We do that, we’ll be a whole lot better than we are now.”

Early on this season, you could tell Powell would be a star for the Razorbacks. He dove to the floor for looseballs, never backed down in the paint and quickly became Arkansas’ most active player underneath the basket.

And with Mike Washington struggling to hit easy baskets underneath — whether it’s because of back pain or other injuries, or teams keying in on the senior — Powell’s impact has been even more important for the Razorbacks.

And here he is, 10 games into the SEC season averaging 14.8 points and 6.7 rebounds a game. He has three double-doubles and has scored in double-digits in six SEC games. And Powell should know about rebounding success, because he grabbed 10 boards against Alabama in the Hogs’ 71-59 victory on Jan. 16 at Walton Arena.

Powell, though, is starting to feel the wear and tear of his first season as an SEC player. After losing 20 pounds in the offseason to get ready for the physical toll of the SEC, he’s learned that the opposition may not be bigger, but they’re certainly stronger than the 6-foot-7, 220-pound forward.

Arkansas is tied atop the SEC West after a loss at Alabama on Saturday. Credit: SECSports.com

“It’s tough, man,” Powell said. “… It’s starting to take a toll on me, but I’m a basketball player. That’s what I like to do. I love to play basketball.”

Pelphrey definitely needs Powell, especially with Arkansas’ rebounding woes and a tight race in the SEC West. The Hogs and Mississippi State are tied atop the division at 6-4, and this week is as big as any for the Razorbacks. South Carolina comes to town Wednesday, followed by a trip to Auburn on Saturday.

It’s crunch time for a team that looked out of contention for any type of title by the the end of December. A loss or two could really hurt the Razorbacks’ chances at a division title and even a bid in the NIT. Six games remain in the regular season, and it’s up to Pelphrey to explain the importance of the next three weeks.

“You’ve got to talk to them about it because some of these guys have never been through it before,” Pelphrey said. “Some of these guys have not been through this in these roles. We talk a lot about that in terms of how many days are left and the fact that it’s running out for some guys. Some guys think they’ll always have a chance at this time of year to be in a conference race, and that’s not always the case either. It’s talked about quite a bit.”

Powell has never been in this role before, either, but he’s certainly proving to be a difference maker and even a leader for the Razorbacks down the stretch.

“He’s arguably our hardest worker,” Pelphrey said.

“I come ready to work hard,” Powell said. “I think I’m one of the hardest workers we have on this team. I come in and show it every day.

“Every day,” he repeated.

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Wally Hall and I discussed Arkansas’ loss at Alabama and hit on rebounding plenty during our WholeHogCast, which you can watch below.

By the way, welcome to the new Slophouse. What do you think of the look? Nice digs, eh?

[flashvideo file=http://showtime.arkansasonline.com/e/nwa/videos/2-13_WholeHogCast.flv width=500 /]
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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.

— Brandon Marcello