So, it was another eventful Sunday.

  Last Sunday, Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino announced that troubled linebacker Khiry Battle would be dismissed from the football team following his second arrest in less than two months.

  And then today, Arkansas basketball coach John Pelphrey confirmed that troubled guard/forward Jason Henry is no longer a part of the team.

  I wonder what will happen next Sunday.

  Anyway, Henry’s departure ends a few months of speculation. The sophomore’s status always seemed to be up in the air because of academic issues, and when asked about Henry, Pelphrey would always say that the player was “day-to-day.”

  Despite Henry’s obvious troubles, it’s worth nothing that he’s the fifth Arkansas player to leave the team since the start of last season. Junior-college transfer Montrell McDonald quit in December after being suspended after getting into an argument with Pelphrey, and this offseason has seen forwards Andre Clark and Brandon Moore transfer and reserve guard Stephen Cox decide to leave so he can join Arkansas’ golf team.

  It’s hard for any team, especially one that’s hoping to get over last season’s dismal finish, to turn the corner when there are that many defections. There isn’t continuity. And Henry’s departure won’t be welcomed at a time when Arkansas’ basketball is in danger of losing scholarships because of its low APR score.

  That said, at least Pelphrey no longer needs to worry about having more players than scholarships. Before Henry left, the Razorbacks had 14 players vying for 13 scholarships.

  Maybe now things will quiet down for the basketball team. And maybe there won’t be another announcement to report next Sunday.

For an audio preview of tonight’s contest, click here to hear the Gameday Insider with Morning News sports writers Nathan Allen and Ryan Malashock.

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Remember when John Pelphrey’s young Razorbacks were considered one of the hottest teams in college basketball? Recall when every NCAA “mock bracket” had the the Hogs in the tourney field? Kind of hard, isn’t it?

After going seven weeks without a loss, Arkansas hasn’t won a game in 18 days. So needless to say, the Razorbacks desperately need a W over the Auburn Tigers today.

Auburn (11-7, 1-3) at Arkansas (12-4, 0-3)
When: 12:05 p.m.
Where: Bud Walton Arena, Fayetteville
TV: KHOG (Cox Ch. 7, CoxHD Ch. 707)
Radio: 107.9-FM, 92.1-FM, 105.3-FM, 1290-AM for those in our readership area
Line: Arkansas by 4.5
Series: Arkansas 23-13 (15-2 in Fayetteville)
Last Meeting: Arkansas beat Auburn 77-64 on March 8, 2008, in Fayetteville

About Auburn

This is another team built to give Arkansas problems. Jeff Lebo puts four guards on the floor around senior big man Korvotney Barber, making defensive life miserable for opponents’ power forwards. Translation: Good luck, Michael Sanchez, Marcus Monk and Andre Clark. The Tigers certainly have talent, but they still haven’t been able to develop any consistency under Lebo, their fifth-year coach who could be fighting for his job. Auburn’s only SEC victory came over short-handed rival Alabama last Saturday.

Players To Watch

Arkansas
Stefan Welsh, 6-3, 185-pound junior guard
This week in practice, Welsh has increased the intensity. Pelphrey said no one outworked Welsh, who has tried as much as possible to embrace his leadership role for the Razorbacks. Now, the question is: Can Welsh produce on the court like a leader. He hasn’t scored in double figures since Arkansas’ last victory, shooting 8-for-29 during the Razorbacks’ three-game slide.
Auburn
Quantez Robertson, 6-3, 200-pound senior guard
So, what has happened to Robertson? Not sure if anyone knows, even himself or Lebo. Throughout his Auburn career, Robertson has been a go-to guy. He has been an above-average shooter and an on- and off-the-court leader. But this season, Robertson has slumped. He is averaging only 6.7 points per game and shooting only 37.4 percent from the field and 20.5 percent from 3-point range.

Gameday Links
• In today’s Morning News, my story takes a look at Arkansas’ struggling 3-point defense.
• Charles Goldberg of the Birmingham News states that today’s game is another tough road contest for Auburn.
• Evan Woodbury of the Mobile Press-Register wonders which Arkansas team will show up today in Bud Walton Arena.

Now, the Razorbacks get to prove how they can handle success. Fresh off its upset of No. 4 Oklahoma, Arkansas makes its yearly trek to North Little Rock today hoping to not suffer a letdown against North Texas. The Hogs have dropped their last two games in Alltel Arena — to Texas Tech (2006) and Appalachian State (2007). So they certainly have ample motivation to knock off the Mean Green.

North Texas (8-5) vs. Arkansas (10-1)
When: 2:05 p.m.
Where: Alltel Arena, North Little Rock
TV: KFTA — Cox Ch. 8 in NW Arkansas
Radio: 107.9-FM, 92.1-FM, 105.3-FM, 1290-AM for those in our readership area

About North Texas

As of two weeks ago, the Mean Green seemed far more menacing. North Texas was 8-2 heading into a trip to New Orleans. But eighth-year coach Johnny Jones’ team lost that game, as well as the next two contests. Riding a three-game losing streak, the Mean Green (from Denton, Texas) looks to get back on track today. But UNT must do so without one of its top players. Senior guard Collin Dennis didn’t practice with the Mean Green on Thursday and didn’t make the trip to North Little Rock. Jones said Dennis had some kind of an incident on New Year’s Eve. Dennis’ absence will hurt UNT, but enough threats still exist to give Arkansas coach John Pelphrey concerns. North Texas shoots 38.7 percent from 3-point range, led by 6-foot-5 sophomore guard Tristan Thompson (12.8 ppg) and 5-10 junior guard Dominique Johnson (10.6).

Players To Watch

Arkansas
Michael Washington, 6-9, 239-pound junior forward
Seriously, what can’t Washington do? The McGehee native has shown immense versatility in his game this season in racking up six double-doubles. One more of those, and Washington will have the most for a Razorback since 1999. North Texas will throw a lot of bodies at Washington today, hoping to force the ball out of his hands. But Washington, who averages a team-high 15.9 points and 10.4 rebounds, has proven lately that he can get his numbers despite all the attention.
North Texas
Collin Mangrum, 6-5, 195-pound sophomore guard
Without Dennis out, the Mean Green must find an ample replacement for the preseason second-team all-Sun Belt pick. Mangrum could be that player, and his increased productivity lately is a testament to his toughness. Mangrum has undergone five surgeries in the past 20 months. In fact, he only played three games this season. Mangrum referred to his career-high 19-point effort in an overtime loss to Middle Tennessee State on Wednesday night as “bittersweet.”

Keys For An Arkansas Victory

1. No Pressure
The Razorbacks talked the past few days about the passion of the fans in central Arkansas and mentioned how badly they wanted to win for them. The Hogs can’t get caught up too much in that storyline.
2. Pound The Ball
Inside, that is. Washington should present matchup problems for anyone who tries to guard him. Expect freshmen Michael Sanchez, Brandon Moore and Andre Clark, as well as senior Marcus Monk to dominate the glass. Oh, and don’t forget about freshman point guard Courtney Fortson on the boards.
3. Clarke Shooting
This was a key for Tuesday night’s game against Oklahoma, and freshman Rotnei Clarke’s continued improvement of late will only open more things up for Fortson and Co. Clarke was 4 of 17 from the field for the two games leading into the OU game, but he connected on 3 of his 4 shots from 3-point range against the Sooners.
4. Create Pace
Fortson has no problem with this. It’s pedal-to-the-metal all the time with him, and his teammates certainly love that mentality.
5. Guard The 3
North Texas has one chance at beating Arkansas: get hot from beyond the arc. The Razorbacks must make every effort to limit open looks for guard-oriented UNT.

Gameday Links
• Here’s my feature on Fortson that ran in today’s Morning News.
• Brett Vito of the Denton Record-Chronicle looks into Dennis’ suspension and previews the Mean Green’s trek to North Little Rock.
• Jeff Goodman of FoxSports.com gets him some Monk.
• ESPN.com has moved Arkansas up to No. 28 in its most recent “Power Rankings”

Arkansas coach John Pelphrey decided to not take his young Razorbacks to an exotic location for a tournament this season. He didn’t think they were ready for the experience. Instead, the Hogs will host the Jim Thorpe Classic, which begins tonight with their game against Austin Peay. They will face Stephen F. Austin on Saturday night to wrap up the event, giving them two challenging foes for this event.

Austin Peay (5-3) at Arkansas (6-1)
When: 7:05 p.m.
Where: Bud Walton Arena
TV: nope
Radio: for those inside our readership area, check out 107.9-FM, 92.1-FM or 1290-AM

About Austin Peay

Basketball tradition is rich at this Ohio Valley Conference school located in Clarksville, Tenn. Dave Loos, the Governors’ 19th-year coach, has built a consistent winner at Austin Peay, which has won 45 games the past two seasons and won last year’s OVC crown. His team is 5-3 this season, but four of those victories have come on the road. One of those defeats came last Saturday at No. 9 Louisville, a contest in which the Governors led midway through the second half. For the effort, junior guard Wes Channels was named OVC Co-Player of the Week and forward Anthony Campbell was selected OVC Freshman of the Week. Senior forward Drake Reed leads the Governors at 20.5 points.

Players To Watch

Arkansas
Courtney Fortson, 5-11, 180-pound freshman point guard
Should be intriguing to see what Fortson will produce as an encore to his triple-double last Wednesday against North Carolina Central. His 20-point, 11-assist and 10-rebound effort earned him SEC Player of the Week honors and drew national attention. With the Governors bringing two inexperienced point guards with them to Fayetteville, expect Fortson to ooze confidence.
Southeastern Louisiana
Drake Reed, 6-5, 225-pound senior forward
An all-OVC performer the past two seasons, Reed is on pace for a career-best campaign, even better than his OVC Player of the Year performance as a sophomore. Loos described Reed as “being able to do a little bit of everything for us.” Reed is a competent scorer, passer, rebounder and defender, and he has mastered the art of drawing attention and finding open shooters.

Keys For An Arkansas Victory

1. Right Attitude
The schedule immediately upgrades from the past three weeks. The cupcakes are gone. The quality opponents have arrived, and Arkansas’ attitude must reflect that reality.
2. 3-Point Defense
Four shooters for Austin Peay have taken at least 20 shots from 3-point range and made at least 39.7 percent of them. The Hogs must get out on those shooters.
3. Constant Pressure
Arkansas began to show more full-court pressure in its victory last Wednesday over North Carolina Central, and the Razorbacks need to continue to expand on that.
4. Board Battle
Austin Peay comes to Fayetteville severely out-sized. Frontcourt players such as Michael Washington, Michael Sanchez, Andre Clark and Brandon Moore need to exploit the size differential.
5. Find Clarke
Freshman guard Rotnei Clarke must get more shots. The Razorbacks have done a poor job recently of finding the sharp-shooting Clarke in the flow of the offense.

Gameday Links
• Here’s more of an in-depth look at the challenge Austin Peay presents in today’s Morning News.
• From the Governors’ perspective, James D. Horne of the Leaf-Chronicle in Clarksville, Tenn., provides a preview of tonight’s matchup.
• FoxSports.com’s Jeff Goodman gave Fortson a shout-out in his “weekly wrap.”
• Click here to catch up on some SEC notes.

Arkansas basketball fans may experience a frightening flashback tonight when they get to Bud Walton Arena or flip on their TVs. Texas Southern, winless on the season, comes to Fayetteville with little chance to upset the Razorbacks. Then again, no one expected the Lions to nearly defeat the Hogs the last time the two schools met — in the first round of the 1995 NCAA Tournament. Arkansas eked that one out 79-78. The Razorbacks should prevail by much more tonight.

Texas Southern (0-6) at Arkansas (4-1)
When: 7:05 p.m.
Where: Bud Walton Arena
TV: KHOG (Cox Ch. 7)
Radio: for those inside our readership area, 107.9-FM, 92.1-FM, 105.3-FM or 1290-AM

About Texas Southern

These Lions will look much like those that came close to ruining Nolan Richardson’s back-to-back appearances in the national championship game. Just like in 1995, they will press and they will play mostly zone on defense. That’s because Texas Southern is led by the same coach today as it was then. Robert Moreland is actually in his 28th season leading the Lions, who enter Bud Walton Arena with an 0-6 record that doesn’t indicate how well they have played this season. Texas Southern, a Houston-based school that competes in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, has narrow losses to Texas-El Paso, Northern Iowa, Marquette and Mercer.

Players To Watch

Arkansas
Rotnei Clarke, 6-foot, 184-pound freshman guard
The freshman sharp-shooter downs 3-pointers as well as any guard in the country, according to coach John Pelphrey, and he should receive plenty of chances to prove that tonight. Texas Southern will employ a 3-2 zone while in its half-court defense, leaving opportunities for Clarke to find cracks and launch 3s. Clarke leads the Razorbacks in 3s made (14) and attempted (32) and ranks second in 3-point percentage (.438) behind fellow freshman guard Courtney Fortson.
Texas Southern
Matthew Miller, 6-3, 200-pound senior guard
The native of Arlington, Texas, is the undisputed leader on and off the court for Texas Southern. Miller leads the Lions in minutes played (33.3), free throws converted and tried and ranks second in scoring (12.2). Moreland has shown that he doesn’t feel comfortable with Miller off the floor this season, as he has played Miller more than 32 minutes in five of six games. Miller’s only glaring weakness is his tendency to turn the ball over. He has 25 turnovers to go with 28 assists.

Keys For An Arkansas Victory

1. Handle Pressure
Texas Southern will attempt to press Arkansas tonight, something no team has tried so far. The Razorbacks’ young guards, led by Fortson, must show they can handle the heat.
2. Find Holes In Zone
The 3-2 zone used by Texas Southern can frustrate opponents that aren’t ready for it. Arkansas must be willing to work the shot clock to find a quality shot for shooters such as Clarke, Fortson and Stefan Welsh.
3. Frontcourt Depth
With junior Montrell McDonald still out with a suspension, Pelphrey needs his two reserve freshman forwards to step up. Andre Clark and Brandon Moore did make progress in Arkansas’ win Saturday over Florida A&M.
4. Henry’s Back
While McDonald won’t be at Bud Walton Arena tonight, freshman Jason Henry will. The 6-foot-6 guard missed three games with a suspension, and his contributions are sorely needed because of the Hogs’ thin bench.
5. Make Free Throws
Seems like this has been a key for every game. It will continue to be so until the Hogs prove they can connect on their free throws consistently. They were a bit better at 28 of 41 on Saturday.

Here’s the first installment of at least 30 “It’s Gameday” blogs throughout the 2008-09 Arkansas basketball season. First on the schedule this season for John Pelphrey’s young Razorbacks are the Southeastern Louisiana Lions.

Southeastern Louisiana (0-0) at Arkansas (0-0)
When: 7:05 p.m.
Where: Bud Walton Arena
TV: nope
Radio: for those inside our readership area, 107.9-FM, 92.1-FM, 105.3-FM or 1290-AM

About Southeastern Louisiana

The Lions, coached by Jim Yarbrough, traveled to Fayetteville from Hammond, La., a town of almost 20,000 located 45 miles east of Baton Rouge. Though they compete in the Southland Conference (and are picked to finish third, by the way), they are no stranger to the kind of environment they will see tonight. They went to LSU, Alabama, Mississippi State, Texas El-Paso and Iowa last season, which they finished at 17-13. And they bring back two starters and five lettermen from the team that lost only one of those road contests by more than 10 points. Southeastern Louisiana does possess athleticism, but Pelphrey referred to the Lions as “deliberate” earlier in the week. Look for the Lions to try and slow the pace on Arkansas tonight.

Players To Watch

Arkansas
Michael Washington, 6-foot-9, 239-pound junior forward
The main question for Washington this season is, can he develop into the double-double guy Arkansas needs down low? The McGehee native oozes talent and has patiently waited his turn behind big men such as Hill, Townes, Thomas and Hunter. He will be the primary inside-the-paint focus of every Arkansas foe. Can he handle that, and can he stay out of foul trouble?
Southeastern Louisiana
Kevyn Green, 6-5, 215-pound senior guard/forward
An all-Southland performer last season, Green averaged a team-high 15.4 points per game. He drained 80 of his 201 shots from 3-point range (39.8 percent) and led Southeastern Louisiana in scoring in 16 games. Green could pose matchup problems for the Razorbacks, so expect to see a number of different players take a turn guarding him.

Keys For An Arkansas Victory

1. Defensive Intensity
This team possesses the athleticism to press opponents. But they must prove they have the will, the consistent energy, the tireless peskiness that Pelphrey craves.
2. Bombs Away
The Razorbacks will shoot way more threes than they did a year ago. Most nights, either Rotnei Clarke or Stefan Welsh better be on from beyond the arc if Arkansas wants a W.
3. Mike Wash’s Sidekicks
Arkansas’ three freshmen forwards — Michael Sanchez, Andre Clark and Brandon Moore — must produce more than expected, starting right now.
4. Courtney Fortson
Expect to see his name here a lot this season. Yes, he’s a true freshman. But the Hogs need the confident point guard to hound on defense and dish-and-deliver on offense.
5. Don’t Get Down
Something will go wrong tonight. Somethings will happen all season long, but how the inexperienced Hogs react to their mistakes could determine their game-by-game fate.

Gameday Links

• In case you missed it, we had a Q&A with Pelphrey in today’s Morning News and a feature on Moore in Thursday’s edition.

• This was an early look at the Lions and Green (who may only play the first semester) from John Lenz of the Hammond Daily Star.

• Missouri State starts its season tonight at Auburn, one of seven SEC teams opening up play this evening. Lyndal Scranton of the Springfield News-Leader previews the team Arkansas will face in eight days.

• Jerry Tipton of the Lexington Herald-Leader writes that Kentucky is ready to start Billy Gillispie’s second campaign, and Kevin Brockway of the Gainesville Sun pointed out that Billy Donovan wants to find some leaders tonight.