What’s left of Arkansas’ postseason hopes?

Arkansas’ postseason hopes seem to be waning, even perhaps nonexistent after its last three losses. The Razorbacks (14-15, 7-7 SEC) will most likely need to at least split their remaining two games (at Tennessee, Ole Miss) and win two games in the SEC Tournament to at least receive consideration for the NIT.

And that’s tougher than you think. The Razorbacks’ postseason hopes are about as small as their chances Wednesday of beating No. 16 Tennessee, which defeated then-No. 2 Kentucky last weekend.

While there is no written rule prohibiting teams with a record worse than .500 in the NIT, the Razorbacks will most likely need a 1-1 finish to the regular season, and 2-1 run in the SEC Tournament to garner consideration.

Even then, nothing is guaranteed. Seth Emerson of The State has some interesting facts on the NIT:

The teams in last year’s field with the worst records were Georgetown (16-14), Washington State (17-15) and Notre Dame (18-14). Washington State had the lowest RPI rank of the three, at 92.

Arkansas’ RPI sits at 143 after its 89-72 loss to Vanderbilt. The Commodores didn’t even get an invite into the NIT last season after finishing 19-12.

Knowing that, and Arkansas’ need for several wins, this is where its placement as the No. 2 seed could really hurt. A win against Ole Miss in the season finale will give the Hogs the second seed and a first-round bye in the SEC Tournament. If the Hogs do that, then they’ll have to reach the SEC Championship game to even out at .500 and receive an NIT berth.

It gets even tougher if you consider who the Razorbacks will have to play in the second round with a first-round bye. The opponent will most likely be the three-seed from the SEC East, which remains up for grabs between Florida, Tennessee and Vanderbilt. And LSU, the six-seed from the West, could also advance and play the Hogs.

Arkansas is just 1-2 against those teams, with Arkansas’ trip to Tennessee on Wednesday not factored in.

As the three-seed, Arkansas gets to play in the first round and perhaps a better shot and more games, but would have to sacrifice a win in the regular season against Ole Miss.

But Arkansas’ can’t sacrifice wins at this point.

The scenarios can hurt your head, so it’s probably a good idea that Coach John Pelphrey and the Razorbacks aren’t thinking about it too much as the season comes to a close.

“As a coach and a player we’ll stay focused in the moment and what’s right in front of us, what we can control, and that’s practice today and our upcoming game,” Pelphrey said Monday.

Options are available with the third-tier tournaments — the CBI and CollegeInsider.com — but the guess here is that Arkansas would pass on those opportunities if presented. After all, would Arkansas really want to pay $60,000 to host a game in the CBI?

Only one Web site out there — of maybe three — which project the NIT, CBI and CollegeInsider.com fields has Arkansas in the mix. BloggingtheBracket.com projects Arkansas in the CBI hosting Wright State.

The question is, would the fans be willing to shell out the dough to watch another Arkansas basketball game at Bud Walton Arena?

The point is, Arkansas’ postseason hopes are thin, and a run in the SEC Tournament is an absolute must. Crazier things have happened, but the window is closing on the Hogs’ tumultuous season.

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